February 3, 2016
As we begin 2016, we look ahead with anticipation—and some trepidation—at the coming election cycle. With our political banter becoming all the more coarse and the campaign cycle all the more tumultuous, it’s easy for most of the electorate, even those of us who should be the most rational and educated about these things, to tune out. So here is my plea to you in the new year: Hang in, pay attention, get involved, and vote! Let’s look at each of my imperatives here so you, too, can survive the 2016 election cycle.
“We cannot, as business leaders, sit on the sidelines and hope others do the work for us. We have to get involved in this process.”
Hang In. Our AICC Chair this year, Mark Williams of Richmond Corrugated, has spoken very plainly about the importance of persistence in all we do. Let me appropriate this theme and apply it to the political arena because, as I said in my opening line, it’s very easy to succumb to political fatigue and disengage. We who are business owners must be persistent, must “hang in,” and must stay engaged in this election year. If we don’t, we leave our interests in the hands of “activists” who view the business community and its priorities with suspicion or even disdain.
Pay Attention. Following that notion, we have to pay attention to the important to our country’s economic health. After national security, there is no current issue more important than job creation. Sound fiscal policy is necessary to ensure a strong economy and strong manufacturing sector. Therefore, I pay attention to what candidates say about the current regulatory blizzard, taxbudget priorities, infrastructure, and workplace that will affect both our business and our loyal employees. You should, too.
Get Involved. U.S. manufacturing grew in October at its slowest pace in more than two years, according to recently released data from the Institute for Supply Management. We cannot, as business leaders, sit on the sidelines and hope others do the work for us. We have to get involved in this process, and one of the best ways to do this is to attend the AICC 2016 Washington Fly-In, June 6–7, 2016, in Washington, D.C. This is an easy way for you to establish a relationship with your representatives and senators. It is an unintimidating opportunity to learn about policy-making on the national level, and you’ll be with your industry peers to do it. We equip you with the knowledge you’ll need to state your case about legislation or regulatory policies that affect you and your business. We hold the event in conjunction with the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Manufacturing Summit, so with strength in numbers we attain a formidable force of argument for our cause.
Vote! I’m confident that all of you reading this are regular voters. How we business owners can make a difference is to encourage our employees to vote. We should never tell them how to vote, but we can surely educate and suggest they vote with a view toward their future as a worker in the manufacturing sector. NAM, cited above, has a wonderful campaign called “I Am a Manufacturing Voter” (www.nam.org/Election-Center/Voter/I-am-a-Manufacturing-VOTER), and it behooves all of us to access these resources so our own employees can understand, in simple terms, the complex economic facing the country and how they can affect their livelihoods. You would be doing your employees a favor by helping educate them, rather than allowing their opinions to be formed by the shallow news reports of our mainstream media outlets.
So there you have it, my plea to you in 2016. Follow my advice here and you, too, will survive the 2016 election cycle!
John Forrey is president of Specialty Industries and NuPak Printing in Red Lion, Pennsylvania, and is Chair of AICC’s Government Affairs Committee. He can be reached at 717-246-4301 or jforrey@specialtyindustries.com.
