Turn a Complaint into a Legislative Outcome

by Mike Stanzilis, Morris County Chamber of Commerce
Welcome to my first blog for the Morris County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Corporation! On this page I will be addressing legislative issues that impact the local business community.

​Today I am addressing how to complain. It might sound strange but there is a purpose behind this statement.

People like to complain. A lot. It is human nature.  They complain about what’s going on in Washington, Trenton, their local municipality, the county they do business in, the economy, and the pandemic. The list goes on and on. I totally get it, there’s a lot to complain about.
​
It’s easy to complain and be against something. Anyone can do it. You don’t need to know anything about the issue. You just need to be upset over any given issue. I get to hear a lot of complaints in my capacity at the Chamber and as a Mayor of a small town. I get it; When people are frustrated they need to vent.  But, when receiving complaints I often ask people the following:

• What legislative district do you live in and do business in?
• What congressional district do you live in and do business in?
• Who is your state senator and assemblyman/woman?
• Who is your congressman/woman?

Most people do not know the answers to these questions. Here is how to get a complaint to the right place and move towards a solution:

Step One: Educating yourself on who is making decisions that impact your business and your life is a first step if you want to effect change. I can guarantee you that your representative in Trenton will respond to your call or email if you request a response.

Step Two: Instead of just complaining and being against an issue, take a stance and be FOR SOMETHING. Tell your legislators what your issues are and then tell them how you would like it to be fixed. (As I stated earlier, it’s easy to complain and be against an issue, but being for something can be very powerful.)

Here is an example of an effective way to complain:

Recent events have indicated that the NJ state government is a living, walking dinosaur when it comes to using modern technology. This was brought to the forefront when the Department of Labor could not, in a timely manner, process the onslaught of unemployment claims caused by the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. As it turned out, they were using a decades old operating system. In fact, they were having a hard time finding programmers that knew COBALT, an ancient programming language. Not getting the unemployment checks on time had a negative impact for a lot of NJ residents.

As you can imagine, the complaints started to roll in. In this case, it was easy to complain, and it was definitely justified. I called my representative in Trenton about this issue. After giving him a brief earful I proposed a solution:

“The Technology Modernization Act”
My suggested solution was: Every year when the various departments and bureaucrats come to the legislature for budget approval they have to submit a technology review and assessment. This assessment will highlight any gaps in their technology use and processes- including discontinuing the use of Fax machines! My representative loved the idea and went to work on it right away. I’ll keep you posted if the idea gets legs.

Your voice matters. Be heard. Be part of the solution. If you are interested in getting involved with the Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee please reach out to me at [email protected].