PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19^TH HOLE: This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus use an image from my favorite sport, golf. Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as a Congressional press secretary in Washington, D.C., an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and a private sector lobbyist. This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.

One of my favorite Oregon lobbyists asked me the question in the headline the other day as she contended with a tough task – representing business interests in an Oregon Capitol dominated by anti-business Democrats.

The fact is that most Democrats have no idea about what it takes to start or stay in business. What’s more, they often don’t care. Or they don’t want to learn anything. Which makes my lobby colleague chafe under the weight of the fog.

So, as someone who represented businesses over more than 25 years at the Capitol, here are a few answers for my lobby colleague, though there are no magic ones.

PHRASE YOUR ASKS IN “PUBLIC INTEREST” LANGUAGE

One of the ways to doom any perspective you advance on the part of business is to accept a “special interest” label. That will almost surely kill your proposition.

Is what you advance a special interest? The answer is yes if you don’t mean the term in a pejorative way. There is nothing wrong with special interests until those who have them advance their cause only be denigrating others.

But it is better to find real perspectives that link with the public interest.

Here is one example from my years as a lobbyist. On behalf of Providence Health & Services, which is a business, as well as collection of hospitals and a major insurance arm, we advocated for increased funding for Medicaid, which serves low-income Oregonians.

While the increased funding would go to Providence’s bottom line, we did not emphasize that fact, though, of course, under questioning, we readily confirmed it.

What we emphasized was how the investment would help Oregon and, in particular, low-income citizens, both adults and children, who would have an easier time receiving health care services. We advocated that improving Medicaid funding was in the “public interest” – and it was.

Our approach was successful.

CREATE LINKAGES TO WHAT I CALL “THE JOBS ISSUE”

It is critical to contend that a piece of pro-business legislation is important to help your business client save and create jobs. I continue to be amazed that more public officials do not embrace the jobs issue as an important public policy platform.

For me, having a job is a major key to success and purpose in life, as well as a critical answer to many of the social ills facing this country.

So, on behalf of your business client, convey accurate and honest information about how a legislative issue will help save or create jobs – or, in the reverse, cost jobs.

It is likely many Democrats won’t buy the argument; they don’t appear to care about jobs as they inflate government and want citizens to pay more taxes. Still, the argument is a sound one that at least may give business opponents just a bit of pause.

FIND A CHAMPION, EITHER A DEMOCRAT OR A CENTRIST REPUBLICAN, WHO KNOWS HOW TO CROSS POLITICAL AISLES

It often is better for your business perspectives to be uttered by a credible legislator who has the ability to work across party lines at the Capitol.

This, in fact, may be the most important of the tactics I have outlined so far.  Finding a champion is critical.

I managed to achieve this on numerous occasions over my 25-year lobby tenure. Champions may be few and far between these days, but they exist.

In a few cases, the champion I cultivated was Senator Neil Bryant, a Republican from Bend, who, today, calls himself a RINO – a “Republican in name only” — who would not fit in today’s far right, often-antagonistic Republican party.

On behalf of Providence, for example, he served as the champion for various health care issues and his status as a centrist leader created more success than I could have achieved on my own.

Another leader I cultivated was Senator Betsy Johnson, a Democrat from Scappoose who still serves in the Legislature. Her status as a centrist Democrat gave my business clients standing they would not have achieved otherwise.

Are champions a magic answer? Like all other strategies to advance the cause of business, no.

But, in a liberal legislature like the one in Oregon, finding the sweet spots of the “public interest,” job saving or creation, and cultivating champions can help any lobbyist post a few wins for business.