ASSOCIATION H CIRCUS MEMBERS
Capitol Update By Joan Galvin, OABA Government Relations Consultant
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s I am writing this on Leap Day this year, March is on the horizon with the fair and circus seasons in full swing in Florida! The Annual Board meeting in Tampa was, as always, a great success and wonderful opportunity to catch up. Your DC lobbyist team was pleased to have the support of the Board in approving our 2016 legislative action plan. There is certainly much to do — whether it is guest workers, animal issues, transportation or taxes. We are on the ground providing a voice to the mobile amusement industry. In February I had the opportunity to attend an H-2B stakeholders meeting at the Department of Labor. What an eye opening experience that was. The absolute apathy of those entrusted with
running these programs was stunning. In the face of pleas by stakeholders from all sectors of our economy that the program is broken and putting American jobs and small businesses in jeopardy, there was little offered in return other than excuses and finger pointing. My hat is off to those of you who have to do battle every day with these agencies and it reinforced my resolve to continue our efforts on Capitol Hill to get things FIXED. On a more positive note, we had an amazing day at our annual OABA circus meeting. Held this year at the Showfolks Club in Sarasota, we were treated to an inspiring workshop on social media by
M.E. Gamble, who teaches this subject as a professor at Bethany College in West Virginia. For those of you who were there, you know it was a lively discussion that sent us all home with plenty of things to think about and new ideas about how to use social media to take back control of the conversation — about our business, our
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animals and our commitment to excellence in all things related to the mobile amusement industry. Also presenting at the circus meeting was Mary Lou Kelly, who continues to manage and administer the CFA/OABA legislative grassroots website. This website is a critical tool in our effort to defeat animal bans at the state and local level, and I encourage everyone to continue to check in and see how you can support the effort. On that note, a bit of good news is in order. We saw another bullhook ban defeated by the City of Richmond, Virginia — unanimously! Congratulations to everyone who helped make that happen. Last but not least, I had the opportunity to attend a briefing on Capitol Hill hosted by the American Humane Association’s Congressional Humane Bond Caucus. This group has been formed in Congress as an alternative for Members of Congress who want to support animals but do not believe in the extremist animal rights agenda. This recent briefing focused on how animals improve our lives and featured a talk by Dr. Joshua Schiffman, the Utah-based cancer researcher who is working with Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation to unlock the key to why elephants are virtually cancer free and how we can apply that knowledge to treating human — especially pediatric — cancer. If you want to know more about Dr. Schiffman’s work there is a wonderful video on the Feld Entertainment Center for Elephant Conservation website — “more elephants, less cancer” — www.ringlingelephantcenter.com/ cancer-research. My best to all the Florida and Texas fairs and OABA members who are in full swing right now. H
H OABA ShowTime Magazine | APRIL 2016
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