3 minute read
On Watch
On Watch A column by Peter Schrappen
Quality Over Quantity
Back in 2010 when I started at Northwest Marine Trade Association (NMTA), I was asked by a former colleague, “Recreational boating business, huh, so who are your legislative champions?” That question stood out then and continues to gnaw at me now all these years later. After all, that’s what it’s all about. Lawmakers who have your back when the doors are closed and the dog and cat fights over the budget ensues. I’ve learned that it’s all about relationships and turning swing votes into consistent support over time. In speaking this past June with Jeff Angers, the head of the Center of Sportfishing Policy, I asked, “How has COVID changed how you advocate for recreational fishing?” He responded immediately with an incredible insight. “Peter,” he explained, “relationships are more important than ever, and yet it’s harder than ever to build relationships that did not exist before COVID.” Wow, that sounds like the making of a column to me. I parked that thought in my head and then came upon this gem from the Harvard Business Review entitled, “The implications of working without an office.” In this study, the authors found that communication went up 40% when coworkers had strong ties and just 10% with weak ties. This got me thinking, “What am I doing to communicate with my strong ties to build even stronger relationships especially as it relates to improved marine business, boating, and recreational fishing policies?” As this self-reflection was ruminating, the deadline to make the Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to our friendly lawmakers approached. These dollars derive from National Marine Trade Association (NMTA) members and are ultimately decided on by the members who participate in this committee. The group puts a tremendous amount of faith in my recommendations, so I constantly question if I’m doing everything I can to ensure that this money is invested wisely. In the past, I’ve spread out the money like peanut butter; $200 contributions here and $250 there. By doing it this way, I avoid the harder decisions of saying, “No” to lawmakers who might be good with supporting our issues, but not great. But this year, with a new approach to build stronger relationships with a few rather than middling relationships with the many, I looked at making the maximum $1,000 contribution per election (that’s $1,000 for the primary and $1,000 for the general) in a bipartisan, bicameral manner. Speaking of relationships, I am particularly interested in the senate race for the 5th Legislative District that includes Issaquah and surroundings. You may remember that Senator Dino Rossi held this seat before his attempts at higher office. Now, the district has swung to the left in grand fashion, as the Republicans didn’t even file a candidate to run. What’s the big deal? Senator Mark Mullet, one of the few business owners on the Democratic side, is in a tight race with a fellow Democrat Ingrid Anderson, who is tacking to the progressive left. Governor Jay Inslee has endorsed Senator Mullet’s opponent. This race is especially tough for me. I personally like Senator Mullet. He always takes my meeting requests and is genuinely interested in business and boating issues. Unfortunately, however, he’s not as strong as his other colleagues on recreational fishing issues. Plus, the hundreds of thousands of dollars going back and forth between the two candidates means one thing to me: It’s easier and more strategic to just sit this race out. Again, we shall see how this strategy plays out over time.
