Mayo when i usually go during the summer i felt i thought i was the the biggest ever. I got a good seat and i waited and waited and waited. I said where is your it Cinco De Mayo . What Cinco De Mayo . Dont you have a parade . And then i began to discover how differently it is commemorated in the two countries. Now that i understand it is part of the civil war that impacts latinos tremendously year if they had won the wrist no future for the latinos. The ranch looks shaky but Cinco De Mayo like that alamo with the anglo texan let us never forget. And so impacted the community 152 years later reaching kawai . But we think of it more as the festival Something Like st. Patricks day. But what i discovered they are constitutional issues like racial equality. With other forms of government of course, what about the womens rights led to american Constitutional Values . Then they become part of the united states. Host talking about american history. Guest i did not get a ph. D. In history but there wrote my very first book that ray projected we would be half latino by 2030 i hit the essence is right on the nose. I among the pathologist and eight like that health phenomena and the latinos could be described as having less access to care but yet latinos have 35 percent fewer heart attacks. In fewer cancers 25 fewer strokes. In fact, they have a of a lower death rate was a live longer and lower mortality into drugs less come of a yet because of income or education you think it should be reversed. That is what i steady. It is my day job. I wanted to go back to the gold rush they didnt have good public records but they looked to the Spanish Language newspapers. Today you could read this and have no idea. But then lets get the Spanish Language paper so the best collection just to look in there is a baby girl who got married then died. I was just pulling the data out then they talk about it in spanish. Then the french land in mexico. I was not looking for this material. But after awhile i said i have to share the story. Host we are talking with ucla professor david hayesbautista el Cinco De Mayo an american tradition that you are watching booktv on cspan2. Host joining us on booktv is ucla professor walker what do you teach your . Guest and social movements n sociology. Host what is your background . As the scholar of social movements i have been interested with the rule of professionals how they help to facilitate advocacy policies including social movements as well as public participation. Host you have a new book called grassroots for higher. How has advocacy evolved over the years . Sova this field of Public Affairs . So on behalf of a corporation in the Industry Group and there is something i think that is unusual to think of grassroots mobilization as a Student Organization social movement groups. What we have seen is a development that turns participation in todays services it is increasingly concerned about the reputation and Industry Groups that they need to respond to this dont want to rely on inside lobbying any more. But to plead their case like providing testimony or talking directly with policy makers. And not that conventional lobbyist. They get the mass public involved. It is not regulated like normal lobbyist it is an influential field. Host and 1 billion a year industry . Guest incredible was substantial growth over time. There are 140 such firms like this many in washington. In with those firms that are out there. Video the corporate clients are nonpartisan firms. This with a Consulting Firm that works with Land Developers including the retail firms like Lowes Home Improvement and walmart and with those communities that are concerned about the arrest. And often in the protest the not in my backyard defense when these Development Models come about and helps the companies to respond that it will provide jobs they also work with retirement communities and help with the seniors. Another firm that is out there with corporate clientele is from new york city. It works on behalf of the tobacco industry. In dealing with similar contentious issues. In with the protest to help the actors get organized. What is interesting walmart tries to move into the new york city environment the past few years consultants were combos sides. Walmart has hired consultants to battle Community Groups than they sometimes theyll use professional consultants to plead the case as well. They can go back and forth on both sides said they are nonpartisan firms but there are other Consulting Firms out there that to the grassroots for hire work connected to one side or the other but on the democratic side ec firms like a Campaign Solution working with progressive majority and they are deeply rooted in that community some of the Community Organizing and you also see a similar thing on the republican side. Like Public Affairs which the founder has an interesting story. And with the president ial campaign with the invasion of pearl harbor. And it is deeply connected to the conservative movement to work with the nra and Christian Coalition and they are directly connected to that progressive movement. In fact, it is an equal representation between republican and democratic firms. Host in you talk about the crossroads but what are some of the tactics . It is up wide range they tried to be very careful who they target. That is the big story the consultants are being paid by the hour or on retainer many get upwards of 400 an hour for their work and do not want to waste their money. Said they are careful and they want people who will say yes. They want to show results so they charge it members of the left the mass public debt will say yes. And those who are role involved. But now theyre active on a new issue. So that is a big part of the story the they selectively target members of the public i also think they have an influence to shape the way people see advocacy claus more broadly. Some confirmed they engaged in the astro turf for the fake grass roots. There is a concern purchase a patient is not authentic. The way that i talk about this in the book there are three criteria for active participation. Masquerading material incentives or fraud. Most dont want to face the charge for good reason. They dont want that kind of attention. And then to be masquerading then shoots talk about the working families for walmart they had organized a campaign to respond to the contention then facing to different campaigns at that time. They created the campaign about regular working families for walmart. Part of the issue was they had not disclosed they were the sole funder but later came out that this campaign was the front for the company. Masquerading is one part and material and incentives we dont take them seriously that pay people to send letters to congress. There was the piece last year that talk about a campaign of Government Relations that would pay people 20 per hour to come down with them. And then with the organization and then by saying we will not carry this channel. But that of course, has a way of backfiring. And then fraud thatd is distorted but back in 2009 that Campaign Reveal Public Affairs consultant was working of the american and coalition and it came out the organization hired this Consulting Firm of those to be behalf of the naacp and so the fraudulent cases for those consultants but it does raise questions. Host do the grassroots advocacy campaigns ever reach congress . Absolutely. My Research Shows the leading campaign over the last few years involved contacts with the median number but it is not just directed at congress when there are mergers to get through. But it is the peak time when this happens but it is the major part but the fact we have those communications happening when those dollars can get their hands of the letters. But one study showed Something Like 80 percent of the letters were form letters among the of their trip to they were slightly altered. Then it was mildly adapted but it leads to standardization and communication. Over the last 20 years you find people could get active in politics. Host if somebody says send the form letter if you agree with us to the member of congress what is the level of commitment to that position . Sometimes it comes back sometimes say, back to contact that letter is the involvement was week they said will stop that raises concerns. Talking to consultants that is why they put a premium to avoid that. There are different ways people draw a the boundaries between authentic and undesirable astroturf. But they often say what they try to do is go beyond the form letter. And i continue to sample the to put it nicely in 2009 the Canadian National rail line facing a battle in chicago. They exist and Rail Holdings to go through southcentral chicago they were gridlocked they tried to purchase the eastern real way that goes around the perimeter. The a via the route the traffic and was interesting you saw the incredible wave of the nine in my backyard protest from the suburban areas you did not want it to go from five trains a day up at 20. Many were concerned the school buses would be stuck feat is they cannot get across or emergency vehicles could not get across. Wave of protest and Public Comment period was slightly. They did not want this to be approved and members of congress got involved. So it ended up to higher at a Consulting Firm to move the of participation we want those who lived in chicago who stand to benefit and get them involved so they reach out to members of that community and called them and identified the client, not masquerading. They had these vocals they asked people to send the letters to the board. And the deal was approved and a lot of the language they hoped would be conveyed and it was then that final report. Part of the story does try to develop to defend themselves against the charge. With astroturf participation and multiple levels of government is involved. There are firms that specialize. Host and how many of the uses for the payroll . Very little they are not part of the normal lobbying world. The effort to regulate as mobile lobbying. Starting 2006 there were efforts to regulate this activity because it is a big part of what abramoff was up to his campaign was working for Tribal Gaming interests that confirm the state would start allowing dont track betting to be done and this was the threat a threat. They tried to work with people who were concerned about gambling and reach out to christian groups and they ended up trying to organize in alabamas. Both the baptist and the boot makers to be a restriction on the alcohol sales. So i think that is part of the pressure to act. Though legislation proposed by the senate, the a. D. It is any firm or organization that spends more than two to 5,000 is required to register as a lobbyist to disclose to the lobbying campaigns. What is interesting is and then war foes who forcefully coming from the spectrum it comes from the aclu not the traditional value coalition. Were all concerned this could have any effect because every time they organize with the purpose of the funding they have to register as a lobbyist. It is the major threat to those out there. As it moves along there were no restrictions spinning there is good reason for that. In there is some problem with that generation. In what we know those clauses that theyre not even big enough to file the tax return but along the mass campaign. Those campaign during
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