That’s right. I’m making the shocking assertion here that citizen voices matter when influencing elected officials – everyone from your local city council to the U.S. Congress.

In fact, it’s the power of individual voices that has driven the recent trend toward “real people”-based grassroots advocacy campaigns. Organizations large and small recognize the power of connecting citizens, whether members of an association, employees or the general public, with their legislators.

Unfortunately, as this trend has developed so too has a series of serious abuses – from companies sending fake grassroots letters to Capitol Hill to organizations encouraging screaming matches and disrespectful (and sometimes downright dangerous) behavior at townhall meetings. So is it time to consider an ethical “code of conduct” for grassroots advocacy campaigns? I think so, and not just because I’m a goody two-shoes.

Why do I think this is important? A grassroots code of ethics would help all of us seeking to improve policy (granted from our own specific perspectives) in a variety of ways.

First, it could be helpful in putting an end to the egregious practices utilized by some practitioners to capture the attention of policymakers.

Second, it could help reduce skepticism on the part of policymakers about the legitimacy of advocacy communications received as part of an orchestrated campaign.

Third, it could help grassroots practitioners recognize and implement techniques that are both effective and ethical.

Fourth, it could help those hiring grassroots vendors differentiate between those organizations that adhere to strict ethical guidelines and those that do not.

Finally, it could play a role in the ongoing development of a robust, well-functioning democracy in which citizens can connect with elected officials in meaningful ways.

This final point is based on the premise that although many grassroots advocacy campaigns are planned, they are not, by virtue of that planning, illegitimate. In the vast majority of cases, those planning grassroots advocacy campaigns are seeking ethical and effective ways to connect citizens interested in a specific policy topic with decision makers in a way that might influence policy outcomes.

So what might be included in a code of ethics? I’ve developed some ideas that you can access at www.gspm.org/ethics (or, feel free to e-mail me and I’ll be happy to send you the materials). In general, they boil down to legitimacy, authenticity, relevance, transparency, civility and honesty. If it sounds like everything you learned in kindergarten, well, you’d be right.

We’ll be talking about these concepts and how they might practically apply in a grassroots campaign at the forum on January 27th. Whether you agree strenuously or disagree vehemently, I hope you’ll consider taking a look and sharing your views – but no yelling!

I suppose that sympathy cards rather than Valentine's hearts seem a more appropriate means of expressing most of our sentiments about the legislative process. However, it is possible to love the legislative process, and, more important, to use it to your advantage. Following are my five tips for doing so, based on those tried-but-true (and sometimes somewhat lame) sayings on conversation hearts.

Now, if you look at some of these sayings and are thinking "hey, I don't remember ever seeing that on a piece of candy or anywhere else for that matter," I swear I'm not making them up. I got these from photos, the NECCO site, a Reader's Digest article and, of course, an actual box of hearts (hey, people, research needs to be done!).

1. "Get Real": As I've said many times before, the U.S. Congress was not designed to pass legislation. Rather, it was designed to fight and argue and deliberate about legislation. With 535 people representing widely disparate parts of the country, it's no wonder that only about 4 to 5% of the bills introduced in Congress ever become law. Effective advocates will "get real" about the fact that the path from policy idea to implementation is arduous and fraught with peril.

This is especially true if you're dealing with an issue that requires an in-depth explanation. It will likely take years to get members of Congress to even understand the problem, much less do anything about it. So be realistic about your expectations, and urge others to do the same.

2. "All-Star": According to Albert Einstein, "You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better then anyone else." I'd trust him on this, he was super smart. But you don't have to understand the rules of quantum physics, which, as I understand it, really doesn't have any rules. No, you have to understand something far more complicated: the legislative process.

If you know, for example, how to write legislative language to avoid referrals to certain unfriendly Committees, your proposal will have a much better chance of seeing the light of day than most. Or it might be helpful to know that although you're not supposed to legislate on an appropriations bill, it happens all the time through a simple waiving of the rules. And, of course, no one ever went wrong with a thorough understanding of the U.S. budget process. If you know the difference between authorizing, appropriating and the reconcilliation process, imagine how successful you'll be in getting funds for your program (and at cocktail parties as well!)

Don't worry. You don't have to know everything all at once, and the legislative process isn't really as complicated as quantum physics (although it's far less predictable). Start with a basic idea of how a bill becomes a law in the venue in which you're working. For the U.S. Congress, you can review the Library of Congress' " How a Bill Becomes a Law " page. Frankly, I'd start with the version for kids, which will help you get in touch with your inner "School House Rock" enthusiast. Another great resource is the Dirksen Center's CongressLink (full disclosure, I'm on the board of the Dirksen Center, which nets me an all expenses paid trip to Peoria, IL at LEAST once per year. I do lead a glamorous life, don't I?)

3. "Be Mine": Any successful legislative project has strong champions both inside and outside the legislative environment. A critical and often very time consuming first step on the road to success is getting someone to care enough about your specific idea to keep it "on the table," as it were, when the legislative language is flying fast and furious. You need a member who is willing to say "I'm not voting for this bill unless it includes [insert your issue here]."

To get a legislator to that point, you must be able to demonstrate how your issue a) connects to people that legislator represents; b) connects to that legislator's overall policy agenda (if he or she has one); and c) will help that legislator achieve other goals he or she may have within the institution. Sometimes, this may mean approaching more than one legislator over an extended period of time.

Start by looking for champions that serve on relevant committees or who already have a demonstrated interest in your general policy area. On that more focused list, consider who represents people who are directly impacted by that issue. The good news is that often you'll find that a legislator has an interest in an issue because it's a big deal in the area he or she represents.

4. "Sweet Talk": Have you ever noticed how yelling at people and telling them they are idiots rarely gets them to agree with you? It certainly has its place for firing up others and getting media attention but I've never seen it to be an effective way of changing a legislator's mind. "Sweet talk" is far more effective. But it's not just sweet nothings you should be whispering in to your legislator's ears. Your job is to tell a relevant, personal, thoughtful and persuasive story. If you need help, feel free to download this worksheet and article on developing a winning message.

5. "Ask Me": "Faint heart ne'er won fair lady," or fair legislation for that matter. I'm just full of the entertaining quotes today, aren't I? That one can be attributed to Cervantes. The point here is that you've got to be bold to get what you want from the process. Whatever you do, don't spend your time simply "educating" elected officials. Tell them how they can help you. Be specific about what you want. Ask.

And finally, a bonus saying: "Chill Out" (or, as I understand the kids are saying these days, "chillax", which I'm sure will be on a heart in the very near future). Perhaps I'm just thinking about chilling out because I'm writing this during the great snowmageddon week of 2010, but I do think it's important to remember that sometimes -- no, often -- things won't go your way in the legislative process. When that happens, take a deep breath and just try to chillax. Despite what some people wish, the U.S. Congress isn't going anywhere. You'll still have plenty of time to fight another day.

• Easy—Setting Up Local Events: Legislators and their staff will be back in their districts and states many, many (many) times this summer. I swear, you’ll be sick of them (if you aren’t already). In addition to their weekends back at home, they will also be there for the Fourth of July and August District Work Periods (we used to call them “recesses” but that just sounded like too much fun). For more information about the Congressional schedule, check out the House and Senate schedule pages.

Take advantage of the time they are spending at home to visit with them either in regular old meeting or, even better, in a site visit. Show them how the policy issues you care about connect to something (or someone) specific in the district. These types of local events make policy issues real for legislators because, believe it or not, sometimes that aren’t as aware of what’s going on outside the beltway as we’d like them to be.

The good news is that setting up a local meeting or event is relatively easy. Well, OK, I’ll admit I’m cheating here. It’s easier than flying to DC, for example, or running a marathon (I’ve done that, I know). But there are really just five steps involved, specifically:

• Develop a plan: What would you like to show the elected officials or staff people? Who should attend? What or who will be compelling? What can you show that connects to policy issues?

• Issue the invitation: Once you’ve come up with an exciting plan, contact the legislator’s local staff people and see what can be arranged. Whatever you do, DON’T ignore the staff. In fact, you might want to have an initial visit with the staff as a “test run.” They can be some of your biggest allies in getting the members themselves engaged.

• Secure the appointment: This is a step all by itself because it generally takes several communications via e-mail, fax and phone to get a meeting time set, especially when seeking a member-level meeting. Only the persistent survive this process.

• Conduct the visit: This is, in fact, one of easiest steps. Be sure you have all the logistics in place for planned (and unplanned) aspects of the event. In addition to all the logistics of the visit itself, you’ll want to have a photographer, someone taking notes and a plan in place for scheduling, transportation or weather problems (or be prepared to control the weather – your choice).

• Follow-up: Did the visit happen if you don’t follow-up? No, it sure didn’t. Be sure you know what the official or staff person was most interested in and whether you need to answer any questions. And send those pictures to the legislator’s office! They serve as photographic evidence of their interest in your issues.

If you’re thinking about doing your own event, let me know. I’ll send tipsheet readers a free “site visit template” appendix from my new book, The Advocacy Handbook: A Practitioner’s Guide just for the asking. So ask by e-mailing me at vance@advocacyguru.com

• Easier—Build on Existing Events (Your Own or Theirs): Even easier than setting up a whole new event is to build on anything you’ve already got going on (or anything your elected officials have going on). These might include:

• Townhall Meetings: When they are back in their districts for the district work periods, many members of Congress hold townhall meetings to hear from their constituents. Take advantage of these opportunities to bend their ear for a short time about the issues that matter to you most. Take a look at their websites (you can find them through www.congress.org) or simply call their offices to find out when they will be holding these meetings in your area.

• Your Own Events: Whether you are a business, a school, a public institution or simply a concerned citizen, it’s possible you have events this summer you’re already arranging that it might be appropriate to invite your legislators to attend. Are you having a company-wide BBQ? A community fair or block party? Summer reading programs or book sales at your school or library? A 5K walk or run for a specific cause? A neighborhood garage sale to benefit a specific charity? Take a minute to look at any events you’re working on to see if an elected official or their staff might want to stop by. You might be surprised at what they’d like to do!

• Easiest: Building a Relationship from the Safety of Your Couch: OK, I admit it. There are times in the “dog days” of summer (like the middle of August, for example) that even the Advocacy Guru can’t get all excited about getting out there and doing advocacy. But have no fear! There are plenty of things you can do just sitting in your office (or on your couch), like:

• Friend Your Elected Officials on Facebook: Believe it or not, most of them are on there. Take some time to check out their web pages and connect with them online. And friend me too while you’re there at www.facebook.com

• Sign up for their Twitter and/or Blog feed: It’s kind of fun to read tweets from legislators while they’re attending the State of the Union or other DC or State Capitol activities. And, at a minimum, you’ll be the first to get the dirt when a legislator accidentally sends an inappropriate tweet (happens all the time and it’s really funny). Just go to www.twitter.com, set up an account (if you haven’t already) and search for your legislators. Oh, and you can follow me if you want. My user ID is AdvocacyGuru. I try not to send out inappropriate tweets, but you never know what might happen.

• Check out the “degrees of separation” between you and your legislators on Linked In: This is especially useful if you’re trying to get to a legislator who you haven’t had a lot of success with in the past. Once you have an account set up, you can run a search on that legislator and you’ll find not only the legislator themselves, in many cases, but connections to current and past staff and supporters. These may even be people you know or may be closely related to people you know.

• Utilize online resources to research your legislators (in preparation for your next in-person interaction): Whenever you approach your legislators or their staff, it’s always a good idea to know something about what makes them tick. You should be knowledgeable about some key things related to your legislators, such as what policy issues interest them, what committees they are on, whether they have any personal relationship to your issues or even what hobbies they have. This will help you frame your advocacy message in a way that captures their attention. Feel free to use my Legislator Profile worksheet if you like.

In exploring some of the easy, easier, easiest options noted here, you may just be able to finally get those legislators to pay some attention to your issues—even during the summer!

I’m Making Investments in My Country Citizens around the country and, indeed, the world have been mesmerized by the stand-off between Somali pirates and Captain Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama. And while that stand-off ended less-than-optimally through violence, how was the Captain rescued? That’s right, by Navy SEALS. And who pays for those Navy SEALS? That’s right, you do. Now, granted, Navy SEALS may not be your thing. What about roads? Parks? Health care for the poor and elderly? Food stamps? Public broadcasting? In fact, whatever your particular interest is, some portion of your tax dollars are going toward that project. If you’re curious as to where your tax dollars go, check out the National Priorities Project and their interactive tax chart. Here you can enter the amount of taxes you actually paid (if it doesn’t make you cry) and determine where those dollars went. Then, as you’re filling out your 1040, pretend to yourself that you’re making a donation to the programs you love best. You can even include that in the “memo” portion of the check – believe me, IRS workers have seen it all. That might ease the pain a little.

My Taxes Benefit Me Directly If you’re not convinced by the broader benefits to society that paying your taxes brings, think about it from a purely selfish perspective. Every minute of every day you are impacted positively by government actions. Think about it. Did you wake up this morning? If you did and heard the clock radio alarm or watched television, you were affected by FCC regulation of the radio spectrum. Did you take a shower? Clean water regulations (hopefully). Have some coffee? Trade tariffs on coffee beans. With cream? Dairy price supports. Use the restroom? You better hope there are combined sewer overflow regulations in your area. Drive on a road? Well, you get the point. If you want to test this out, pick a day when you’ll stop every few moments to write down how government affects you (you can even use Twitter, if you’re so inclined). Then, imagine that your personal tax dollars are bringing you these benefits. In fact, I’ll be doing this through my Twitter feed on April 15th, so sign up to follow AdvocacyGuru and see what I come up with!

I’ll Gain Access to Potential Perks You know the old adage “you’ve got to spend money to make money?” Well, that definitely applies in the tax world. This year, thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and other recently passed bills, Americans can claim all kinds of credits on their returns. The catch is, you’ve got to file to get the cash. For example, raise your hand if you lost money in the stock market. Wait, wait, I can’t see over all the hands! Well, if you sold your stocks at a loss before the end of the year, you may be able to claim that loss on your taxes. If you bought a car or a house, more credits may be coming your way. So take a careful look at all the existing and new deductions and credits. You may be surprised at what you’ll gain!

I’ll Avoid Public Humiliation and Additional Fees (and possible Jail Time) Famed mobster Al Capone wasn’t sent to jail for the many violent crimes he allegedly committed. No, what brought him down was tax evasion. And, although they certainly shouldn’t be equated with mobsters, tax problems have dashed the career hopes of everyone from cabinet nominees like Tom Daschle to the coffee shop owner here in DC who just didn’t pay his local taxes for about ten years. With penalties and fees, his tax bill topped $400,000 – and now he’s out of business. Whether you’re concerned about how your tax situation will be addressed during your nomination hearing, or just want to avoid losing your business, it’s important to stay on top of your tax obligations. In fact, many employers now look at how individuals manage their finances as one important hiring criterion. You don’t want to lose your dream job because you just couldn’t bring yourself to write that check on April 15th.

I Have the Right (and Responsibility) to Advocate on Government Spending “But wait,” you’re thinking. “The main reason I don’t want to pay my taxes is because government spends my money on things I don’t like.” Sure, it’s all very well and good to imagine that you’re spending money ONLY on those government programs that make sense to you. But as a practical matter, that isn’t really the case, is it? Well, here’s the most wonderful thing about our tax system and our overall system of government. If you don’t like where your tax dollars are being spent, you have a right and a responsibility to let your elected officials know! For example, if you paid $5,000 in taxes, you’ll find out that $1,470 went to the military and just over $1,000 went to health services. For some people those ratios are just fine: others believe that more should be going toward non-military programs. Wherever you stand on the spectrum, let your elected officials know what you think we should be investing in as a nation. You can reach them through a site like www.congress.org.

When All Else Fails… If things get too stressful just try to be thankful that at least you’ve got some income to pay taxes on, right? There are too many Americans struggling to make ends meet (especially in this economic climate). So sit back and relax with a little television – and who knows? That show might not have made it to your set without some sort of taxpayer investment.