Why Might He or She Disagree with My Position?
When your legislator disagrees with your position it is important to recognize that there may be valid reasons for the disagreement. Competing interests in these tight budget times put pressure on legislators, making it increasingly difficult for them to find feasible solutions to all of the issues facing their constituents.
When a legislator does not support your issues, it is critical that you maintain open lines of communication with them. Your response in this situation may set the tone of future
interactions. Any suggestion on your part of retaliation could cause ill will and undermine your efforts to build a long-term relationship with your legislator. Instead, conflict over an issue should be used as an opportunity to enhance your relationship with the legislator by showing him/her that you understand the constraints they work within, trust that they are well-intentioned, and respect their integrity.
In addition to acknowledging your legislator's other obligations, you should continue to urge him/her to support your issues. Provide your legislators with data which will help them to recognize the importance of your health care facility to the community (i.e., your institution employs their constituents, treats their constituents and provides needed charity care in the community). By doing this, your legislator is in a better position to understand and potentially support legislation which will help you and your institution to continue your service to the community. Be sure to thank your legislator whenever they respond with positive action to your requests.
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