Open Forum

  • 1.  Your Voice Is Required!

    Posted 02-23-2017 05:06 PM
      |   view attached
    Some of you are aware of the Legislative Conference and Fly-In scheduled to take place March 22-23. 

    The fact is this event will only be as successful as the number of members who invest the time to participate and let Congress know how important our industry is... employing 7.5 million people and contributing $1.4 trillion annually to GDP. We need to engage and represent. You need to come to Washington, DC and voice your interest in -  
    • Pro-growth comprehensive tax reform
    • Cost-effective healthcare reform
    • Reduction of burdensome government over-regulation
    • Postal reform legislation
    • Reducing patent troll abuses
    We're a month away from the event so now is the time to make a commitment that will make a difference for your company and your industry.

    I've attached a recent promotional piece that provides details regarding registration and the schedule. 

    Contact me if you have questions or want more detail.

    Thanks!


    ------------------------------
    Ken Garner
    Executive Vice President
    Idealliance
    Alexandria VA
    703-837-1070
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  • 2.  RE: Your Voice Is Required!

    Posted 02-24-2017 08:34 AM
    Ken ,

    You should compile some concerns from key people through out the industry. Asking for there input quickly and have a site set up that they can agree or not agree to the issues posted.

    Then fine tune it into a letter asking for a signature to support it. Many people like myself will not attend ,but really do care about having a voice. 

    Cost saving of any kind like paper in our industry, The USA has lost most of the paper mills through out the country. As many of you can remember when we had more paper mills the competition help keep the price of buying paper down.

    The only solution would seem to imposes a Tariff on paper being made out of the country to allow the USA manufactures to be able to compete.

    Other problems like charge card company's that are driving many sales because people pay this way are benefiting from the sales and taking profits from the printers and other industry as well by 3% just for conducting business. This adds up at the end of each month and year base the amount of transaction. I don't know the answer here.  If you try to charge the customers in some case's you will lost the sale.

    I am sure that the input you would get from other people would be valuable. Sorry if this is not what you were looking for ,but wanted to offer a idea that I believe could give you a large impact with 100,000 or more signatures on a letter form people in our industry.   

      If you build it they will come! The "PIA" SHOULD GET INVOLVED. 

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    Bob Stokes
    General Manager
    Abbott Communications Group
    Maitland FL
    407.831.2999 x124
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  • 3.  RE: Your Voice Is Required!

    Posted 02-24-2017 02:56 PM
      |   view attached

    Bob,

    Thank you very much for your response and suggestions. While I will include my answers to your post as part of this reply, I need to emphasize the importance of an impressive in-person presence for our Legislative Conference / Fly-In. While letters can "inch the ball forward' a strong turn-out and impressive attendance will have a much more significant impact. I sincerely urge all who can possibly attend to invest the time to help us move our industry forward. Unfortunately, the attachment I included in yesterday's post contained a link for registration that did not work. The problem has been corrected in the attached.

     

    Yes, I always welcome e-mails or letters that communicate issues and challenges related to the legislative advocacy work we do. Everyone is encouraged to take the time to send them to me. If the communication volume is substantial I will set up a designated community to post the comments and create dialog and discussion. When one or more specific issues garners a significant volume of support our lobbyist and myself will take them to the Hill in meetings with the appropriate leaders- this could include letters.

     

    With respect to your specific concerns, much of our focus during our fly-in meetings will be on the "cost of doing business". While paper costs and credit card fees are important, costs related to health care and over-regulation are likely to represent a much more significant burden. It appears the new Administration is taking a hard look at international trade agreements that may disadvantage US businesses and also appears to be supportive of a "pro-business" agenda.

     

    Finally, PIA and Idealliance are both active members of the C-21 Coalition and have been working together to support passage of postal reform legislation.

     

    Again, thank you for taking time to respond and weigh in. At this point, yours is the only response.

     

    Ken

     

    idealliance_logo_web

                                 

    Ken Garner, Executive Vice President
    1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 320

    Alexandria, VA 22314-2862

    Direct: 703.837.1065

    Mobile: 703.618.2535

    Email: kgarner@...

    www.idealliance.org

                  

    Become a Certified MailPro in 2017!

     

     

     

     

     






  • 4.  RE: Your Voice Is Required!

    Posted 02-28-2017 06:02 PM
    It will be exceptionally difficult and take many years for those USA-based paper mill owners to revamp production and / or put mothballed capacity back into operation to be more competitive against Asian paper mill owners. 

    It might be nice to put a velvet rope around Canada and USA paper mill owners, but then we start a slippery slope with Asian mill owners.


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    Dennis Kavanagh
    EVP/COO
    Data Reproductions Corporation
    Auburn Hills MI
    248-371-3700
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  • 5.  RE: Your Voice Is Required!

    Posted 02-25-2017 10:26 AM

    Ken,

    I will be participating in the 2017 Legislative Conference. I hope that protecting the Charitable Gift Tax Deduction will be part of the “pro-growth comprehensive tax reform” agenda as it impacts so much on our industry and beyond.

    Last week I was on The Hill with about 200 others from across the country, as part of the Charitable Gift Alliance (hosted by Association of Fundraising Professionals and other organizations) to support expanding the charitable gift tax deduction to all taxpayers – both standard-deduction-takers and itemizers. Our NY group met with NY Congressional reps that are on the Finance and Ways and Means Committees – Chuck Schumer, Nita Lowey, Tom Reed, and Brian Higgins.

    Donations to Charities impact on the mailing industry and the USPS, along with jobs and the economy as a whole.

    Background:  The current “House Blueprint” simplifies the tax code so that 95% of taxpayers would take a standard deduction. The result would eliminate the charitable gift tax deduction incentive for 95% of taxpayers. Americans are giving away their incomes to invest in their communities – to charities providing services much more efficiently than if the roles were provided by government. The loss of the tax incentive would have a negative impact on giving habits.
    The Mailing Industry and USPS: Non-profits generate one in ten pieces of mail delivered by the USPS (Source Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers). Many non-profits rely on postal mail as their main, if not only, source of funding. If the charitable gift deduction goes away then there will be less giving through the mail – non-profits will significantly reduce their direct mail solicitations – impacting on the printing, paper and mailing industries along with the USPS.
     
    Jobs and the Economy: Supporting Non-Profits is more than good public policy – it is also good jobs policy – Using New York State as an example, there are 30,000 non-profits registered in NY with an additional 30,000 registered outside that operate in the state. Charities are the largest industry employer in NY providing 1.8 million jobs. Charities employ 1 out of 5 workers in New York City. Employment in Charities grew in the recession economy. Supporting Charities supports jobs and puts more money back into the economy. Less giving will force Non-Profits to cut back jobs.
     
    Fact: In 2015 Americans contributed $265 billion to charities (source Giving USA).
     
    A few more facts: In 2015, there were 12.6 billion pieces of Nonprofit Standard Mail, 1.4 billion pieces of Nonprofit Periodicals, and over 1 billion pieces of First Class Mail primarily used to send donations to nonprofits. Total USPS volume in 2015 was 154 billion. (source Alliance for Non-Profit Mailers)
     
    I’ve attached two documents with more details.

    Gary Weinberg, President

    GaryW@...

    (646) 766-1010

     

    DM Pros, Inc.

    Specialists in Direct Response Marketing and Fundraising

    225 West 37th Street, 16th Floor ● New York, NY 10018

    http://DMPros.net