Washington Business Fall 2013 | Page 8

eye on business To Be Continued Don C. Brunell, AWB President After 35 years working in Olympia, you learn a lot. My first legislative session was 1979, the same year Barack Obama graduated from high school. Jimmy Carter was president and Dixie Lee Ray was governor. Inflation, unemployment and interest rates were double digit. We thought we got a good deal on a home loan at 10.75 percent. It was the worst of times. Taxes and fees increased, workers’ comp rates and unemployment costs went up, and our state’s new health care law with its accompanying employer mandate and uniform benefit plan was hailed as the prototype for “Hillary Care” — except the unions didn’t like it and got the Legislature to exempt them. lessons learned In 1994, AWB had a choice: fold or fight. We were battered and fragmented, but determined. We took a lesson from the way our state’s community colleges organized and mobilized their supporters. We stepped up our grassroots efforts traveling around our state, building our membership and getting them engaged in their own legislative races. Today, we have more than 8,100 members. Given today’s politics, their robust participation is key because they are the ones who vote for their senators and representatives. But to stay engaged, they must have an equal say in our association’s agenda. While government affairs professionals provide invaluable expertise and insight, we must remember that the secret to our success has been — and will continue to be — our balance. “One of the nicest things said about AWB is that it feels like a big family. I hope that is our legacy.” In 1980, Ronald Reagan carried Washington in his landslide victory. Slade Gorton ousted Sen. Warren G. Magnuson, and John Spellman whooped Jim McDermott in the governor’s race. Soon after, Republicans wrested control of the Legislature. It was a GOP clean sweep, but a global recession struck and Washington’s economy tanked. In an attempt to balance the state budget, Republicans reluctantly — and temporarily — put the sales tax back on groceries, a move that incensed Washington voters. switching from red to blue In 1988, Washington would become only one of 10 states to vote for Democrat Michael Dukakis. In our state, presidential and gubernatorial politics have not changed much since then. This isn’t Kansas anymore, Toto: We are part of the “left coast.” Our low water mark came in 1993. Bill Clinton was our new president, Mike Lowry was just elected governor and Democrats controlled the Legislature. It was a Democratic clean sweep. 8 association of washington business we are family One of the nicest things said about AWB is that it feels like a big family. I hope that is our legacy. Remember, families have their spats, power struggles and problems, but in the end they pull together. My father was an electrician, union leader and grassroots political organizer. He was also a small town mayor and we owned the garbage business. He was darn good at what he did, especially as a father and mentor. Dad would often show us the IBEW union logo — a clenched fist with rays of power emanating from it. “As long as we stick together and don’t allow them to break us )