Congress – Mitchell's thoughts, photos, etc.

If You Open It, They Will Come

By Mitchell Slepian

Some of us remember the phrase, “All politics is local,” used by former House Speaker Tip O’Neill throughout his career. His dad reminded him of that in the ‘30s, after he lost his first election while running for a seat on the Cambridge City Council. He took his own neighborhood for granted. It has been said to be a great learning experience for him. For me, too.

Let’s jump out of politics and go to PR. Trust me, as a long-time practitioner who started in NYC’s government, the profession has its politics. The key thing to remember is that all good PR is local. It is the best way to build. We will jump from Staten Island, New York, to Edison, New Jersey, other parts of the USA, and end in Sicily, Italy.

Fresh out of college and while in grad school, I started volunteering on local and city-wide political campaigns in NYC. I landed my first job as a staff member in NYC, moved on to the mayor’s office, and then went into the private sector. I watched each candidate and elected official fight it out and reach an agreement on local issues. It could have been infrastructure, for example, which district would get money for new sanitary and storm sewers or better bus routes.

After leaving politics and joining a tech PR firm, I represented the former Consumer Electronics Manufacturing Association (CEMA), now the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). I was involved with this great organization for many years, both representing them and sponsoring their press room.

Composed of leading electronics makers, such as Bose, Panasonic, and Sony, which, along with others, made great audio equipment for cars. There was a time before you used SiriusXM or your iPhone to get your music in your vehicle. You pumped up your Caddy, Jeep, Nissan, Ram, Vette, Toyota, etc., with great speakers and cassette players. Then we moved onto CD players and theater systems in the cars. The car audio market was huge.

We sent local car audio experts across the country to explain why you should upgrade your vehicle with their equipment rather than rely on the dealer models. Our spokespersons traveled to top and secondary cities and did local newspaper, radio, and TV interviews. They popped into the local auto shows.

I remember when we had high-end cars with great sound systems and a spokesperson lined up outside of CBS’s studio in NYC. The story went national.

Years later, I worked for Vonage, the company that brought internet telephony to consumers. We first launched local area codes in NYC and Edison, New Jersey. One of my roles was to write the press releases when we launched in new locales. I wanted to interest the local writers. Sadly, in today’s world, many of those great folks are gone.

Vonage Device

Having watched some companies launch locally by saying, “We are now in Dallas, New Orleans, or San Diego…” I tailored the copy to make it sound like we were part of those cities. As soon as the releases crossed Business Wire and I personally emailed them to local reporters, we got coverage. Even better, retailers called and asked if they could sell our products in their stores. Civilians called to ask whether we were opening a store in their neighborhood and where to send their resumes. The service was sold online, for the most part. But we did sell the devices that connected to the service in local and chain electronics stores. So, we did our local thing, which may have helped local stores increase their revenue and the number of people in the workforce.

Jumping to marketing tactics in Sicily. I recently returned from Sicily. I highly recommend it. The sites, people, food, and drink are incredible. During my tour, I was fortunate enough to visit Savoca, where Francis Ford Coppola filmed several scenes from “The Godfather.”

While walking to the church where Michael Corleone and Appolonia wed, I saw a great local marketing tactic put into play by my local guide, a wonderful woman of British and Sicilian ancestry. She joined us for three days. Her intimate local knowledge was incredible. But her skills in helping people in small towns stood above it all.

As we walked to the church where Michael Corleone and Appolonia wed, we passed Dioniso, a great little store selling olive oils, spices, wines, and other great stuff. The store was not supposed to be open when we were touring Savoca. Our guide texted the owner and let him know she was bringing a crew of 45 people through town, and he might want to open. As we approached the store, we saw him opening the shop. She introduced us, and we did tastings and bought numerous items. He probably stayed open for just about an hour. He made many sales. Again, local marketing. Tell them we are coming and let them open; they will succeed.

Olive Oil from Dioniso

I remember so many calls from national reporters, particularly from the Associated Press or The Wall Street Journal, calling or emailing about things they read in the local news about the companies I worked for. I have seen this with social media. I run several sites for local organizations. We get thousands of visitors. Viewers of our work have increased donations of memorabilia and money, as well as visits to our location. Bottom line: start local and remember it will lead to growth.

Francis Ford Coppola Statue in Savoca

Do I Need a Real ID?

By Mitchell Slepian

Do I need a Real or Enhanced ID to prove I exist? Should I get one? How difficult does our government make it to obtain one? In 2005, The Real ID Act, was passed by Congress. It enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the Federal Government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses and identification cards.” I hold a New York State Driver’s License and a US Passport. I’ve been using both as forms of ID for many years. By 2025, travelers must be Real ID-compliant to fly domestically in the United States. A passport or an Enhanced ID state drivers license will allow you to board your jet. I like leaving on a jet plane.

I decided to get the NYS Enhanced ID. I filled out the form and placed the required ID materials (birth certificate, voter ID card, and utility bill — note that a US passport also qualifies) into an envelope. I made my appointment with the NYS DMV.

Last Tuesday, I marched over to the downtown NYS Department of Motor Vehicles for my 12:30 appointment. I was there about 15 minutes early. My phone said I could check in five minutes early. There was no one on the check in line in the DMV. I showed my code to the woman who handled checking people in. She said you’re early. Come back in a few minutes. I saw a text on my phone with a check-in number. I showed it to her. She was shocked and said, I guess you’re checked in. Wait to be called. Almost immediately I was called to a window.

I went to window number 29. It’s no surprise the windows were not in order. I walked around and found it. I saw number 26 and figured I’d see it three windows over. Nope. It was near the lower numbers.

They took my picture and were told to wait to be called. I said, how long. I was told at least two hours. I went back to the check-in woman and asked why, if I had an appointment at 12:30, I needed to wait a minimum of over two hours. She said, ‘Would you really think you’d be seen at the appointment time?’ I said, I understand if there would be a 10- or 15-minute delay. I noted at a doctor’s office you are usually seen a few minutes later than your scheduled appointment time. She said, well, this is the DMV. We only give you an appointment to get you in the door. Then you wait a few hours. I said, why make an appointment. Again, she said to get in. She checked in plenty of people who had no appointments. I walked out around 12:30. Around 3:30, I received a text that it was my time to go to the window and finish up. I was at my desk t work. So, my two-hour wait was over three hours.

They could make it all online. You can take the picture with your phone and email it to us. That’s how I renewed my license a few years ago. Additionally, they required you to present your current driver’s license, which means you met their ID requirements. So why would they need to check again?

I decided I am not going back. I will use my passport to fly domestically. Of course, renewing that requires a trip to the US Post Office. Visiting the post office is always as interesting and efficient as visiting the DMV.