“All politics is local” —creative suggestions for advocacy at the local level

A s the former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Thomas "Tip" O'Neill, Jr. once said, "All politics is local." And as former President John F. Kennedy said, "Things don't just happen. They are made to happen." With these comments in mind and in consideration of the current political debate on health care reform, it is timely to point out the need tbr all pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs), often referred to as thc "grassroots," to get involved in the debate. The health care reform debate will be one of the most complicated and heated of all debates that the Congress will deliberate. The Clinton Administration health care reform proposal is one of the most complex monumental proposals seen, calling for massive reform of a system that consumes about one-seventh of our economy. There is no doubt that, as the debate proceeds, final votes ha Congress will, in large part, reflect the public's attitudes toward such reform. Public attitudes are often reflected by the special interests, but the final outcome will be decided by the constituent's back home-and that means you. Also important to note is that the Administration has set in motion an all-out public relations campaign to sell its plan. They fully realize that, in order to make it happen, they will have to make it happen. The same is ,qac for nurse practitioners (NPs), and what follows are ~ few creative suggestions for individual NPs to advocate at the local level. In 1991, Burson-Marsteller, Washington, DC, sur~ved members of Congress to determine the highest-