Heard on the Hill: Not Just Fun and Games
Forget Monopoly or Candy Land. The most popular board game this holiday season could be This Way to Jobs, created by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
OK, so the game probably won’t be flying off shelves at Toys R Us. But it will reach Congressional offices — a creative lobbying method to show Members the hurdles the chamber believes are hurting business.
“It’s kind of like the childhood game Life, except players must answer regulatory questions in order to move past the board’s obstacles, which are similar to the obstacles business owners face,” chamber spokesman Dave Natonski says.
Using game pieces that depict various business leaders, players pass locations such as Labor Lagoon, Energy Edge, Financial Reform Falls and Health Care Reform Hill before heading to the finish at Prosperity Park. Along the way, they draw cards that either move them ahead or send them backward.
An example: “A green shareholder group sues you for failing to disclose to the Securities and Exchange Commission the material risk that climate change regulations pose to your brewery. Lose your next turn.”
The chamber will launch an ad blitz this week.