07/07/2006
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NFIB/Oregon members Mary and Dave Easton at the National Small-Business Summit in Washington, D.C. |
As part of the program at NFIB's biennial National Small-Business Summit in Washington, D.C., NFIB/Oregon members on June 20 joined with more than 500 other attendees from around the nation in lobbying their senators and congressmen on the issues vital to the survival of Main Street enterprises.
NFIB/Oregon members Dave and Mary Easton, along with Jan Kaiser and her son, Keith, met with U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley to press the case for Small-Business Health Plans and an end to the death tax, among other issues.
"U.S. Rep. Hooley was very generous with her time, and we thank her for that," said Jan Kaiser, owner of West Linn-based Sandelie Golf Course.
Easton, NFIB/Oregon's Small-Business Champion of the Year and owner of Ace Hardware in Forest Grove, said that this wasn't his first time to the NFIB Small-Business Summit, and it would definitely not be his last.
Every election year in June, NFIB hosts its Small-Business Summit in the nation's capital to, among other things, remind policymakers that small businesses are not smaller versions of bigger businesses, but have distinctive difficulties in remaining solvent. The Summit has become a must-visit for lawmakers and other government officials.
Over the years, speeches to the Summit attendees have been personally delivered by a bi-partisan group of elected officials from the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, including the speaker and the majority leader; the president of the United States; the vice president; cabinet secretaries from the departments of Treasury, Commerce and Labor; as well as the head of the U.S. Small-Business Administration.
The Summit also provides NFIB members with an opportunity to hear from business leaders on the latest technology and to swap ideas with fellow small-business owners from across the nation.
"Nothing—and I mean, nothing—grabs the attention of politicians better than a visit from a small-business owner back home," said NFIB's West Region Political Director Matt Garth, who assisted the Oregon members with their Congressional meetings. "And for good reason. Voters prefer candidates supported by small business over those supported by organized labor by a 3–to–1 margin, according to a survey conducted by the Winston Group."
Stacey Jenkins, NFIB's grassroots coordinator for Oregon, recommended members circle their calendar for the June 2008 Summit, a presidential election year, but she reminded them that they did not have to wait that long to start affecting policy at the state and national levels.
"We have NFIB Area Action Councils up and running in Portland, Salem, Eugene, Roseburg, Grants Pass, Medford and Bend that members can join now in order to help improve the small-business climate in the state," Jenkins said. "Members who already attend these meetings are encouraged to bring along other small-business owners. One small-business owner might get through to a lawmaker, but the doors to their offices open a lot faster when many come knocking."
