Speaking of Advocacy!
English, Velazquez, Ifill address AIA Grassroots attendees

by Russell Boniface
Associate Editor

Summary: Congressman Phil English, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, and correspondent Gwen Ifill each addressed AIA attendees February 7 and 8 to prepare AIA Grassroots attendees for Advocacy Day February 8. The three distinguished speakers commented on topics that included economic redevelopment, more business options for small firms, and issues on the minds of senators and representatives as the 2008 presidential cycle is getting started.

Rep. Phil English (R-Pa.), the top Republican of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures, spoke Wednesday afternoon about working with his colleagues to reintroduce the Community Restoration and Revitalization Act for investing in local communities. The bill would include incentives such as renovating and reusing warehouses, homes, factories, and hotels. “What makes it worth my while to get involved is to have professionals like yourselves willing to take the time to come to Washington to speak about issues of direct interest to the communities you represent,” English said. He explained how he and his family have lived in Erie for generations and that the city has been a leader in historic preservation. “I am an urban Republican. I represent small cities. Many small cities in the Mid-Atlantic and upper Midwest are depressed, and that is their future. As architects, you know all too well that our country has been blessed with history in building design. The fact is that many local neighborhoods have been blighted by decaying buildings that nevertheless represent great history and great patrimony. For the past few years I have been working with the AIA on legislation that has included tax incentives to preserve the nation’s historic structure.”

English says his legislation is composed of seven revisions that would update the historic preservation tax credit and, ideally, bring investment back to local communities. These include expanding affordable housing in historic buildings; doubling the current 20 percent tax credit for smaller building projects; expanding the 10 percent historic credit to cover renovation of older, non-historic buildings; refining the leasing rule to assist non-profit community projects such as child-care day care centers; and encouraging more affordable housing in underdeveloped communities. “I am hopeful we are going to see progress.”

Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.), the new chair of the House Small Business Committee and Hispanic Business Magazine “Woman of the Year,” also spoke Wednesday, November 7, advocating more options for small firms, including reducing health care costs, tax breaks, and green initiatives. “It’s rewarding to see that you have come to the Capitol,” she said. “We on the Hill need to feel the importance of small business. You tell them {your representatives} when it comes to small businesses, there is no such thing as a Republican or Democratic approach. We have to do the right thing for small business. There is a role for the federal government. We can help create an environment that is conducive to growth in our country.

“I know how hard you work, and I know what it means to be a small business owner. As the new chair of the Small Business Committee, I am eager to help you fulfill your needs. I want this committee to provide an environment of openness and inclusiveness. Our committee will be playing an even larger role in the new Congress. The Small Business Committee has the power to modify bills if they can show that they impact small business.”

The 2008 presidential cycle is already under way, and it will affect how Congress will operate, advised Ifill, senior correspondent for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, early Thursday as she prepared AIA representatives to visit their congressional representatives later that morning. “Here’s a guide to getting what you need to know,” she said as she predicted how politicians will behave over the course of the next 21 months of presidential campaigning:

• “Listen for the sound of gauntlets” as Republicans and Democrats find their partisan positions on issues
• “Watch the race to the edges” as the parties define issues such as health care and global warming
• “Watch for a race back to the middle” after each party settles on its presidential candidate
• The public’s demands will focus the candidates on potential issues
• Watch for crazy, unpredictable occurrences as the races unfold; every little thing has the potential to change everything.

“I like politicians,” Ifill said, noting that most get into politics in the first place to help other people. She conceded, though, that she is always skeptical when interviewing them. “But skepticism is not cynicism,” she said. For their congressional visits, she advised the attendees to concentrate on their key messages and make connections at all levels. Try to educate everyone you meet on the Hill, including congressional staffers, who are often the best people to work with to effect legislation, she said. The best results don’t always come from the most powerful people. Find something of interest to you and make it accessible to them, she said. “There are always people out there—like you—who want to know more.”