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Chair’s Corner: Member involvement is the key to AWB’s endorsement process |
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Written On: March/April 2008 |
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Written By: Brad Carlson, Chari, Board of Directors |
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Brad Carlson owns Evergreen Memorial Gardens in Vancouver. He served on the board of his local chapter of the American Cancer Society and is active in the Washington State Funeral Directors Association. He is active with the Vancouver Executives Association and serves on the board of Legacy Hospital. Carlson is a loyal Washington State University grad, donating both time and money to his alma mater.
How many of you remember your high school civics teacher lecturing about the need for you to be involved in our political process and to vote? How many of you then went on to college, joined the military, or went to work and ignored your teacher’s advice?
Until this year, voter registration and turnout at the polls was dismal, but not now. On Feb. 9, when Washington held its presidential caucuses, people jammed the caucus sites and went toe-to-toe over the candidates they support. It wasn’t just a Democrat thing with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton slugging it out. It was a Republican happening, as well, with John McCain and Mike Huckabee running so close that Huckabee wanted a recount in our state.
All this renewed interest in the political process is invigorating for our country. So, how do we, as small and large business owners on Main Street, be part of it and make our voices heard?
Get involved, be informed
First, we need to get involved, know the candidates, and support those we believe best represent us. Part of getting to know the candidates is to look at their voting record with the Association of Washington Business, chambers of commerce, trade associations, and other organizations such as the unions, environmental organizations and trial lawyers. Examine the votes and see if they support or oppose your priorities.
AWB’s voting record will be updated right after the legislative session adjourns, so look for that in mid-March. Meanwhile, get the current AWB voting record with information from the last legislative session and use it as a starter. It’s available on our Web site at www.awb.org.
Second, participate in AWB’s candidate interviews. Right after the filing deadline in early June, AWB is scheduling a series of interviews with candidates for statewide office and the Legislature. We’ve already scheduled a series of regional board meetings and candidate interview sessions with our members around the state in early September, so you, our members, can make your recommendations known to our Governmental Affairs Council and board of directors. These are hands-on meetings with you asking the questions.
Board endorsements
The AWB board, consisting of 180 members from all parts of the state and representing all sizes and types of businesses, will consider those recommendations and vote on our endorsements on Sept. 26 at the AWB Policy Summit.
It’s important to understand that each member on the board has an equal vote. Therefore, as the owner of a small cemetery and funeral home in Vancouver, I have the same vote as Weyerhaeuser’s Kristen Sawin. It’s the AWB board — those of us representing you, our 6,600 members — who make those endorsements, not AWB’s staff. So, it’s important that we know how you feel.
AWB is sponsoring a series of debates at the Policy Summit. Every four years, AWB hosts the first of the gubernatorial debates, which is televised statewide. If you can’t make it to the Policy Summit, watch the debates on TVW.
Your involvement is critical
I can’t encourage you enough to get involved early. As you remember from the 2000 presidential election in Florida and our gubernatorial contest in 2004, every single vote counts.
As the employers of people in Washington and the very fabric of our local communities, we can’t afford to sit this election out. We will have disagreements within AWB over which candidates to support. The decision will be made only after much discussion, consideration and debate. That’s healthy and it’s what our system of government is all about. In the end, some people may object to a candidate AWB endorses — or perhaps chooses not to endorse — but that’s what a vibrant, thriving organization is all about.
Please get to know the candidates and get active with those you choose to support. Meanwhile, remember that candidates are people just like you and me, who have sacrificed their time to run for office to represent us. While we can fight the hard fight, remember that our differences are political, not personal.
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