&WIEWS

IFOVVENTS lrom our Congress- \, men indicate they are under tremendous pressures from business. During the past four years small business has organized and voiced loud objections to some of the idiotic legislation that has been introduced.

Manipulation of due process is a tricky way a Congressman can get his pet bill through. He can tack it on as a rider to a good bill that is sure to pass: he can re-word the bill to be more acceptable and then amend the acceptable language from the bill. IIe can introduce a bill when being pressured by one group; amend the bill under the pressure ofanother group and vote against the bill in committee under the pressure of another group. For each group he can show that he has acted in their interest. For those of us trying to figure out what is going on, i1 becomes a difficult task.

We attempt to follow legislation such as Labor Reform and more recently the RARE II study and keep you abreast of what is taking place. Suddenly a bill will start moving. We find out about the movement one or two days after and by the time we can prepare a bulletin and mail it another one or two days pass. Then comes the U.S. Postal Department upon whom we rely to get the bulletin to you. They may send the mail via Hong Kong before it gets back to your community for delivery. The end result is that your individual help is needed, yet it is extremely dilllcult to get word to you in time for you to act. When you ARE requested to write or call your Congressman, time is short... your help is essential. contacl your Congressman immediately.

THE STATE SCENE: our Building Material Industry Political Action Committee contributions are at $11.000 of the $15,000 goal established. We need funds to support our State Legislators who have been supporting our industry. Every dealer should have enough interest in the preservation of the business from which he derives his income to gladly contribute. $15,000 from all of the California dealers is a very small amount to contribute when you consider the amounts contributed by environmental goups, consumer groups and anti-business groups. Their contribulions are 1,000 to our 1, yet we have been able to make considerable advances for our industry.

Contributions are $100 for each $1 million in gross sales. Send your check to BMI/PAC,l055 Lincoln Ave., San Jose. Help us to help you.

On May l-2, 1919, a new twist to the state legislative activity will begin. Dealers from throughout California will assemble in Sacramento to be briefed on key issues at the state level that have a major impact on our industry. Each dealer will be given the background on the issues, background papers and will then visit with his state legislator to discuss what kind of impact certain legislation will have on his business.

For several years our legislators have had the environmental groups, consumer groups and anti-business groups helping them prepare legislation while we have stayed in the background. Now that we have the ears of the legislators we are going to tell them what they have done to the business community and what they must do to get this monster they have created back within acceptable bounds. Mark vour calendar for Mav I -2.