Masonry Magazine June 2009 Page. 12
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Tom Daniel
President
Mason Contractors Association of America
Success On The Hill
The MCAA has just completed another successful legislative conference, held April 20-22 in Washington, D.C. This year, we had good attendance and increased the focus of our efforts. We felt we would get better results if we concentrated on two full days of appointments with our legislators. To do this, the association relied on the MCAA's legislative advocacy firm, "The Keelen Group." Matt Keelen, president and owner of The Keelen Group, had quite the agenda laid out for us. Matt and his associates had us scheduled with consecutive appointments. He had us divide into groups of three to four, so we could concentrate our efforts. I, along with our other attendees saw as many as 10 to 14 legislators. We were able to provide them with information related to our business concerns such as estate taxes, immigration reform, OSHA regulations (silica), military construction (MilCon), etc.
I must say, we were well received by both republican and democratic leaders. All were interested in hearing about how our businesses were doing and what impact the economic downturn has had on us. It was interesting to see the different mindset between the two parties. My Congressman, Darrell Issa, even took the time to step out of a committee meeting to hear our issues. The biggest divide between the two parties seems to be the out-of-control increased spending by the democrats. This is a challenging issue, because the republicans feel that additional burden onto small business hurts everyone. I personally agree with this. We, as small business people, provide the majority of the jobs in the country. If you add to our already overloaded burden, we will be forced to cut jobs in order to survive. This does nothing to help the economy. Hopefully, as the debate continues there can be some compromise and the burden on small business will be eased.
As a member of the MCAA, I encourage you to become involved in this process. Let your legislators know of your concerns. Remember, they are there to serve the people, not the other way around. IMAS
The Voice of the Masonry Industry
COMING IN JULY 2009
Be sure to catch the July 2009 issue of Masonry, which will feature articles covering current trends and examining industry issues, including:
BRICKLAYER'S TOOLS
We'll look at what's new in essential tools that allow bricklayers to most effectively and efficiently complete their work.
AIR BARRIERS & INSULATION
Air and vapor barriers should be a staple in a designer's bag of tricks, but the type of barrier and appropriate location within a structure can vary greatly. Masonry reports.
BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING
Masonry will present information from an expert who will define BIM and explain why it is taking over design and construction.
For advertising information, contact
Marvin Diamond
770.431.0867, ext. 208
Toll-free: 888.303.5639
E-mail: marvin@lionhtpub.com
10 MASONRY
June 2009 www.masoncontractors.org
MCAA
New Members
The Mason Contractors Association of America is proud to welcome the following new members to the Association. MCAA would like to take this opportunity to thank them for joining their fellow mason contractors nationwide in helping to build a stronger masonry industry. MCAA's members look forward to a long association with their firms.
European Masonry, LLC
P.O. Box 367
East Texas, Pa. 18046
Class A
Central Construction Management, LLC
37-24 24th Str.
Long Island City, N.Y. 11101
Class A
L & L Masonry, Inc.
208 Indian Prairie Lane
Union, Mo. 63084
Class A
Northland Concrete & Masonry,
12026 Riverwood Drive
Burnsville, Minn. 55088
Class D
Strom Masonry, Inc.
P.O. Box 2465
Great Falls, Mt. 59403
Class A
If your company is interested in becoming a member of the Mason Contractors Association of America as a contractor, supplier, or instructor, please contact MCAA at (800) 536-2225, or download an application at www.masoncontractors.org