BOMA International Advocacy is Energized
President Obama and members of the 111th Congress have an ambitious legislative agenda for 2009-10, and many issues of critical importance to building owners and managers top this list. While the overall state of the economy and recovery dominate all discussions on Capitol Hill, other issues, such as energy and climate change, tax issues, and “card check” are all receiving attention from legislators. BOMA International’s advocacy team has a busy and exciting year ahead!
During the last session of congress, BOMA International had some important victories. Most significant was the passage of key legislation to extend the federal terrorism risk insurance program, the defeat of onerous mandatory energy efficiency targets, the defeat of tax increases on carried interest, and continued victories in securing adoption of BOMA supported building codes in key jurisdictions.
The 2009-10 legislative calendar is hot with issues crucial to BOMA International members-now is the time to get involved and get energized! Advocacy is a contact sport: mobilize your grassroots membership, call your legislator, visit their local office, use your Legislative Action Center and write a letter. Have your voice be heard by those who represent you TODAY!
Advocacy Updates
BOMA Launches Vendor 7 Point Challenge
At the recent Winter Business Meeting in Washington, D.C., BOMA launched a challenge to its associate members to implement energy efficient and sustainable policies within their corporate facilities and to work with their customers – commercial real estate owners and managers – to provide expertise and knowledge of the products, equipment, services or programs they offer to help customers evaluate green strategies to facilitate market transformation. This vendor challenge is an “add-on” to BOMA’s 7 Point Challenge that was first launched in 2008.
Specifically, we call on BOMA associate members to:
- Continuously develop, enhance, and market new product and service offerings to the BOMA community, giving members innovative and cost-effective solutions to deploy in the reduction of energy use in existing buildings;
- Demonstrate leadership by working towards a goal to decrease energy consumption by 30 percent by 2012 and implement sustainable strategies in your corporate facilities;
- Actively participate in public-private partnerships (such as the DOE’s Energy Alliances) to identify voluntary energy efficiency strategies with proven results and application to existing buildings;
- Share research and/or case studies on building operating and management practices, equipment replacement, or building retrofit projects, etc., that achieve the goal of reducing energy consumption and result in a positive ROI;
- Work with policymakers to enact voluntary, incentive-based programs to accomplish their goals of implementing green strategies;
- Work cooperatively within the consensus model building codes process to develop responsible energy codes and green buildings standards that reduce energy consumption utilizing cost-effective and proven technologies; and
- Provide opportunities and support for company employees to participate in education programs about energy conservation and sustainable practices.
To accept the challenge, email kpenafiel@boma.org.
BOMA Members Take Real Estate’s Message to Congress
On February 3, 300 BOMA members took to the Hill as part of BOMA International’s Winter Business Meeting and National Issues Conference. In addition to the top notch speakers, such as Senate Real Estate Caucus Co-Chairs Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), House Ways and Means Committee member Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.), and political analyst Charlie Cook (see related article, page??), attendees participated in “How to Lobby” workshops and met with their legislators and staff.
BOMA members represented the majority of the local BOMA associations across the U.S. and collectively met with about 250 Senate and House offices. The meetings focused on the economy and job creation, as well as our tax and energy agenda. Tax priorities included support for an extension of the 15-year depreciation period for leasehold improvements and opposition to changing current tax law on carried interest. Energy issues included support for incentives to promote energy efficient retrofits to existing buildings and opposition to building codes changes that would set arbitrary and overly aggressive energy efficiency targets for building codes and change the process by which the codes are developed.
Many of these meetings resulted in requests for BOMA’s endorsement of bills as well as requests for proactive ideas to meet our policy objectives, and the value of these meetings is truly unquantifiable. BOMA’s grassroots advocates were treated to some once in a lifetime experiences, including tours of the capitol by their representative and being escorted to the capitol for a vote (as well as some not as fun meetings with some of the more grouchier members of Congress).
In addition to the BOMA members on Capitol Hill, NAIOP members were on the Hill the same day, also weighing in on tax and energy issues critical to the industry. All told, it must have been nearly impossible for our elected officials to not hear our message!
Board of Governors Approves New Policy Position on Card Check
At BOMA International’s Winter Business Meeting and National Issues Conference, the Board of Governors approved a new policy position that revises BOMA’s position statement on card check, to more closely align it with the current debate on Capitol Hill.
The new policy states that BOMA International supports the ability of employees to have the right to choose whether to be represented by a labor organization by way of secret ballot election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board. A secret ballot election ensures a choice free of coercion, intimidation, irregularity or illegality. BOMA International has concerns about the impact mandatory, binding arbitration could have on the economy and thus opposes such changes as outlined in the Employee Free Choice Act.
Under the legislation currently pending in both the House and Senate, a union would become the recognized bargaining agent after persuading a simple majority of the workers to publicly and openly sign a card indicating support for the union. This would effectively eliminate workers’ ability to make the important decision over union recognition in the privacy of a voting booth – free of coercion, intimidation or inappropriate influence. The bill did not receive consideration in the first session of the 111th Congress and it is unclear how it may be addressed in 2010.
Fire Sprinkler Incentive Legislation Introduced in Senate
On January 22, Senator Tom Carper (D–Del.) and Senator Susan Collins (R–Maine) introduced S. 2947, the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act of 2010. BOMA International supports the legislation, which includes tax incentives for property owners to retrofit commercial buildings with automatic fire sprinkler systems by reducing the depreciation schedule from 39 years to five years. Benefits of this legislation would include lower local fire department costs, increased loan activity, reduced insurance claims and premium costs, and increased retrofitting and installation jobs.
Last year, Congressman Jim Langevin (D–R.I.) introduced the same bill in the House of Representatives. The House version, H.R. 1194, currently has 111 cosponsors but no action has been taken on the bill.
BOMA Supports Water Incentives in Letter to White House
BOMA International joined representatives of a broad cross-section of groups to send a letter to President Obama and Congressional leaders to urge the inclusion of plumbing and irrigation efficiency retrofits in legislation to create green jobs and boost the economy. Co–signers on the letter included plumbing and irrigation contractors, equipment manufacturers and wholesalers, retailers, utilities, environmental groups and other real estate organizations.
"Not only will water–efficient retrofits create near–term jobs in the plumbing industry, but installation of WaterSense products will save consumers money, save billions of gallons of water, reduce energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions," the letter stated. "A jobs bill should also include federal procurement of WaterSense products for new buildings and major renovations."
Quantifying BOMA International’s Advocacy Successes
BOMA International’s Advocacy Staff had some important 2008 legislative victories that will help save the commercial real estate industry billions of dollars a year. Based on these successes we saved:
BOMA Testimonies