Masonry Magazine June 1996 Page. 7
FROM THE PRESIDENT
While still a teenager, I received my first pair of glasses. I put them on. I was surprised to realize that my vision had been distorted. I was not quite seeing things as they really were. Blurry print on the page suddenly became sharp. Objects slightly out of focus became clear. But blurry print and out of focus signs are not the worst distortions many people experience in today's world. Some have blurred the distinction between fact or fiction. Some go through their lives unable to see government as it really is politics.
Recently, members of the Mason Contractors Association of America joined subcontractors from other trades and participated in the Associated Specialty Contractors (ASC) Legislative Conference held in Washington, D.C.
Over two hundred contracting firms representing all trades attended the conference who were briefed on issues that the U.S. Congress was debating that impact our business.
During the past several years, MCAA's involvement in the conference and the legislative process has grown considerably. And as a national association representing mason contractors, one of our principle functions is to monitor and influence federal legislative efforts that affect the way we operate our companies. Of course, there are thousands of bills submitted before the Congress each year. Each of these in some way affect our lives, families and the company we run. Of those thousands, only a few are selected by the MCAA for action. The bills we target are those most impacting our future as business owners and employers.
Our membership is diverse. MCAA represents all masonry firms. We have members who employ hundreds of people and we have members employing only a few. The issues we become involved with are those issues that cut across both large and small companies. We will never push for legislation that benefits one member over another. Nor will we fight for legislation that will hurt a member.
Indeed, we will fight for legislation that creates a level playing field for all mason contractors. So that the most progressive, innovative and principled can thrive and succeed.
We have allied ourselves both with masonry industry associations as well as non-masonry contractor associations such as the National Roofing Contractors Association and the National Electrical Contractors Association who have the same goal as the MCAA the freedom to run our companies the way we choose.
As we have worked toward bringing about a climate in Washington, D.C. that favors small business, we may disappoint some contractors who would choose to have MCAA create an environment that favors only a few, but our industry will not grow and compete aggressively against other building methods such as tilt-up if we limit our industry's possibilities.
Several years ago, our association formed a government relations committee. In this day of constant pressures from outside interest on mason contractors, perhaps no committee bears a greater responsibility. The primary objective of this committee is to influence policy, legislation and regulation at the state and national levels on selected issues in the interest of contractors and the construction industry and of public need. These objectives are met by identifying legislative and regulatory issues being considered, monitoring the development of those issues, keeping our members and other related industry groups informed as to the situation and making the legislative for a Level or regulatory bodies aware of our association's position. It has been said if you are not politically active, you tend to be a victim of it.
We are all tired of over regulation, which kills jobs and stifles growth. Small businesses, as ours are, are hurt most financially by subjective compliance regulations. Tort reform is needed to curb excessive lawsuits which are causing small companies great concern. These are just a few of the issues your MCAA will be working to reform.
Just as your association cuts across political lines to support candidates who support small business issues, so too should the labor movement unchain itself from political parties and candidates.
We need to see our electoral politics driven by members issues and interests, but we need your help at the grass roots level.
There are those that make things happen, there are those who watch things happen, and there are those who sit back and say what the heck happened! Which are we? We must assume responsibility for our future. Our work awaits us...
...let us begin