Published: Sunday, November 8, 2009
GUEST COMMENTARY / BUSINESS AND PUBLIC POLICY
Wake up and get involved before more companies take a hike
Regardless of whether you decide to take an active role in government, there will always be lawmakers in Olympia making decisions that affect your everyday life. Look at the decisions and the years of political fumbling that have driven Boeing out of this state. This loss will affect each of us in a myriad of ways we cannot even begin to predict.
With an election behind us and the legislative session staring us in the face, now is the time to get involved in the political process to ensure the lawmakers we’ve elected will work on our behalf — on behalf of a healthy and sustainable private sector. And on behalf of companies like Boeing. In fact, each of us should be involved 365 days a year. Some individuals and groups have consistently chosen to be involved in Washington state politics, because they realize if they help elect legislators who share their views, the policies put in place by those legislators will improve their way of life. Those who have consistently been involved see the benefits.
Labor unions, and other special interest groups such as trial lawyers, have always been organized and actively involved in Washington state’s political arena, fostering relationships with legislators and working the process to their benefit. They have made it a top priority to elect legislators to public office who will go to bat for their interests. Their involvement has paid off for their members in spades.
A timely example of legislators looking out for organized labor relates to our state’s budget crisis. In the last session, our legislators had to decide where to make critically-needed budget cuts. Guided by the influence of organized labor, legislators in both houses completely ruled out making any cuts to labor contracts to help balance the state budget. Labor unions saw the benefit of their consistent political involvement even during the worst economic crisis since the great depression.
While labor and others have been actively involved in politics and take a long term view, other groups have been inconsistently involved and have failed to come together in an organized way that pays dividends to their agenda.
The business community is one of these disorganized groups, and with their livelihood at stake, it’s time for everyone in the private sector — both employers and employees — to wake up and get involved. Small and medium size businesses can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines and expect the larger companies to shape the political landscape. Business communities in other states are becoming increasingly engaged in politics, and their work is paying off. They have strengthened their private sector so much that they are now attracting our state’s businesses and in turn taking our jobs. They also have created a culture that, regardless of which political party is in control, the business voice is always heard.
The decision by Boeing to build its second 787 production line in South Carolina is a perfect example of a business choosing another state over ours. And the decision should be a devastating wake-up call to the elected officials in our state. State legislators in South Carolina made substantive changes to attract business. And it worked. If our private sector doesn’t become just as politically engaged immediately, the business climate in our state will continue to collapse and everyone will lose: the private sector, the nonprofit sector and every worker — union or not.
While this election just passed, there is a much larger election looming in 2010. I encourage all members of the business community to pay close attention to the upcoming class of legislative candidates and where they stand on the issues. Also, pay attention to our legislative incumbents and evaluate their performance on issues that contribute to our prosperity. Whether you are an employer or an employee, a Democrat or a Republican, union or non-union, the decisions made by the policymakers we elect directly affect your job and your way of life.
Other states have figured it out. When will we?
Erin McCallum is president of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Enterprise Washington (www.enterprisewashington.org) and the Business Institute of Washington (www.businessinstitutewa.org), which both help companies and employees better understand how elected officials establish public policy, and to become more involved in the political process.
With an election behind us and the legislative session staring us in the face, now is the time to get involved in the political process to ensure the lawmakers we’ve elected will work on our behalf — on behalf of a healthy and sustainable private sector. And on behalf of companies like Boeing. In fact, each of us should be involved 365 days a year. Some individuals and groups have consistently chosen to be involved in Washington state politics, because they realize if they help elect legislators who share their views, the policies put in place by those legislators will improve their way of life. Those who have consistently been involved see the benefits.
Labor unions, and other special interest groups such as trial lawyers, have always been organized and actively involved in Washington state’s political arena, fostering relationships with legislators and working the process to their benefit. They have made it a top priority to elect legislators to public office who will go to bat for their interests. Their involvement has paid off for their members in spades.
A timely example of legislators looking out for organized labor relates to our state’s budget crisis. In the last session, our legislators had to decide where to make critically-needed budget cuts. Guided by the influence of organized labor, legislators in both houses completely ruled out making any cuts to labor contracts to help balance the state budget. Labor unions saw the benefit of their consistent political involvement even during the worst economic crisis since the great depression.
While labor and others have been actively involved in politics and take a long term view, other groups have been inconsistently involved and have failed to come together in an organized way that pays dividends to their agenda.
The business community is one of these disorganized groups, and with their livelihood at stake, it’s time for everyone in the private sector — both employers and employees — to wake up and get involved. Small and medium size businesses can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines and expect the larger companies to shape the political landscape. Business communities in other states are becoming increasingly engaged in politics, and their work is paying off. They have strengthened their private sector so much that they are now attracting our state’s businesses and in turn taking our jobs. They also have created a culture that, regardless of which political party is in control, the business voice is always heard.
The decision by Boeing to build its second 787 production line in South Carolina is a perfect example of a business choosing another state over ours. And the decision should be a devastating wake-up call to the elected officials in our state. State legislators in South Carolina made substantive changes to attract business. And it worked. If our private sector doesn’t become just as politically engaged immediately, the business climate in our state will continue to collapse and everyone will lose: the private sector, the nonprofit sector and every worker — union or not.
While this election just passed, there is a much larger election looming in 2010. I encourage all members of the business community to pay close attention to the upcoming class of legislative candidates and where they stand on the issues. Also, pay attention to our legislative incumbents and evaluate their performance on issues that contribute to our prosperity. Whether you are an employer or an employee, a Democrat or a Republican, union or non-union, the decisions made by the policymakers we elect directly affect your job and your way of life.
Other states have figured it out. When will we?
Erin McCallum is president of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Enterprise Washington (www.enterprisewashington.org) and the Business Institute of Washington (www.businessinstitutewa.org), which both help companies and employees better understand how elected officials establish public policy, and to become more involved in the political process.
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