FEATURE Debbie’s Discernments By Debbie Powers D
ear Industry Family and Friends, As I can assume, every one of us is back on the road doing what we do. Whether we have
any or all of our employees is the question! We are still push- ing hard for our P Visa to be signed into law but there are still steps to be taken before we can move forward. Yes, this involves each and every one of you! To all of you who have been successful in getting either a congressman or a sena- tor to sign on to our respective bills, awesome, kudos to you! That doesn’t mean you can stop there; you are now equipped to continue with our plight. For those of you who are drag- ging your feet, pick them up and start walking ahead. Your participation is cru- cial
to our success!
Pick up your phone andcallthe office of your members.
If
we can accomplish great results. Last evening Corky and I attended a fundraiser for the
GREAT THINGS Never Come From
you do not get a re- sponse, call again, then call again and call again if you have to,until youreach someone who listens to you and responds. You are their constit- uent, and their duty is to serve you. The OABA has all the in- formation you need to obtain the correct phone numbers to call and the correct verbiage to explain your labor dilemma. Attend fundraisers and donate to their campaigns. Like it or not, they need our resources to obtain a seat or remain in office and as the old adage goes, “Money Talks.” When they are present at an event and you speak to them, make your words count. Our message is simple and should be bipartisan. They serve us in government and are put there to do just that. I know many, if not all of you are having quite the laugh now but that is truly why they are voted in. Make sure you make wise choices at the ballot box. You can reach other members outside of your district or states as well, particularly if you are part of a county or state fair in their territory. Continuing to harp on this issue does not give me peace, but we are in survival mode, and I believe if we all do our part and reach out to our Congressmen and Senators
Never Come From COMFORT ZONES
Congressman in the district next to ours. He is a freshman so is probably looking for causes to partake with, so why not make it ours?! We had the opportunity to monopolize about ten (10) minutes of his time telling our story, which by the way typically intrigues most people due to the uniqueness of our industry. Yes, of course we donated to his campaign, but our mission was to EDUCATE him on our horrific need for labor and the fact that we are transient, compounding the need. We continually used the word labor and that mov- ing us into the correct visa for entertainment was a natural that should have been ad- dressed many years prior. Of course we made the connection with our coexistence to fairs and festivals. We also mentioned the large number of carnivalsthathave gone out of business in recent years due to the lack of labor cre- ating so much uncer- tainty in our business profiles. All this culmi- nating to no carnival,
no fairs, no festivals, taking away another true Americana tradition that encompasses families from grandparents to babies. All this being said brings to mind a sensitive topic re-
ferred to as “Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone.” Without a doubt I am sure my request has done just that for many of you! The definition I was able to obtain for the phrase, “is to embrace unfamiliar situations, activities or experiences that challenge your usual behavior routines.” It can feel like a daunting task but there are a few simple steps to push yourself to achieve results. There are some instances where we are forced out of our comfort zone, not by choice. We can, though, make a concerted effort to do it intentionally, to which I have outlined a few suggestions. First, SET A GOAL! What is it you are trying to accom- plish? Set a smart goal, make it specific, attainable with
|
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32
