Wisconsin Second To Meet 2006 ACEC/PAC Goal; Sheth, Boldt, Godiksen "Priority" ACEC/PAC Trustee Rajan Sheth ACEC/Wisconsin has crossed the finish line early in meeting its 2006 fundraising goal for ACEC/PAC. The Badger State joins ACEC/Montana which hit its goal earlier this month, reflecting a strong start in what is expected to be a highly charged election year. "The close Congressional races this year present our industry with a new set of challenges and opportunities," said ACEC/PAC Trustee Rajan Sheth, president and CEO of Mead & Hunt, Inc. in Wisconsin. "Building ACEC/PAC is essential in helping us to meet those challenges and benefit from those opportunities." Sheth worked closely with MO President John Boldt of Clark Dietz and Executive Director Carol Godiksen in organizing an aggressive fundraising effort.

ACEC/Wisconsin President John Boldt "Political engagement is vital to the future of our industry, which is why we've made it a priority to raise funds both for our state political efforts and ACEC/PAC," added Boldt. "While we've made the national goal, we will continue to encourage contributing to the ACEC/PAC throughout this election year." "Wisconsin is to be commended for meeting their annual target in the first quarter, said ACEC President Dave Raymond. "They and Montana have set a high bar in establishing an aggressive program to meet our political needs." Click here for a state-by-state progress report on ACEC/PAC fundraising. For more information on ACEC/PAC contact Corie Simmons at (202) 347-7474 or csimmons@acec.org.

Political Experts Barbee, Holt, Schulze To Share Lobbying Insights At 2006 Convention ACEC members that participate in the lobbying effort on Capitol Hill as part of the upcoming 2006 Annual Convention will receive tips and insights from seasoned professionals in the field. Terry Holt, Fox News analyst Former ACEC/Kansas Executive Director George Barbee will lead a panel discussion that features Fox News contributor Terry Holt, as well as former Pennsylvania Congressman Richard Schulze. The panel will provide ACEC members with professional guidance on effectively carrying our message to Congress on key industry issues. Holt has served as a spokesman for the Bush campaign, House Majority Leader, Budget Committee, and House Republican Conference. He is now a frequent guest on TV news shows.

Former ACEC/Kansas Executive Director George Barbee Former Pennsylvania Congressman Dick Schulze's resume includes 18 years in the House of Representatives. He was a recognized leader in Congress on tax reform and international trade issues, and was also active on defense and environmental issues. George Barbee ably represented ACEC/Kansas for more than 31 years, as a partner in the firm of Gaches, Braden and Barbee. He successfully spearheaded industry efforts to combat competitive bidding, securing enactment of the state's QBS law in 1976. The panel of lobbying experts is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 2, immediately following the Legislative Summit Issues Briefing.

Rising Health Costs, Water, Transportation Top Concerns For Convention Lobbyists Skyrocketing health care costs and the dire state of funding for water and transportation infrastructure will be key issues for ACEC's "citizen lobbyists" at the Annual Convention and Legislative Summit, April 30th through May 3rd in Washington, DC. ACEC is a strong proponent of House-passed Association Health Plan legislation (HR 525), which addresses the problem of rising health insurance costs by making it easier for engineering firms to access affordable insurance through the Council's Life/Health Insurance Trust. Similar legislation (S 1955) has been approved by a Senate committee, and may be on the Senate floor the week of the Convention. The legislation also stimulates health insurance market competitiveness which benefits our members regardless of whether they participate in the Trust. On the transportation front, government projections indicate that current gas tax revenues may not be sufficient to meet future funding levels provided in SAFETEA LU. In recent Congressional testimony, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said Department of Treasury projections show that the Highway Account of the Trust Fund may have a more than $2 billion negative balance in FY 2009. If projections are correct, decreases in funding allocations to the states would result to make up for the shortfall. ACEC and its industry allies are urging Congress not to wait until the next highway bill to fix the problem—action is needed now. In the area of water infrastructure, the EPA has estimated a $535-billion "gap" over the next 20 years between what is needed for infrastructure and anticipated spending. Legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives (HR 4560) that seeks to fund water projects the same way road and aviation projects are funded, through a dedicated trust fund. Other proposals have been introduced to expand the existing State Revolving Fund programs for water and wastewater, as well as to use tax incentives to spur investment in water infrastructure. ACEC members will urge Congress to support these measures to boost needed investment in the nation's deteriorating water and wastewater systems. "These are bread and butter issues for our members," said ACEC Chairman Ed Mulcahy. "This is why it is imperative that our citizen lobbyists come to Washington in large numbers in May to help carry our message to Capitol Hill." Click here for more information on the Convention, and to register.

Contact Your State Coordinator for Participation in National Lobbying Effort Each ACEC Member Organization has a designated coordinator to organize the MO delegation's visit to Washington for the purpose of lobbying their members of Congress. This lobbying effort is critical to ACEC's legislative program of promoting "bottom line" business benefits for our members. (See previous story). Click here for information on your state coordinator.

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