AmericanRental Association
1900 – 19th Street
Moline, Illinois 61265
December 17, 2007
RE: Invitation to ARA 2008 National Legislative Caucus – Mon. April 28 – Wed. April 30, Washington DC
Doug Fleury
Rebel Rental
42188 Winchester Road
Temecula, CA 92590
Congratulations, you have been selected to represent your state at ARA’s 2008 Annual National Legislative Caucus. Every year thousands of everyday Americans travel to Washington, D.C. to visit their Congressional representatives. Many organizations sponsor sessions that are focused on bringing their members to Washington, D.C. to meet their Senators and Representatives. ARA’s Legislative Caucus is one of these sessions. The Caucus gives you the opportunity to participate in an event that is exclusively for the rental industry. ARA members who participate in Caucus not only learn from their personal experience in Washington, D.C., but they return home with that knowledge and the ability to address state and local issues that affect their businesses and industry. We hope you will accept this invitation.
The 2008 Caucus will be held at the Washington Court Hotel, in Washington, D.C. The program will begin on Monday, April 28, with an afternoon session at 3:30 p.m. and formally conclude on Wednesday, April 30, with a luncheon program. Additional Hill Visits may be scheduled following the lunch as your travel schedule permits. Receptions will be held on Monday and Tuesday evenings. If you’ve attended Caucus in the past, you’ll note that the hotel has changed this year.
The ARA Government Affairs Committee has the responsibility for developing the Caucus program and agenda. Committee members also act as your hosts at the Caucus. A list of the committee members is attached to this invitation for your convenience. We urge you to contact any committee member or ARA’s Vice President for Government Affairs, John McClelland, if you have any questions about your invitation and the experience you can expect at the Caucus.
As a Caucus participant, you will learn how to build an effective relationship with your Senators and Representatives through meetings with them on Capitol Hill and back in your home district. You will also help ARA continue the process of building a solid Government Affairs program by communicating the ARA Legislative Agenda directly to your Congressional representatives. Given the outcome of last fall’s elections, Caucus 2008 should prove to be an interesting and challenging experience.
We hope you will plan to attend the Monday evening reception, which is an important ARAPAC fundraising event, and the Tuesday evening reception which will be held on Capitol Hill.
John and members of the Government Affairs Committee will host a Caucus orientation meeting during The Rental Show in Las Vegas on Thursday, February 14, from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. During this breakfast meeting we will provide you with valuable information that will help you schedule appointments with your state’s congressional delegation and tips on making visits to Capitol Hill. This information will assist you in preparing for your responsibilities at the Caucus. Travel and logistical information will be provided. You will also receive copies of the draft ARA Legislative Issue Briefs that you will use to provide legislators with information about ARA’s position on important rental industry issues. Your acceptance of this invitation carries the responsibility of attending this breakfast meeting if you are in Las Vegas so that you can prepare yourself for Caucus and effectively represent the rental industry. Even if you are a Caucus veteran, the orientation breakfast will give you a good start on getting ready for Caucus.
You have been chosen to attend Caucus because we believe you can make valuable contributions to the ARA Government Affairs program. The Legislative Caucus is a great opportunity for you to become more involved in the Association and the political process.
Sincerely,
John H. Crabbe, Jr.
President-Elect
