Reality Check by Mark Levin, CAE, CSP

Reality Check

by Mark Levin, CAE, CSP

Executive Vice President, Chain Link Fence Manufacturers Institute 2022 Inductee, American Fence Association Hall of Fame

“Get into politics or get out of business!” is a registered trademark of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), one of the largest construction associations in the United States. I did not realize that slogan had been registered. Many years ago, I worked on the staff of the ABC when it first started using that slogan. I thought it was kind of catchy as a person, and as a citizen, but it did not mean much to me from a business perspective because I was new to both the construction industry and to politics.

Times have changed. I’ve had my own business for more than 30 years now, in addition to being actively involved in the association business through the Chain Link Fence Manufacturers Institute (CLFMI) and other affiliations. It’s a lot easier now to see the direct relationship between what goes on at the federal, state, and local levels in government and the ability for the private sector (such as those of us in the fence industry) to provide good jobs, to supply products and services that make people’s lives better, easier, and safer, and to make a profit.

The U.S. midterm elections are coming up in November, and there is more uncertainty right now about the outcome of those elections than there has been in many years. That uncertainty makes it extremely hard to predict what the shortterm future holds for the U.S. economy, much less the long term. These past two years have shown us how fast things can change, so it will be interesting, to say the least.

So, what is the fence industry’s interest in these elections? Neither of the two major fence industry associations, AFA and CLFMI, are active lobbying organizations. AFA is primarily an educational organization, CLFMI is primarily a technical and market development organization. Both organizations monitor important national legislation, but neither is actively supporting candidates or specific ballot issues.

Here is the point of all of this: there should be a BIG interest in these midterms by the fence industry. Just because there is no presidential election does not mean that these elections will not impact the fence industry, but it really depends on individual people and companies to “represent” the industry’s interests during these elections. Do not go into the voting booth (or read a mail-in ballot) and just vote straight down a party line unless you know the candidates and their positions. Do not look at candidates for offices such as judges, or school boards, or local offices and not recognize a single name yet vote for some of them anyway. There ARE people and issues on those ballots whose votes and actions can impact your business.

Here are some things all of us should be doing between now and November 8: 1) Learn about the issues. What state and local issues are being discussed with an impact on your family, community, and business. Is there a zoning issue that will limit residential or commercial construction? Is there an environmental issue that will require changes to your facility or jobsites? Is there a ballot issue that will raise personal or business taxes?

2) Learn about the candidates. The primary season is over, and the candidates are all identified. Get to know each of these people, and what their position is on issues that are important to you and your fence industry business. If you are not sure where candidates stand, contact their offices and/or their websites.

3) With all members of the House and onethird of the Senators up for re- election, control of both houses of Congress are up

in the air. Do not believe all the media ads you hear and see. If you see an ad that says

“so-and-so will raise taxes on every business in the state”, check out the information on websites and via candidates’ offices.

4) Encourage all your employees and their

families to be prepared voters, too. Here is an example of why that is important to the industry.

Recently, CLFMI was asked to lend its specific technical knowledge to a land use issue in Ohio. When submitting its input, CLFMI was also asked to justify its standing (credibility) before the governing body. CLFMI surveyed its members and determined how many employees CLFMI member companies represented in Ohio. CLFMI also contacted AFA to find out approximately how many fence contractors there were in Ohio, and the average number of employees per company they represented. The numbers were impressive because they represented potential voters, something public officials take very seriously. Our job is to help make sure those potential voters are informed voters, too.

When the midterm elections are over, do not think of them as a prediction of the next presidential election. There have been several instances in recent elections where the incumbent president’s party was beaten in the midterms, but the president was re-elected handily two years later (i.e. Obama and Clinton). A lot can happen in the next two years to determine the presidential election.

Don’t wait until the next election to get actively engaged in important political discussions and decisions. Be an informed voter and help your employees and their families be the same.

“Get into politics or get out of business” isn’t just a slogan anymore. It’s a reality.

Please visit www.chainlinkinfo.org.