Pub. 15 2016-2017 Issue 4

N E W J E R S E Y C O A L I T I O N O F A U T O M O T I V E R E T A I L E R S I S S U E N O . 1 , 2 0 1 7 18 new jersey auto retailer Grassroots Advocacy Encompasses Many Things Online Is Important, But Face-to-Face Still Rules The Day A s themajor political parties become more polarized by the day, the grassroots a d v o c a c y o f i n d i v i d u a l s , bus i nes ses and i ndus t r i es becomes increasingly important. Grassroots advocacy is many things. It’s making your voice heard in the voting booth, whether it’s a Town Council election or choosing the next President. It’s financially supporting the candidates, organizations and causes that are important to you, your family and your business. It’s also engaging with your elected officials at all levels, getting to know them and educating them on the issues that impact you and your business. Elsewhere in this issue… • Dr. Brigid Callahan Harrison, Professor of Political Science andLawatMontclair State University, has written an article looking at the 2017 races for Governor, Senate and Assembly in New Jersey, highlighting the importance of every vote; • RayBurke,PresidentofCAR-PAC,NJCAR’s political action committee, has authored an article discussing the impact of financial sup- port for candidates on both sides of the aisle that support our industry; and • More than a dozen New Jersey legislators have indicated how they like to engage with constituents andwhat information they look for when discussing an issue important to a specific individual. This article focuses on tools to effectively communicate with your elected officials and common-sense tips tomake sure themessage is understood. NJ CAR Chairman Rick DeSilva, Jr. has made it a priority this year to make dealers more comfortable with political engagement and to increase the interactions our industry has with legislators on the local, State and federal level. He asked NJ CAR staff to identify dealers in each legislative district that the Coalition will call on to invite legislators into the dealership or arrange for dealers to go to their legislator’s office. These visits will begin in the next few months. The Coalition alsohas anonline grassroots subscriptionwith CQRoll Call. Wewill use this tool sparingly, but when asked, dealersMUST respond. The political strengthofNewJerseydealers is only as good as our engagement with Legislators. Legislators make dozens of decisions on our behalf every day. They depend on their constituents to let them know how proposed policies will impact consumers, businesses, tax revenues, as well as dozens of other an- ticipated and unanticipated potential results. Communication Tools There are many ways to communicate with your elected officials. As you can see from our survey of more than a dozen New Jersey legislators (see pages 24 - 30 of this issue) , some have preferredmethods tobe contacted, while others engagewith their constituents using an arrayof communication tools. Belowis a brief rundown of those tools. In-Person Visits Every legislator has a local office staffed with employees who serve as the gatekeepers be- tween elected officials and constituents. Visit your legislator’s local office and de- velop relationships with their staff. Attend J Y A L I T I F A T T I V T A I L