It is difficult to turn on a television these days. Unless you hit the mute button when your program breaks for commercials, it is impossible to avoid being inundated by advertising spots either extolling the virtues of one candidate or denouncing the practices of another. Come next Wednesday, you will have to switch over to one of the news networks to find acrimonious political talk. Or go online.
Who would’ve ever thought that television could be a positive form of escapism?
As the nation awaits to see how the political landscape will change come Nov. 4 (assuming, of course, that we will have official results and acknowledged winners by then), our State of the Industry report for October turns its thoughts to the legislative wish lists that our esteemed dealer panel has for the future. Regardless of whether the continued or new administration takes on these issues, they remain front of mind for many within the industry.
For Chip Miceli, president and CEO of Schaumburg, Illinois-based Pulse Technology, the subject of term limits is one that resonates the most. In an era when members of Congress turn public service into a career destination, he believes change is needed.
“I don’t believe our Founding Fathers ever intended for legislators to be career politicians but rather people who stepped away from private life and stepped up to help their country for a period of time,” he said. “People who have been in office for a long period of time seem less likely to compromise and work together for the common good. Let’s bring in some new people, some new ideas, and work together.”
Our next vote has been cast in favor of a balanced budget. Vince Puente, president, sales and marketing for Southwest Office Systems of Fort Worth, Texas, believes that a balanced budget is equally important as stimulating the economy. Puente has to manage his business and believes the government needs to manage its Ps and Qs, because $20-plus trillion in debt is not his idea of sound management.
“Right now, you can’t tell the difference between the two parties when it comes to spending money,” he said. “That’s going to come crashing down on us at some point. I’m no expert or economist, but as a business, if I just keep borrowing money…if I can’t support that debt, all I’m doing is borrowing my way to being out of business.
“The nation’s debt, as of 12 years ago, started rising dramatically, and there’s no end to it. COVID-19 created debt and I understand that, but there’s not much talk about (controlling it) for some time now. That would help us in being economically healthier in the long run.”
COVID-19’s impact has not been equally distributed from a financial pain standpoint. Gregg Petrie, president of Copiers Northwest in Seattle, notes the hospitality, tourism and sports entertainment industries—and the many adjacencies that support them—are among those that have the most immediate need of assistance.
“These verticals and the businesses that support them will, unfortunately, continue to suffer,” Petrie said. “Without assistance, many of our customers will be unable to pay or collect rent.”
Gary Johnson, president of WiZiX Technology Group in Fresno, California, believes the government needs to focus on legal protections against actions levied in the wake of the pandemic. “We need protection from COVID-related lawsuits by employees, and congress needs to ensure the IRS does not find a way to tax us on any portion of our Paycheck Protection Program loans,” he noted.
