Chat Session from Chicago ACS meeting, March 15, 2022 with Bonnie Charpentier

19:18:38 From  Josh Kurutz  to  Everyone:
	https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/policy/memberadvocacy/sign-up-form.html#/signup/go/

19:20:27 From  Lee Latimer  to  Everyone:
	Most if not all Congressional members have a person on their staff who is assigned to STEM issues.  A good connection to develop.

19:20:36 From  Josh Kurutz  to  Everyone:
	Advocacy Toolkit: https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/policy/memberadvocacy/advocacy-tools.html

19:25:05 From  Joe Sabol  to  Everyone:
	@ Lee, et al. It helps to ID that staff person. Phones call to "complain" are most effective if the first words are "Thank [the elected official] for something, anything...", then shift to what you want to address.

19:36:39 From  Joe Sabol  to  Everyone:
	Agree. You need to establish credible relationships with elected officials and staff, and once you do, the staff will accept your opinion as reasonable. As I said earlier, Wis Sen Tammy Baldwin will listen to me.

19:41:04 From  BONK !!!  to  Everyone:
	Here in RI all politics is retail. it is too small for folks to hide and you can meet anyone in office if you put in some effort

19:43:32 From  Andrew Thiel  to  Everyone:
	do staff tend to "turn over" every time a new legislator is elected, or do the experts stay on to advise the next legislator?

19:44:39 From  Lee Latimer  to  Everyone:
	Both ways.  If it is a change of party, the staff is more likely to change, but land elsewhere, so all may not be lost.

19:45:22 From  Joe Sabol  to  Everyone:
	If you are meeting with an elected official's staff member, the key is when the staffer takes the cap off the pen to write something down. That signals a connection (and potential follow up.) Carl Maxwell told me that a few years ago (pre pandemic.)

19:47:18 From  BONK !!!  to  Everyone:
	good help is hard to find has always been true

19:49:47 From  Joe Sabol  to  Everyone:
	Agree. K-12 education is key. Fully support funding for public education. Not the topics, but give the teachers and schools the resources needed. K-12 funding is small compared with addressing "retraining" costs.

19:49:56 From  BONK !!!  to  Everyone:
	of course

19:50:54 From  BONK !!!  to  Everyone:
	Hubris is an occupational hazard of educated people

19:54:54 From  Andrew Thiel  to  Everyone:
	What do you think about ACS grants for K-12 teachers as a way to advocate for science?  What about sponsoring "ACS Scholarships" to fund college students who want to be K-12 educators?

19:55:34 From  Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D., Midwestern University  to  Everyone:
	...say nothing of the tobacco industry!

19:57:00 From  Joe Sabol  to  Everyone:
	ACS K-12 grants ($1m/yr total?) are nothing compared with state funding, > $billions in each state.

19:58:50 From  Joe Sabol  to  Everyone:
	To Milt's point, the cost of building (100 km)^2 solar farm is nothing compared with the cost of the next hurricane clean up.

20:00:02 From  BONK !!!  to  Everyone:
	Parts of science ARE hard.  But learning about the world, that the world is knowable, is not hard

20:00:21 From  BONK !!!  to  Everyone:
	for 10 years more women in college than men

20:00:56 From  Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D., Midwestern University  to  Everyone:
	The interesting challenge becomes this: With science, you can say why things are the way they are, and you can prove it, if you're a good scientist. That has appeal!

20:01:51 From  BONK !!!  to  Everyone:
	there is the issue of equal opportunity vs equal outcomes.....

20:03:14 From  Andrew Thiel  to  Everyone:
	I'm interested in "Illinois versus other states."  In people's experience, are some states more pro-science than others?  How does Illinois measure up and does this change over time?

20:12:10 From  BONK !!!  to  Everyone:
	invite a legislator to your chemical facility

20:12:15 From  Joe Sabol  to  Everyone:
	A relationship with staff is key/\.

20:13:54 From  BONK !!!  to  Everyone:
	i wonder how many congress folk have ever been to an oil refinery, mine, or pharma facility  \

20:15:15 From  Lee Latimer  to  Everyone:
	Also, it can be useful to get to know the public affairs reps from your local universities (bigger the better) as they can open doors for you.

20:15:16 From  Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D., Midwestern University  to  Everyone:
	Thanks for the great discussion tonight!!

20:16:04 From  Joe Sabol  to  Everyone:
	Local school boards are being decimated with people who want to crash/defund public educations. Show up a get involved at a local level.

20:16:10 From  Ilana Lemberger  to  Everyone:
	Thank you!

20:17:24 From  Andrea Twiss-Brooks (she/her)  to  Everyone:
	thanks, Bonnie!

20:17:43 From  BONK !!!  to  Everyone:
	thanks