Wednesday, 26 May 2010 08:31
Dealers know that in business, timing is almost everything. The same is true in politics. Fortunately, AIADA's timing couldn't have been better when we held our 4th Annual International Auto Industry Summit last week in Washington, D.C.
Every spring the Summit convenes in Washington to boost dealer engagement and promote AIADA's advocacy opportunities. It features legislative and industry speakers, the presentation of our grassroots advocacy award, and an industry panel made up of top manufacturers. The two-day event culminates each year with dealers descending upon their legislators' offices on Capitol Hill for meetings on the issues that impact our businesses.
After the year dealers have had, I was confident that interest in the 2010 Summit would be high. Our industry and the business of politics are more closely intertwined than ever before. We know now that dealers MUST make the effort to reach out to lawmakers and educate them as best we can on how our industry works.
Automotive News Editor Jason Stein, who also moderated this year's industry panel, makes a great argument for educating lawmakers in an opinion piece he wrote post-Summit titled "Washington Needs a Lesson in Car 101."
As plans for the Summit took shape, I fully expected registration to be high, and I wasn't disappointed. What I did not anticipate was the role timing would play in the event. As dealers began to arrive in town for the Summit, held May 19 and 20, it quickly became clear that the issue of a dealer exemption in the Senate's version of the financial regulatory reform bill would be reaching a head at the same time. You can read more on the background of that issue here.
AIADA couldn't have asked for better timing. Dealers swung into action, changing their travel plans to ensure they would be able to attend
a press conference on the afternoon of the 19th along with Representative John Campbell and Senator Sam Brownback, the authors of the dealer exemptions in their respective legislative bodies. You can watch portions of the press conference here.
That powerful show of support in front of the media, along with more than 125 visits to legislative offices, helped dealers shift momentum behind the dealer exemption. The Senate this week, in a bipartisan vote of 60 to 30, passed the Brownback Motion to Instruct the Financial Regulatory Reform Conference to adopt the House of Representative's Campbell Amendment allowing for a dealer exemption.
Dealers still face an uphill battle in Conference, but we are hopeful that conferees will accept the language of the House of Representatives, the instructions of the Senate, and the wishes of their own constituents and exempt dealers from the final financial reform bill.
Good timing and great advocacy are a powerful combination. Last week dealers benefited from both. Now is not the time to back off. We MUST keep up the pressure we have built. That means dealers who have not yet done so need to join AIADA's Legislative Action Network. Once you join, you will be kept up to date on legislation, call alerts, and advocacy opportunities you can accomplish right from home.
It also means contacting AIADA to hold a Dealer Visit at your store. As AIADA Board Member Dave Conant told Summit attendees, Dealer Visits are both the most effective and simplest way for you to form
a relationship with your legislators. AIADA takes care of all the details, all you need to do is let us know you are willing to host a lawmaker at your dealership for a meeting. Click here for more information.
Since becoming Chairman of AIADA I have learned that timing matters a great deal in accomplishing our goals. But it's not quite everything. Dealer involvement is AIADA's most powerful tool in Washington. Your legislators genuinely want to hear from you, and AIADA is making it easier than ever to reach out to them without neglecting your other responsibilities.
I want to sincerely thank all of AIADA's dealers and industry friends who made this year's Summit such an overwhelming success. I am truly grateful to be in the position I am, leading a united and focused group of entrepreneurs. Good timing is a great thing to have, but the dedication and involvement of our members is everything.
Rick DeSilva
AIADA Chairman
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