Cal Hobson rose to be
president pro-tem of the
Oklahama Senate, the
second- or third most
powerful officer in the
state.
president pro-tem of the
Oklahama Senate, the
second- or third most
powerful officer in the
state.
Sometime back I was scheduled to have a bill up on a Thursday afternoon. The
legislature usually winds down on a Thursday, people go home. I had my votes. I was
going to pass a bill. I’m on the agenda. The floor leader announces we’re going to
adjourn a little early. I go to him and tell him you said I could have my bill up today. And he
says, it’ll be just as good a bill on Monday as it is on Thursday. You’ll be first up on
Monday.
Okay, you do what the floor leader says. Monday I come back, bill is in the same form,
same information, I have the same tally of votes to pass the bill. I get up and explain my
bill and I lose. So I go to the back of the chamber to one of the members who had been
for me on Thursday and voted against me on Monday.
‘‘Charlie,’’ I said, ‘‘you were for this bill on Thursday and you voted against me today.
What happened?’’
He said, ‘‘Oh Cal, you just can’t imagine. I was overwhelmed over the weekend with
people opposed to this legislation. I had to change my vote.’’
So I said, ‘‘Tell me about this opposition.’’
‘‘It was terrible. I got five phone calls.’’
He represented 30,000 people. He got five phone calls and changed his vote. Phone
calls really do make a difference.
legislature usually winds down on a Thursday, people go home. I had my votes. I was
going to pass a bill. I’m on the agenda. The floor leader announces we’re going to
adjourn a little early. I go to him and tell him you said I could have my bill up today. And he
says, it’ll be just as good a bill on Monday as it is on Thursday. You’ll be first up on
Monday.
Okay, you do what the floor leader says. Monday I come back, bill is in the same form,
same information, I have the same tally of votes to pass the bill. I get up and explain my
bill and I lose. So I go to the back of the chamber to one of the members who had been
for me on Thursday and voted against me on Monday.
‘‘Charlie,’’ I said, ‘‘you were for this bill on Thursday and you voted against me today.
What happened?’’
He said, ‘‘Oh Cal, you just can’t imagine. I was overwhelmed over the weekend with
people opposed to this legislation. I had to change my vote.’’
So I said, ‘‘Tell me about this opposition.’’
‘‘It was terrible. I got five phone calls.’’
He represented 30,000 people. He got five phone calls and changed his vote. Phone
calls really do make a difference.
| Copyright 2007 Joel Blackwell The Grass Roots Guy 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue NW #929 Washington DC 20006 GrassRootsGuy@JoelBlackwell.com Washington (202) 277-5209 / Sacramento (916) 273-9180 |
Keep On Voting After The Election
How Ordinary People Get What They Want From Government
How Ordinary People Get What They Want From Government
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
