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Washington Trip - Time Well SpentPosted 8/13/1998By Carl Miller, AAM My first day in the District of Columbia started with a breakfast with Lori Cohen, the associate director of vehicle services for the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), to discuss state vehicle safety inspections. AAMVA and ASA have co-signed a letter to the director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and have met with NHTSA officials regarding state safety inspection programs. Next, we called on Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Darlene Hooley, D-Ore., both of whom were receptive to our visit and seemed pleased to know Redding and his staff. Lunchtime found us meeting with Cathy Fehrenbacher and Janice Ruggles of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We discussed the paint industry's Product Stewardship Partnership as well as other collision issues. After lunch, I registered for the summit, then went back to Capitol Hill with Redding. We first called on Rep. Cass Ballenger, R-N.C., and spoke to his staff about Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reform. Ballenger is concerned with OSHA requirements on small business and has introduced several pieces of legislation to reform OSHA. Our next stop was the office of Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., to introduce Redding to him and to ask for help with issues on the Hill. My day spent with Redding gave me a real appreciation for what he and his staff do in Washington to help you and me in business. If Redding ever calls and wants you to contact your elected leaders, please do so without delay because your assistance enhances his effectiveness. The two-day summit started with a Wednesday evening reception, followed by a breakfast-meeting on Thursday. Bob Zelnick, a former ABC television newsman now with the Hoover Institute, moderated the meeting. Opening remarks were by Jack Farris, president of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), followed by comments from Bob Stallman of the American Farm Bureau. Then there was a video debate by Rep. Dick Armey, R-Texas, and Rep. W.J. "Billy" Tauzin, R-La., on tax reform (during the summit, the House passed the 2002 Internal Revenue Service sunset bill). We had breakout sessions in both the morning and the afternoon dealing with many issues. At lunch, IRS Commissioner Charles Rossotti addressed us, assuring that there will be changes at IRS. We also heard from Herman Cain of the National Restaurant Association. Watch this man! He is a real inspiration and we will hear more from him in the future, possibly in an elected public office. Our first day ended with a congressional gala dinner with Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. The second day kicked off with a Vision 2000 breakfast with keynote speaker Sen. John Ashcroft, R-Mo., a Year 2000 discussion and a talk by Denny Dennis, NFIB senior research fellow. At lunch, the Small Business Referendum for the Future was presented to the chairmen of the Senate and House small-business committees. Some of the items covered were health care, the new tax code, regulatory reform and litigation.
All things considered, I feel it was a very profitable trip. And, it was not without excitement - the hotel fire alarm went off one morning at 2:45!
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Copyright (c) 1996-2008. Automotive Service Association. All rights reserved.
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I recently attended the 1998 Small Business Summit in Washington, D.C., and spent the day before the summit with the Automotive Service Association's Washington Representative Bob Redding and his staff, and visited some "key" people in the nation's capital.
