Get involved: make sure legislators hear the voice of CPAs.

• Author: Allen, Bruce C.
• Position: CapitolBeat

Now that political season is in full swing, we're hearing our presidential candidates promise not to be beholden to special interests while they reform the office of president and return it to doing the people's business. The implied message is that special interests arc always bad and avoiding their influence is always good.

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Nothing could be further from the truth.

America is made up of special interest groups and you probably find yourself belonging to one or more such groups. Indeed, as a CPA and business person, you are among the special interests politicans refer to.

The real risk is if one special interest group becomes stronger and more involved than all of the other special interest groups so that a balance of interests is not maintained.

To retain a balance of power among competing interest groups, business groups--including CPAs--need to become more politically active. Besides electing a new president in November, California voters also will see the election of 40 new state senators and Assembly members. Additionally, all sitting Assembly members and incumbent senators occupying odd-numbered seats are running for re-election.

It's the perfect time for CPAs to get involved with the new legislators and make them aware that CPAs live and vote in their districts. You. as a voter, have their attention right now, while they are running for election and re-election. You won't have this opportunity again for two or more years--CalCPA encourages you to seize this opportunity. Invite them to visit your firm or employer, especially if you work for a large employer in the district. Ask to meet with them to discuss your concerns, or invite them to speak to a group that you are involved with (a local chamber of commerce, rotary club, nonprofit). Volunteer to help with the campaign. In some hotly contested races, articulate individuals are needed to walk precincts and get out the vote.

The most important part is making sure that the candidates know you--and know you are a CPA. It would be wonderful if every legislator coming to Sacramento knew what CPAs do and knew at least one CPA in their district. The job of representing California CPAs in the state Capitol would be much easier if that were the case.

California labor unions--especially the public employee unions--wield tremendous political power in the state, due in part to their members' willingness to get involved at the grass-roots level in political campaigns and to...