BOMA/Suburban Chicago leaders
joined with BOMA members from
across the nation to bring
commercial real estate's
message to Capitol Hill
lawmakers as part of BOMA´s
National Issues Conference
(NIC), February 2-3 in
Washington, D.C. They were
there to express the need to
extend the 15-year depreciation
period for tenant improvements
and to enact important
incentives to promote energy
efficiency.
The
conference also allowed
BOMA/Suburban's delegates to
analyze and discuss issues, hear
presentations by members of
Congress and the media, and
actively support their
profession by visiting
Congressional offices for
one-on-one meetings with their
elected officials.
Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.),
co-chair of the Senate Real
Estate Caucus, addressed BOMA
members during the "How to Take
our Message to Capitol Hill”
session, telling attendees that
job creation and a strong
commercial real estate industry
go hand-in-hand. Cardin also
spoke about the current tax
deductions for energy
improvements, saying they are
important but noted, “we need to
improve it [the deduction] and
make it more realistic with
actual costs.”
During
the General Session sponsored by
AlliedBarton Security Services,
keynote speaker Charlie Cook,
publisher of the Cook Political
Report and columnist for the
National Journal, offered
insight into the tumultuous
political climate in Washington.
Cook referred to independents as
the largest and most influential
political group, coining
independents as “purple America”
and suggesting that they look to
sway heavily Republican in the
2010 elections. Photo:
Charlie Cook
Attendees
also heard from Senator Johnny
Isakson (R-Ga.) a, co-chair of
the Senate Real Estate Caucus,
and Representative Danny Davis
(D-Ill.). Isakson told attendees
that cap and trade is
essentially dead in the U.S.
Senate and that “tax treatments
that incentivize business are
needed.” Photo:
Sen. Isakson
During Capitol Hill visits,
BOMA/Suburban delegates visited
the offices of Representatives
Judy Biggert (R-13th), Bill
Foster (D-14th),Mark Kirk
(R-10th), Peter J. Roskam
(R-6th), Janice D.
Schakowsky (D-9th), and Senator
Richard J. Durbin (D)
to inform their elected
officials about real estate's
concerns. "Our visit to
Capitol Hill is the best
opportunity for BOMA/Suburban
and real estate to speak out
forcefully about the issues that
are of greatest concern to our
industry," said BOMA/Suburban
President Sue Anderson.
Photo: From the left, Steve
Hrbek, John Lambrecht, Rep.
Peter Roskam, Patricia Schwarze.
In addition to Anderson, the
BOMA/Suburban Chicago delegate
included Vice President Steve
Hrbek, RPA; Secretary-Treasurer
Deborah Pyznarski, RPA;
Immediate Past President John
Lambrecht, RPA; Government
Affairs Chairman Lance Knez,
RPAl and Executive Director
Patricia Schwarze.
The National Issues Conference
is an annual opportunity for
local associations to supplement
the day-to-day contact that BOMA's
Washington DC staff has with
those who are making decisions
that impact the commercial real
estate industry.