By now I’m sure you all know who Scott Brown is, or you’ve at least heard of him. However, just in case you missed it, he is the candidate who remarkably won the recent election in Massachusetts for the Senate seat that most thought was "owned" by the Democrats in that state. With that stunning turn of events taking place, the whole debate over "healthcare" reform has changed dramatically. Once seated, Senator Brown will bring the one vote needed to prevent a 60 vote majority in the Senate, which may dramatically change any legislation passed with respect to reforming healthcare, or better put – reforming health insurance. Please don’t misconstrue this message as partisan or suggesting no reform is necessary – I think we can all agree there are definitely things in our present system that need to be fixed. I just don’t think we need a massive takeover of one sixth of our economy to get the job done!
One of candidate Brown’s lines that seemed to resonate with the voters in Massachusetts was "We can do better." A simple statement, but very appropriate in so many ways! I certainly think it fits with what’s been going on for far too long in Washington, D.C. – let’s hope they can do better! But, having said that, I think it applies to each of us individually and to our association in general – don’t you think WE can do better? I do. As a matter of fact, I’ve decided to use that line as the theme for the rest of this year, so get used to seeing and hearing it! How can we do better? It’s pretty simple, really. For starters, we all need to become more involved in our association – it takes a large number of people working together to make anything a success. We have a GREAT organization, and we need to shout that message from the rooftops all over Indiana. I’ll bet you know someone who should be a member but isn’t, so what are you waiting for? Go talk to them! On another note, we also need to improve in our grass roots efforts to work with our elected officials – both here in Indiana and in Washington, D.C. We need to remember that they are elected to serve us – not the other way around! While they are often put in the spotlight, they really aren’t rock stars – contrary to what some believe. They are CITIZENS of the United States – just like you and me – and we need to understand that it is OUR civic duty to share our thoughts with them on a consistent basis. A fabulous opportunity to meet with your congressperson is coming up in March – the annual NAHU Capitol Conference. Those of you who have attended in the past know what a great event this is, and I hope you will be there again this year. If you’ve never attended, PLEASE consider joining 700 or so of your fellow members from across the country at this important event. You can make a difference by being there!
I’ve mentioned a couple of ways that we can do better – there are lots more! Now, it’s up to each of you to come up with your own ideas to make things better in your business and your association. Let’s Git’R Dun!!
