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February 2, 2001
Check out web site improvements!
By Gene Hall
Publisher
Success in the legislative process has always been about good communication, but the Internet has changed everything. Over the last five years, the Internet has made great leaps forward in the development of two-way communications.
The American novelist Tom Clancy writes about modern warfare. A central theme of his novels is that information is as important to winning on the 21st century battlefield as are guns and bombs. Much of the gee-whiz technology that allows Clancy's good guys to win is based on finding out what's going on with the enemy.
While working to implement Farm Bureau policy is not exactly a war, many of the relationships are definitely adversarial. There are winners and losers. Often, getting information to the troops, quickly and accurately, is the deciding factor. The communications tools Farm Bureau used to win great legislative battles half a decade ago are as outmatched today as a World War II fighter plane challenging a modern F-16.
Legislators use the Internet to inform their constituencies. Web sites and e-mail are a speedy and cost effective way to get the word out. Successful organizations must do the same. There is not really a choice to be made. We have to use the web, or risk being outmaneuvered and overpowered by other groups that are up to speed.
For some time now, we have worked to make the TFB Web Site "Information Central" for TFB members. The first step is the network of Farm Bureau members. It is rapidly getting to the point where an effective Farm Bureau leader must be "on-line." That is to say, an effective leader needs a computer and a connection to the Internet.
The Internet is a superior information tool because it is much faster than the U.S. mail and is designed for better depth of information than video. Web sites can be updated and e-mails sent in a matter of minutes. Most important of all, it is two-way communication. You can also tell us things we need to know, and ask questions. Checking e-mail has become an important habit for Farm Bureau staff.
Speaking of habits, I would like to suggest that you make a habit of visiting the legislative portion of the TFB site at least twice a week. In fact, I don't think you'll be disappointed if you check it every day.
We have created a 77th Legislature page on our site that will provide much of the information you need to help accomplish Farm Bureau's policy goals. The clearly marked "77th Legislature" button on the home page of our site will take you right to it.
Once there, you can read the latest legislative and political news, send an e-mail to legislators or other state officials, look up Farm Bureau testimony, read position papers on the issues, see where we stand on TFB priority issues and read the latest Austin Newsletter, which is published weekly by the TFB Legislative Department.
The writers of the TFB Information and Public Relations Division and the TFB Legislative Department will work together to keep all this information up to date and ready for you to access whenever the need arises.
On the main page of the site, you will find more news of importance to TFB, plus the phone numbers and e-mail address of TFB staff. You can also add your name to the TFB County Leaders E-mail Group.
Just send an email to Linda Andrews or me. You can do that by "clicking" on our names on the home page of the TFB site (http://www. txfb.org). We will send you, by e-mail, the TFB weekly leader update, Cornerpost, and the Austin Newsletter. We will also make sure you know about Action Requests and other information important to our success in Austin and Washington.
It's no longer correct to say that electronic communication
is the future. It is with us already, and becoming more important every day.
