1. Talking about Government & Taxes
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Advocates College
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Portland, Oregon – April 28, 2011
Patrick Bresette – pbresette@demos.org
Public Works: the Dēmos Center for the Public Sector
www.publicworkspartners.net
Dēmos: A Network for Ideas & Action www.demos.org
4. The Task Before Us
We must help p
Americans reconnect
the dots between the
e do s be ee e
shared goals and
desires they have for
desires they have for
their communities and
the public tools and
the public tools and
resources necessary to
achieve them.
achieve them
9. Mission & VALUES
• Common Good
Purpose
• Quality of Life
• Community Wellbeing
• Public Purpose
ROLE
• Protector
• Manager & Planner
• Steward
• Consensus-Builder
10. Systems &
Structures • Concrete and vivid
images
• The public systems
we have created
• How they work
• Why they are
important
11. Citizen • Interdependence
Thinking
• Working together
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• Problem‐solving
• Everyone has a role
to play
• “Our” Government
Our Government
• The Common Interest
14. Dominant Narrative Challenges
1. “our problems have been
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caused by overspending . . .”
2. “it’s time to live within our
means . . .
means ”
3. we need to focus on creating
3 “we need to focus on creating
jobs and getting government
out of the way . . .”
f h ”
15. Spending is the Problem
• If overspending is the
problem, than all
spending – no matter
what the purpose –
h h
should be questioned
• If “government
spending” is contributing
to our economic woes,
then reducing spending
is a logical response
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16. “Spending is the Problem”
Pivot and reframe
Rhetoric: Washington is through bailing out irresponsible states, so now
it s up to us to rein in the overspending that we could never afford
it’s up to us to rein in the overspending that we could never afford
anyway.
Response: Our state is at a crossroads. The deepest recession in
Response: Our state is at a crossroads The deepest recession in
decades is lingering, impacting families AND state tax revenues. The
choices we make today must be designed to spur our economic
recovery and build the best possible future for the people and
businesses of our state. Our schools, courts, social supports and
healthy environment have always been essential elements of the
healthy environment have always been essential elements of the
quality of life that has attracted businesses and workers alike. These
are the things we must protect. Building upon our past investments
and paving the way forward will require wise and balanced decisions;
new revenues need to be part of the discussion.
17. Living Within Our Means
Living Within Our Means is
shared common sense; a
powerful folk model just as
familiar to Democrats as
Republicans. Overcoming this
main obstacle – so that
people don’t reflexively judge
l d fl l d
situations and proposals
against this misguided
yardstick – is one of
communicators’ chief
challenges.
‐Topos Partnership
18. Consequences of
“Living within our Means”
Living within our Means
• Triggers “household budget” frame
Triggers household budget frame
• Government spending must be controlled
• Cuts are the only logical response to the
shortfall
• So taxpayers can keep more of their money
• Taxes would only make things worse
19. “Living within our means”
Do Not Accept this Frame
• Refocus on what is at stake not just
Refocus on what is at stake – not just
now, but for the future
• Assert the essential role of our public
structures in meeting our shared goals
structures in meeting our shared goals
and objectives
• Reset the terms of the budget and tax
conversation against this perspective
conversation against this perspective
20. “Living within our means”
Pivot and reframe
Rhetoric: Families across the state are being forced to do with
Rhetoric: Families across the state are being forced to do with
less; now it’s time for government to do the same and start
living within its means.
Response: Times like these call for government play an active
role, in meeting emergency needs and in supporting a
strong recovery. The central question that should drive our
budget decisions is “how do we make sure that we are
keeping the foundations of our economy sound and paving
k i th f d ti f d d i
the way to future prosperity.” Making sure we have the
means to achieve this shared goal is the real challenge.
means to achieve this shared goal is the real challenge.
21. “Living within our means”
Pivot and reframe
Question: Our state simply doesn t have any more money to
Question: Our state simply doesn’t have any more money to
spend on public services. Since tax increases are politically
out of the question, where should they look for cuts?
Response: At many pivotal moments in our state’s history we
have chosen to build a brighter future for ourselves and our
children. Our state has tremendous resources at its disposal
– hard working people, ingenuity and financial resources
that can all be brought to bear to build a more prosperous
that can all be brought to bear to build a more prosperous
future for our state. The state budget decisions we make
reflect our commitment to making that future a reality.
22. Creating Jobs =
Getting Government Out of the Way
Our state is “Open for Business”*
We will:
We will:
a. lower costs for businesses by
lowering taxes and cutting red
tape
b. put money back in the hands of
taxpayers who will spend it and
p y p
c. make the policy environment
more “predictable”.
Then the good businesspeople of
Th th db i l f
our state will expand and hire more
workers ; and more businesses will
want to relocate here.
*a phrase used in the election night speeches
of at least 3 new Govs ‐ WI, OK, PA)
23. “Its all about Jobs”
Triggers Dominant Thinking
Government :
• smothers business
resourcefulness
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• gets in the way of
gets in the way of
job creation
• is always a burden
• public jobs are not
public jobs are not
real jobs
24. Combating the “all about Jobs” Frame
• Assert the connection between jobs
and healthy public structures
• Don’t get bogged down in factual
Don t get bogged down in factual
arguments
• Be cautious about comparing the loss
of public sector jobs to private sector
of public sector jobs to private sector
job worries
25. “It’s All about Jobs”
Pivot and Reframe
Rhetoric: We need a laser focus on creating jobs to get
Rhetoric: We need a laser focus on creating jobs to get
Oregon’s economy moving again. We need to cut
government red tape, provide tax incentives to businesses
and get our spending under control.
Response: A strong state economy rests on the health and
stability of our public systems. Whether it is education,
infrastructure or the many services that keep our
communities strong, these are the things that fuel a good
communities strong these are the things that fuel a good
business climate. Deep budget cuts, like the ones being
considered not only put more people out of work, they
undermine the foundation of economic opportunity in our
state. Smart business leaders understand this.
27. Lessons to Take Away
• Be aware of the dominant narratives that will
undermine the story we want to tell; pivot away.
undermine the story we want to tell; pivot away
• Always connect the role of public services and
government to quality of life and a strong economy.
• Connect revenue discussions to shared priorities and
Connect revenue discussions to shared priorities and
the public services we all benefit from now and
down the road.
• Keep the focus on building for the future – debates
that are entirely about how to find $x billion from
that are entirely about how to find $x billion from
the current budget will not end well.
29. Tax Debates are Government Debates
• Tax debates and their overheated
rhetoric transform government from
“we the people” into “them,” the
h l h h
“other” – the taker of our money.
• Getting back to Government as “us” ‐
as our tool for getting things done ‐ is
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essential to winning on taxes.
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30. Dominant
images of
i f
Government
have a direct
influence on
i fl
attitudes
about Taxes
39. Tap into Shared Values
Highlight the
Common Good
Common Good
Values and
Objectives that are
that are
made possible by the
taxes we all pay.
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40. Tap into Shared Values
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We all benefit from the improved
We all benefit from the improved
community well‐being and economic
opportunity made possible by a good
opportunity made possible by a good
education system, public safety, and
clean air and water – all of which are
clean air and water – all of which are
supported by our tax dollars. Taxes
represent our collective investment in
represent our collective investment in
the common good.
41. An Eye to the Future
People tend to “see”
taxes only as something
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being taken from them
right now.
Reset the context by
Reset the context by
focusing on the role
taxes play in helping us
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meet future goals and
objectives.
44. Why the Wealthy and Corporations should Pay More
The public systems that our taxes support are the
foundation of our nation’s economy. Everyone – individuals
f d f ’ d d l
and businesses alike – needs to shoulder an appropriate
share of these costs. Our nation was built on the notion
that those who have benefitted the most from our
country’s public investments should also pay the most for
their upkeep. For some time now this basic principle has
th i k F ti thi b i i i l h
been eroding away. Over recent decades the share of taxes
paid by high income earners and large corporations has
been reduced while middle class families have paid more
and our public systems have declined. This great American
tax shift is undermining the foundations our economy and
tax shift is undermining the foundations our economy and
our society.
46. Systems & Structures
• Connect the dots between the public
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systems and structures that underpin
our quality of life, and the revenues
our quality of life and the revenues
from taxes that keep those systems
functioning now and into the future
now and into the future.
• Take a pragmatic manager stance –
taxes as tools
47. Civic Thinking
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• From taxpaying consumers to “civic‐
From taxpaying consumers to civic
minded” stewards of communities
• Taxes as our shared exchange with
the future
• We all benefit when we support the
public goods that create community
goods that create community
wellbeing and a healthy economy
48. The quality of life we all want in our
q y
communities is directly connected to the
public structures we build and maintain.
Our parks, schools, social services and
infrastructure are what make our state a
good place to live and work. Continuing
cuts to public programs and services will
undermine the public systems we rely on
every day. It is time to focus on finding new
every day It is time to focus on finding new
revenue to keep our communities
functioning well, now and into the future.
functioning well now and into the future
51. North Carolina
North Carolina sees itself as
a “good government” state.
There is a certain pride in
the progress the state has
the progress the state has
made over the years in
transforming itself from a
rural agricultural economy
and society into a modern
forward looking state. This
forward‐looking state. This
is a powerful state narrative
that advocates have tapped
into in important ways.
i t i i t t
54. Colorado
The COLORADO CIVIC
The COLORADO CIVIC
ENGAGEMENT ROUNDTABLE is an
integrated network of 51 non‐
partisan, 501(c)(3) organizations
dedicated to achieving an inclusive,
engaged, just, and equitable state
for all Coloradans.
Coloradans for Responsible Reform
—Business–based Coalition that
opposed the “Bad Three” and
worked for Referendum C
60. Making the Case
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• V l
Values: A ti l t th
Articulate the
Public Good behind the
policies and programs
• System Thinking: Help
reveal our essential
Public Systems &
Structures
• Awaken the Citizen:
What is our shared stake
and responsibility?
