NEWS - July-August, 2004
Titles:
Plan Today to Play in the Fall
The Fall Electric League tournament promises something a little different this year - a Friday afternoon shotgun start and a new location. Members and guests will enjoy the Jim Colbert designed Sycamore Ridge Golf Course in Spring Hill, Kansas. This is one of the few Kansas City area courses that offer global positioning technology (GPS) on board each golf cart. The tournament will begin with a noon registration with shotgun start set for 1 p.m. All players will want to stay for the awards presentation and barbeque reception at 6:30 p.m. Our friends at C&O Electric will be cooking the barbecue.
The tournament is priced at $105 per player or $420 for a foursome. Team skins are $20 per team. Entry fee includes: green fees, cart rental, range balls, professional tournament scoring, two drink tickets, prizes awarded in three flights and the 19th hole reception and barbeque.
In August 2000, the City of Spring Hill’s Sycamore Ridge was established. The 18 hole championship course offers two nines that are as different as night and day. The length and layout of the front nine is links style, with plenty of native grasses and sand bunkers. Kansas is often perceived as flat, but the “ridges” on the back nine, with tight tree lined fairways and meandering creeks proves quite the challenge. With wild turkey, deer and eagles, the golfer often ends up seeing more birdies than he makes.
A Golf Registration Form is Included With This Mailing - See You Sept. 10 at Sycamore Ridge!
The Electric League’s oldest running event, the Annual Lighting Awards Program has begun. Entry forms have been mailed to area lighting designers, architects and engineers. Now is its 36th year, the annual competition draws some of the finest lighting projects from around the metropolitian area. In the past, projects from the Country Club Plaza, Nelson-Atkins Museum, Starlight Theater and many other landmarks have been entered into the competition.
This is the third year for the Lighting Innovation Technology Award. This award recognizes the industry’s effort to promote new and creative approaches to lighting technologies. This year the competition will culminate with an awads banquet set for November 1 at the Overland Park Convention Center. Entry forms are due in the Electric League office by Friday, July 30.
Happy birthday to: John and Tom Isenberg (Western Extralite), Chris Beseau (C&O Electric), Eileen Hess (Anixter) and Deanna Rudd (Rains Electrical Sales).
Same faces, new places: Eileen Hess has moved from General Cable to Anixter. Ken DeMoss is now hanging his hat at French-Gerleman. John Ellis helping customers at Rexel-Glasco.
That’s all for this time, keep those e-mails coming in. This is your column, send us your news!
peoplecolumn@electricleague.org or phone them in to Kim Swank at the League office (816-561-5323).
Missouri Governor Bob Holden has signed legislation supported by the Electric League that will bring financial stability to the state’s unemployment insurance fund and lower cost to employers in the long run.
The legislation, which had bipartisan support, was passed in the recently-completed 2004 Missouri legislative session. The League, along with other business groups, lobbied for its passage.
The state’s unemployment compensation fund has been borrowing money from the federal government since March of 2003 and paying interest to the federal government on a large balance. Employers are responsible for these interest payments.
The legislative solution was a short-term borrowing plan to build up the program’s balance, along with higher taxes on employers until the plan returns to financial solid ground.
However, in the long run the legislature’s solution will be more economically beneficial for Missouri’s employers. Now the state will not have to pay the higher interest on borrowed federal funds and employers will be able to keep state tax credits they would have lost if the unemployment fund stayed in debt.
The legislation would raise the tax base on which employers pay taxes to keep the program going. A sliding tax base would raise to $13,000 by the year 2010.
The legislation also gradually raises the maximum weekly unemployment benefit to $320 by the year 2010.
However, the legislation would require the state to establish a program to make sure those receiving unemployment checks in Missouri were not receiving similar a paycheck in another state.
Source: Dale Amick, Missouri Legislative Director, SouthWestern Association
Congress may stop the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) new no-fax rule from going into effect. The House Energy & Commerce Committee approved the Junk Fax Prevention Act (HR 4600) which allow businesses to continue sending commercial faxes to customers with whom they have an established business relationship. It would remove the FCC’s requirement that businesses get prior written consent before sending advertising or promotional faxes. It would, however, require businesses to provide a notice on the first page of the fax giving the recipient a way to opt-out of receiving future faxes.
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 prohibits sending of unsolicited or junk faxes. The FCC allowed the established business relationship exemption and then amended its rule to require written consent to receive commerical faxes. The House bill would codify the current established business relationship exemption, but would not repeal the underlying prohibition on unsolicited faxes.
Sens. Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Ernest Hollings (D-SC) introduced a companion bill in the Senate.
Consolidation of Individual Retirement Accounts
Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) introduced a bill (HR 4714) to consolidate three
exising types of individual retirement accounts into one account that would be
available to all taxpayers. Annual contributions would not be tax deductible
but earnings would grow tax-free and distributions after age 58 would not be
subject to tax. The accounts could be used only for retirement savings and
would be subject to an early withdrawal penalty if taken early. Sen. Craig
Thomas (R-WY) was expected to introduce a companion bill in the Senate.
Source: National Retail Hardware Association
Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Provides Voters' Guide
The Chamber has made it easy to learn about candidates for public office in this year’s primary and general elections through its online Voters’ Guide. This resource provides the tools you need to evaluate candidates for public office who, if elected, will make important policy decisions impacting the area’s business climate and quality of life.
To view the Voters’ Guide go to: http://www.kcchamber.com
Follow the Government Relations Link or follow the 2004 Voters’ Guide.
Remember the primary election is Tuesday, August 3, and the general election is Tuesday, November 2.
Congratulations to Electric League Scholarship Winners
The purpose of the Electric League of Missouri & Kansas Scholarship Fund is to provide annual scholarships to both entering and continuing college students who are employees of member companies, their children or grandchildren. The fund was established in 1996 to provide an ongoing service to members of the Electric League. Contributions to the Scholarship Fund are generated from hole contests from the two golf tournaments each year as well as the proceeds from the annual Holiday Luncheon. Your participation in these events helps generate awareness to the younger generation about the electrical industry and potential career opportunities that the industry offers. The Electric League congratulates the scholarship winners for 2004:
- Ariane Bauer Levy - John McDermott Memorial Scholarship
- Joseph A. King
- Cindy McGough
- Matthew Thomas Yates
- Rachel Sowers
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This page revised 01/02/08