Gentlemen:

The Association some time ago recognized that our industry is in crisis and is being threatened with virtual extinction the result of ill conceived national policy and government inaction. Further, that crisis will deepen and the approach of extinction will accelerate in the absence of dedicated, meaningful and broadly supported political advocacy. The advocacy must encompass two fronts, on the one hand issues need to be identified, defined and delivered to policy and law makers while on the other hand, at the grass roots level, people displaced and unemployed by these ailments, as well as the general population, need to be educated on the issues and motivated to address them at the ballot box.

The TMTA is moving ahead on both fronts! Currently a major effort is underway to keep the issue of currency manipulation and its disastrous impact on manufacturing in the U.S. at the forefront of political consideration while at the same time increasing the awareness of the public of both the devastating results of such manipulation and the gross inactivity of our government in framing any response.

Concurrently Trade Policy including proposed Trade Agreements is being monitored and common sense responses are being framed to prevent the visiting of additional harm on American manufacturing.

There are a multitude of additional issues that both bear watching and response at the Federal level. These include but are not limited to fundamental tax reform including border adjustable taxation; health care availability and costs; litigation reform; energy availability and diversity as well as cost; immigration; border security and national defense all of which impact manufacturing and in some cases are entirely dependant upon manufacturing.

These are all issues of importance to our members and potential members. These are issues that we can not afford to ignore because in reality manufacturing can not survive a failure to address and remedy them.

Robert J. Dumont
President & CEO
Tooling, Manufacturing & Technologies Association