Elections Have Consequences

Elections have consequences. Heard that one before? Well, it is a true statement and impacts our industry at least every two years. Elections often determine the success or lack of success for our businesses. With the midterms only weeks away, I urge you to get out and vote, and encourage your employees to do the same

AIADA closely tracks every election cycle and does everything it can to help protect the interests of international nameplate dealers. As an automotive dealer, it is critically important to have a team watching elections — fortunately for the last 52 years, dealers have had AIADA to watch our backs.

Beyond paying your dues each year to AIADA (which is the best insurance bill that you can pay), I encourage every dealer to get involved with the mission of the AIADA. It can be as simple as setting up a Congressional visit at your store or sending a video message to your Representative. I worked on Capitol Hill — I know firsthand how much weight the local car dealer carries. Use your voice or risk being overrun by regulations designed to destroy your business.

Targeting tax credits for union-made EV’s was only the initial strike against our industry from the current administration. For your sake, I hope you have been following the rule-making process released by the FTC and CFPB. Like I said, elections have consequences, and those consequences are about to bite each and every dealer unless we stand up for ourselves. Political appointees will play a major role in finalizing FTC regulations, determining how EV tax credits are applied and deciding which trade relationships to prioritize around the globe. When our legislators are wrestling with these decisions, you want to make sure they have all the information they need to make the wise choice.

That is why AIADA is so important, and why it needs your support. Beyond being a trade and lobbying association, AIADA’s most important role is as an educator of all our legislators, their staff, and the non-elected political appointees that steer new legislation and regulations. The AIADA team works constantly to educate both the public and our elected officials on the international nameplate industry in America. Without constant messaging, old myths about the automotive industry and dealers would be allowed to stand.

Many members of the 118th Congress will arrive on Capitol Hill with outdated notions about our so-called “foreign” brands. Most new members will have zero idea that international manufacturers built 4.2 million vehicles in the United States last year, or that our dealerships directly employ 543,000 Americans, or that our brands contributed $283 Billion to the GDP in 2021. AIADA will be there to educate our legislators and work to make them advocates of our brands rather than trying to implement business-killing legislation.

If any of you have any questions as to how AIADA works or how you can help, don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly. Our team at AIADA wants to do all it can to give you an even playing field to operate a successful business while you take care of your community and provide awesome jobs with tremendous growth.

John Connelly
2022 AIADA Chairman
Johnconnelly@acuracolumbus.com
513-290-5646 (call or text)