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transcript
Getting Started on a Ballot Measure Campaign
Friday, January 15, 2010
Six Stops to Success Putting your Transportation Message in Service
February 19, 2010: Building a Winning Coalition
March 19, 2010: Making Your Message Matter
April 23, 2010: Social Media: Friending, Tweeting & Blogging Your Way to Success
May 14, 2010: Silencing the Naysayers
All webinars will begin at 1:00 PM ET. Registration is available online at www.cfte.org or www.napta.net
Upcoming Webinars
California Transit Initiatives Training Workshop
Sacramento, CAMarch 9, 2010
Sheraton Grand Hotel
This workshop is an abridged version of the biannual Transit Initiatives and Communities Conference tailored to meet the needs of communities in California. For more information visit www.cfte.org.
Sessions to Include:•Winning Campaigns & Effective Coalitions•Marketing & Media Strategies that Work
•Building the Transit Vote Coalition•California Statewide Measure
APTA's 2010 Local Coalition
Grant Program• Ten $5000 Grants to be awarded
•Projects designed to support local transit agencies advocate for more local and state funding encouraged
•Contact Kylah Hynes (khynes@apta.com) for more information
Getting Started on a Ballot Measure Campaign
Today’s Program• Campaign Principles• Keys to Success• Election Issues• Lessons Learned• Seattle Story• Audience Questions
Speakers
• Art Guzzetti, Vice President of Policy, American Public Transportation Association
• Alan Wulkan, Co-Founder/Managing Partner of InfraConsult, LLC, Scottsdale, AZ
• Joni Earl, CEO of Sound Transit, Seattle, WA
Getting Started on a Ballot Measure
Campaign
Alan C. WulkanManaging Partner
Santa Clara Beats the Odds
Phoenix Voters Put Transit on Track
Kansas City Voters Reject Light Rail
Monorail in Seattle Springs Back to Life
Seattle-Area Voters OK Transit Tax Hike
Three Counties Support Transit Tax in Utah
METRO’s Train Comes In: Rail Plan Approved in Houston
High Speed Rail Service Wins in Florida
Charlotte Voters Rally in Support of Transit Tax
National Election Results
Source: Center for Transportation Excellence
Principles
● Focus on winning
● Follow keys to success
● Survey early and often
● Early fund raising
● Keep it simple
● Transit elections are unique
● Answer the question, “What’s in it for me?”
Keys to Success
● Champion(s)● Professional political consultant● Grassroots support● Campaign funding
Keys to Success
● Champion(s)Recognized household nameNo political interestTime commitmentExamples
○ Former Mayor – Austin, Texas○ Chamber Leaders – Tempe, Arizona○ Former City Council – Tempe, Arizona○ City Councilman – Charlotte, NC
Keys to Success
● Professional political consultantLocal vs. nationalGet the best availableListen to the consultantIssue campaign experienceRealistic budgetCampaign strategy critical
Keys to Success
● Grassroots supportBusiness communityNeighborhood groupsCommunity organizations
○ League of women voters○ Service organizations
Speakers bureauDiverse support
Keys to Success
● Campaign fundingCommittee chair keyBroad-based finance committee
○ Set realistic budget○ Money comes late○ Big and small contributions○ Know the law
Election Issues
● What’s in it for me?● The 1% myth● All rail systems over budget and little
ridership● Transit should pay for itself● Cheaper options
Election Issues
● Other priorities● Government mistrust● Empty buses● Transit does little for air quality● National anti-rail experts
Elections SummaryLessons Learned ● Usually multiple attempts before a funding
referendum is passed● Outcome often more influenced by other issues
(the economy, government interest, etc.) than support for public transit
● Can succeed as stand-alone or in combination with highway proposition
● The most successful campaigns had grassroots support and professional management
Elections SummaryLessons Learned ● Many well-financed, well-endorsed tax
initiatives fail due to grassroots opposition● Successful transit election is more likely if:
You have a good mapSpecific projects are linked with the funding
requestProposition is focused at the short-term and
immediate time frames● Most transit elections usually are close
because a relatively small number of direct constituencies benefit from the tax
Sound Transit
Six Stops to Success—A Six-PartWebinar Series
Part II: Getting started on a ballot measure campaign
Joni EarlSound Transit CEO
January 15, 2010
Huge roads-transit plan gets trounced (Nov. 2007)
Sound Transit turns to citizens in push for expansion plans (April 2008)
Sound Transit sending voters $17.9 billion rail-and-bus plan (July 2008)
How transit supporters closed the deal with voters (Nov. 2008)
Leadership
Content
Know your audience
Make the case
Close the deal
Key ingredients to success
Leadership
Sound Transit Board 2008
Content
Know your audience
Make the case
=
Close the deal
Oran Viriyinci photo
Questions & Discussion
Six Stops to Success Putting your Transportation Message in Service
February 19, 2010: Building a Winning Coalition
March 19, 2010: Making Your Message Matter
April 23, 2010: Social Media: Friending, Tweeting & Blogging Your Way to Success
May 14, 2010: Silencing the Naysayers
All webinars will begin at 1:00 PM ET. Registration is available online at www.cfte.org or www.napta.net
Upcoming Webinars
California Transit Initiatives Training Workshop
Sacramento, CAMarch 9, 2010
Sheraton Grand Hotel
This workshop is an abridged version of the biannual Transit Initiatives and Communities Conference tailored to meet the needs of communities in California. For more information visit www.cfte.org.
Sessions to Include:•Winning Campaigns & Effective Coalitions•Marketing & Media Strategies that Work
•Building the Transit Vote Coalition•California Statewide Measure
APTA's 2010 Local Coalition
Grant Program• Ten $5000 Grants to be awarded
•Projects designed to support local transit agencies advocate for more local and state funding encouraged
•Contact Kylah Hynes (khynes@apta.com) for more information
For More Information on CFTE:www.cfte.orginfo@cfte.org
(202) 234-7562
For More Information on NAPTA:www.napta.netinfo@napta.net(202) 496-4807