S.E.E. Change? S.E.E. Change Go Slow

As interest in all things green has surged, business groups in Washington have jumped cheerfully in. But as one association’s initiative illustrates, these high-profile efforts aren’t without risks.

In September, 2005, chief executives from Dow Chemical, Sun Microsystems, Xerox and three others joined then Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist at an event near the White House to tout a new initiative called S.E.E. Change.

Sponsored by the Business Roundtable, an advocacy group representing 150 bosses of big companies, the initiative set out to burnish business “as a force for good” in matters of society and environment. Along with the event, the Roundtable took out full-page ads in several big newspapers and won widespread press coverage, including an item on Forbes.com.

In Pictures: A Gallery Of Green Spin
The progress so far? S.E.E. Change (which stands for Society, Environment and Economy) has added 10 new members to a founding roster of 18 companies who committed to showcasing and tracking their sustainability efforts. Not an insignificant increase, but a long way from the S.E.E. objective of getting all 150 Business Roundtable companies on board.

“It’s an aspirational goal,” says Marian Hopkins, director of public policy for the Business Roundtable. “[S.E.E. Change participants] can be great advocates to other member companies.”

Full story at Forbes.com

Home Builders Hit The Hill

Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday, 1,300 home builders will call on Capitol Hill as part of a legislative conference organized by their trade group, the National Association of Home Builders. They’ll do so against a grim industry backdrop.

“For the first summer in many summers, we’re not helping to keep unemployment numbers down,” says Jerry M. Howard, 51, the NAHB’s chief executive. “For the first time in six years, we are a drag on the economy rather than a plus.”

Publicly held home-building companies have weighed on the stock market too. Consider the table below, which lists the 10 biggest U.S. home builders by latest-12-month revenues. On average, the group shares have dropped 12% year-to-date, versus a 9% gain for the S&P 500.

Fittingly, Howard is sending his troops out to congressional offices with a simple, overarching message: Don’t kick us when we’re down.

“Our strategy is to remind policymakers of our importance in economic and societal terms,” he says, “and to convince them to take no action that would exacerbate this downturn in the housing industry.”

One area of potential exacerbation: immigration. The NAHB has come out strongly against the proposed immigration overhaul now being considered by the U.S. Senate, particularly its portions cracking down on employers that hire illegal workers, directly or through subcontractors.

Full story at Forbes.com

Political Risk Watch: Hotels

WASHINGTON – Economically, the U.S. lodging business has nice momentum. The industry sold a billion room-nights last year, which meant $134 billion in revenues. Investors have been enthusiastic too–hotel and cruise stocks in the Standard & Poor’s 500 are up 14% in the past year, six points ahead of the broader market.

Yet could politics prove a problem? The industry’s standard bearers in Washington admit a mixed forecast, given the new policy priorities on Capitol Hill.

“Many of them are good for our industry,” says Joseph A. McInerney, chief executive of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). “Some of them are not that great.”

Full story at Forbes.com

Skunk At The Innovation Party

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Every business lobbyist–and politician for that matter–favors spurring technological innovation and advancing American economic competitiveness. So how did a Capitol Hill hearing Wednesday, on just those subjects, turn contentious?

Network neutrality crashed the party.

The hearing was called by Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., who in January became chairwoman of the House Committee on Small Business and declared herself a champion for entrepreneurs. But at Wednesday’s hearing, Velázquez and colleagues heard from groups representing big businesses too.

Among the eight trade associations on the witness panel: USTelecom, whose members include AT&T and Verizon Communications, and the American Electronics Association, which counts Apple and Intel among the 2,500 companies on its roster.

There was agreement on most of the items discussed. America needs to produce more engineering and math students. And the Sarbanes-Oxley rules have gone too far.

But then they got around to network neutrality–the matter of whether big Internet service providers should be allowed to charge certain customers, mainly big bandwidth consumers like Google and Yahoo!, extra for access.

Full story at Forbes.com

The Airlines’ Captain In Washington

WASHINGTON, D.C.- A former Marine captain who served in Vietnam, James May is no stranger to tough missions. He’s got plenty of them these days as chief executive of the Air Transport Association, the trade group representing the biggest U.S. airlines. Last week, for instance, May was an industry point man in responding to the furor over JetBlue’s passenger-stranding debacle.

But on May’s priorities list, the passenger-rights controversy falls well below another big-ticket item: the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration, whose programs expire next September.

Full story at Forbes.com

The Entrepreneurs’ New Friends

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Not all business folks are worried about the Democratic takeover of Congress. Venture capitalists, for example, are welcoming Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., as the new chairwoman of the House Committee on Small Business.

“We feel she really understands the positive impact of venture-backed companies,” says Emily Mendell, a spokeswoman for the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). Full story at Forbes.com

Blowing Up Infrastructure

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, a crowd of 200 business reps and government officials piled into the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Washington headquarters for the organization’s annual State of American Business conference. Thomas Donohue, the Chamber’s chief, ticked off priorities for 2007. His top three: education, energy and improving America’s infrastructure.

On the latter, Donohue admitted at least one challenge. “Many people do not find infrastructure to be one of the more scintillating or sexy topics,” he said.

No, infrastructure is not sexy. But the Chamber hopes to add some sparkle this spring, when it rolls out an infrastructure capacity initiative known as “Rebuilding America.” The effort serves as more evidence, with implications for policy watchers and investors alike, that the building, construction, materials and transportation trades enjoy some of the hardiest support in Washington.

Full story at Forbes.com

Memo To Enviros: Go Easy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Five years ago, Roger Ballentine opened a lobbying and consulting shop, Green Strategies, to counsel companies on setting environmental agendas and dealing with eco-policy in Washington. At the time, he says, that corner of business was relatively quiet.

Things have picked up. “It’s just absolutely booming,” says Ballentine.

Full story at Forbes.com

Interstate Highways: Big Numbers In Washington

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Long before there was an Interstate Highway System, there were highway lobbyists. In fact, the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, or ARTBA, was founded 104 years ago. As the Interstate turns 50 this week, ARTBA is using the occasion to pound the table on its policy priorities.

As part of that effort, ARTBA’s formidable economics staff has put out a barrage of statistics on the Interstate’s economic 50-year impact and outlook. The stats make good fodder for the ARTBA’s arguments on expanding highway capacity. They’re also startling for anyone presently bothered by traffic congestion.

Full story at Forbes.com