Pub. 16 2017-2018 Issue 2

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 . 3 , 2 0 1 7 6 new jersey auto retailer Chairman’s MESSAGE | BY RICHARD A. DESILVA, JR. Grassroots In The Dealership Showroom Advocatingonbehalf of NewJersey’s franchised automotive retail industry is the cornerstone of NJ CAR’s Mission. But every dealer must also do his or her part to ensure the best interests of our businesses and our customers are protected. When I became NJ CAR Chairman last November, I had two goals for the Association. First was to help dealers engagewith their electedofficials at the local, State, and Federal level by invit- ing them to our dealerships and hosting an informal “meet and greet” with our employ- ees. Second was to encourage the continued growthof ourNextGenCommittee, andhave this group increase their level of engagement with our legislators. Let’s look atmy first goal of hosting “meet and greet” meetings with our legislators. These low-key meetings accomplish several things. First, we give our elected officials the oppor- tunity to witness, firsthand, the significant economic and civic contributions that deal- ersmake in their respective communities. They also learn about the jobs we create and the investmentswe’vemade inour businesses. Second, we get to facilitate connections that are valuable to both our employees and our guests by providing the opportunity for our employees to have meaningful interaction with their elected representatives. Doing so in the comfort of their workplace removes some of the “intimidation factor” that some might associate with meeting an Assemblyman or State Senator. For our elected officials, con- nectingwith their constituentswhere they live and work, and hearing about what matters to them firsthand, is time well spent. Third, and most importantly, we have the opportunity to help our elected officials un- derstand how pending legislation they may consider would affect everything that we’ve just shown them. Depending on whether the person we’re hosting is on the local, State, or federal stage, those topics will vary, but the goal is to become a “go to resource” for them when something comes up that would have repercussions in the business community, particularly the retail auto industry. They need a real world perspective to help them form their stance. With that goal in mind, I’m proud to report thatNJCARmembers havehostedmore than 20of thesemeetingswith their legislators, rep- resenting both sides of the aisle, and there are a handful being scheduled in the near future. Themeetings have been very successful and I know that Rob Larson, NJ CAR’s Incoming Chairman for 2017-2018, will continue en- couragingdealers tomeetwith their legislators at all levels of government. My secondgoalwas continued engagement of our NextGen members. If you attended the NJ CAR Annual Meeting a few weeks ago, you heard me talk about the fact that mem- bers of the NextGen committee have been to Capitol Hill three times this year, meeting with nearly every member of New Jersey’s Congressional Delegation.We’ve lobbied our members on a wide range of topics, such as the potentially disastrous effect that a Border Adjustment Tax would have on our industry, and how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s ( CFPB ) “guidance” on finance discounts would affect their constituents. We’ve helped our members understand that all recalls are not created equal, andproposals to prohibit dealers from selling any recalled vehicle ( retail or wholesale ) is misguided, as it does nothing to increase recall completion rates, which should be the real goal. We’ve discussed the effect of proposed changes to the tax code, such as eliminating LIFO, eliminating the ability to deduct advertising expenses, andeliminatingproperty taxdeduc- tions andhow these changes would affect our businesses. We’ve had the opportunity to personally thank members who have stood by the dealers, recognizing the value of the franchise system and supporting a critical amendment to the Autonomous Vehicle legislation in the House. We even had the chance to ask Senator Booker’s staff for his support when this legislation comes up for a vote in the Senate. I could not be more proud of this group and the things we accomplished this year. As I said in one of my columns earlier this year, Jim and the NJ CAR staff do an incred- ible job representing our interests, but legisla- tors receive the message differently when we deliver it personally. They need to see us as dedicated and hardworking businesspeople and fellow New Jersey citizens…NOT just another special interest group. There is a constant barrage of issues facing our industry, from franchise issues to taxes, vehicle recalls to health care. There will be times when we’ll need our representa- tives to support legislation that might be unpopular. Those difficult conversations will be easier if we’ve done the hard work of building strong relationships with our representatives BEFORE we need to ask for their help. I am proud of the work this Association does, and it has been an honor to serve as NJ CAR Chairman.