Well, it’s getting to my favorite time of year! No, I’m not talking about the NHL and NBA playoffs, although they’re a bonus. I’m talking about an annual tradition where the cherry blossoms accent our nation’s capital and ERA members congregate to discuss with lawmakers important issues that affect the very vitality of our industry.

I was lucky enough to be embraced by the direct response community about 15 years ago. And, in that time, I’ve seen a lot of changes that have been mandated down to us by the very people we put into office to govern us. Most legislation I’ve applauded because it makes us stronger as an industry and solidifies our future. Some I’ve scratched my head at and wondered why they came to the conclusions they did. In the end, I determined that you and I are ultimately to blame for their poor decisions. WHAT?! YOU? ME?? How can one person or an individual be saddled with this blame? But, in reality, standing idly by and not participating in the legislative process is why.

ERA realized this fact three years ago and put together the Government Affairs Fly-In. It is an easy way to make our voices heard. I was fortunate enough to be a part of the first session. I was absolutely giddy to be a part of something so important. Upon arriving for the day’s events, we were broken up into teams and assigned a lobbyist that would serve as our guide through the halls and administrative offices of Capitol Hill. Each lobbyist caught us up to speed on the pending legislation. That year, it was net neutrality and online taxes, and how we could present our side of the issue in a uniformed and concise manner. We were also given a list of our congressional and senate members we had prearranged meetings with. Participation, so far, in the legislative process was as easy as getting on the waiting bus outside the hotel that took us to Capitol Hill.

Once on the Hill, our teams split up and headed for our perspective meetings. Standing on the front steps of the Capitol, I couldn’t help but feel dwarfed by the immenseness of what I was about to do. On the bright, sunny day, I reached the top of the stairs and took one last look down the Mall with its monuments and reflecting pools and knew this was going to be a special day. Entering the building I couldn’t help but feel that this is what our country is about. Hundreds of people swirled around me as they swept their way to their destinations at all levels of the rotunda. What struck me the most was how relatively quiet it was. I could hear every step I made on the marble floors echo through the labyrinth of hallways. It served as a comforting melodic beat as I moved to my meetings.

My first meeting was with a well-tenured congressman from Arizona. He and his staff were warm with their welcomes when we arrived. When we sat down, they listened respectfully as each one of us presented our part of the solution to pending legislation. It was an easy-going give and take of dialogue as the topics of our industry rolled on. Before I knew it, an hour had passed and our points were presented satisfactorily. Each meeting afterwards progressed in the same manner, with each party treating the other with respect and quite a bit of admiration for the task at hand. It was, to me, the democratic process at its best and as it was designed to be.

Getting on the bus to head back to the hotel, I took a last look back at the lit Capitol, shining outward into the night sky, and reflected. I realized then that we all made a difference that day because we came to voice our opinion on subjects that were important to this industry and to our livelihoods. I can remember a time when I thought I was a part of the legislative process by merely voting for my representatives. But, I now realize that checking a box (or hanging chad) is not the end of individual responsibility in the legislative process—it is only the beginning. The next step is as easy as joining hundreds of your fellow colleagues and me, on May 20th, on Capitol Hill for ERA’s GA Fly-In. I’m hoping to hear more than my own footsteps echoing through the halls, but rather the thunderous roar of all of us marching to ensure we influence those who influence us. After all, we’re all in this together!

Scott Swanson is vice president of sales for Motivational Fulfillment and Logistics Services

Have you been the GA Fly-In before? What was your experience like?

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Senator John Kerry is up in arms. And no, it has nothing to do with Clinton, Obama, McCain or even Iraq. Recently, Kerry wrote a post for the popular Huffington Post blog in which he detailed a despicable occurrence that took place at the FCC hearing in Cambridge with Comcast concerning Net Neutrality. As if its move to block certain content a few months back wasn’t bad enough, Comcast actually stooped to paying people off the streets to pack the seats that would have otherwise been given to the hundreds of concerned citizens left literally outside in the cold.

You may be thinking to yourself, “Who cares what John Kerry or the Huffington Post say, I’m a conservative!” Well, don’t take Kerry’s word for it. ERA’s own vice president of government affairs, Bill McClellan, was there in person to witness the entire debacle. As I described in an earlier post, Net Neutrality is one of ERA’s core government affairs initiatives, because keeping the Internet free and open is vital to everyone’s continued e-commerce success. With all this talk about repurposing infomercials and content on the Internet, how would you feel if Comcast decided your site was taking up too much bandwidth and they simply stopped allowing consumers access? They wouldn’t be that shameless, would they?

I can’t stress enough the amount of money, time and energy the telecos spend on Capitol Hill lobbying to take control of the Internet, dividing it into a two-tiered system. Are you concerned but don’t know what you can do to help? I encourage you to join ERA on May 20th on Capitol Hill for our annual Government Affairs Fly-In, where we will brief you on the issues and set you up with your elected representatives so that you can voice your concerns about the vitality of your business and its bottom line’s dependence on an open Internet.

Pat Cauley, eMedia Editor, Electronic Retailer Magazine

Our exclusive interview with Senator John Kerry

Our exclusive interview with Arianna Huffington

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My mother always told me that it was inappropriate to discuss religion and politics. I thus find it fascinating that when she’s not talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers, she’s usually discussing those two very topics. As a current resident of Washington, D.C., I’m beginning to see how crazy things are going to get here over the next year. With MySpace’s primary, the Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire Primary all taking place in the past few days, I thought it may be the right time to throw my hat into the ring of one of the two unmentionable topics: politics.

Social media has become an increasingly important issue within each of the campaigns for the presidency. Howard Dean’s grass root Internet fundraising that raised eyebrows in ’04 is today an integral part of each candidate’s campaign. Just by browsing through their separate websites, I found a space on each page for citizens to get involved with the candidate on a social media level—whether it be through Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Linkedin, Flickr, etc. But, as most blogs and pundits continue to discuss what the Internet’s impact on politics will be, I’d like to ask perhaps a much more important question: What will politics’ impact be on the Internet?

Net Neutrality is one of ERA’s most important advocacy issues on Capitol Hill. Preserving a free and open Internet, as opposed to a two-tiered system controlled by the telecoms, is vital to the Internet’s thriving e-commerce. If you don’t think it’s a big deal, perhaps you haven’t heard that Comcast was recently caught interfering with Internet traffic. Of the major candidates in both parties, only Democrat Barack Obama’s website tackles this very important issue. Under “Issues,” he has a section devoted entirely to technology, while other candidates make no mention. Of the Republican candidates, Mike Huckabee has shown promising signs of favoring Net Neutrality. Perhaps our fellow Americans in Iowa had electronic retailers in mind as they braved near-freezing temperatures to make Obama and Huckabee the victors. Where were you New Hampshire? Forget gay marriage and Iraq, your bottom line may be at stake depending on the outcome of this year’s election!

I’d ask for your thoughts, but I’m sure that you know better than to discuss politics…right?

Pat Cauley, eMedia editor, Electronic Retailer Magazine

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