Dale J. Venturini
President/CEO, Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association
"We in America do not have Government by the majority. We have Government by the majority who participate." —Thomas Jefferson
The idea that this quote articulates is quite simple. To make a difference, you have to make your voice heard. It’s a key principle in government, and in the business world, it’s no different. If you want to protect your business and succeed in the hospitality industry, you need to get involved.
Currently, Rhode Island is facing a $450 million deficit. Rhode Island’s Governor and Legislature have been handed the task of finding new streams of revenue while curtailing spending. No stone will be left unturned and no program will be overlooked. While the industry has been spared a direct assault so far with no increases in taxes, it’s still early in the process. The Association is watching with a careful eye on any attempt to increases meals and beverage tax or hotel tax.
While the discussion has not been centered on tax increases, there are several pieces of legislation that propose spending cuts that could have an adverse impact on the industry.
The Governor’s office has asked all departments to find ways to trim budgets. This may impact the Department of Health ability to fund food safety inspections, an area already severely lacking in staffing. RIHTA is responding by working with a certified health expert to provide assistance to foodservice establishments in creating and maintaining food safety programs.
Another area that will be desiccated is workforce development. The hospitality industry is one of the state’s largest benefactors of workforce development programs, training people who are re-entering the workforce, new to the workforce and those who are new to this country. Lack of training will create a large segment population who is unable to find work, causing higher social service costs and creating a vacuum in the hospitality industry.
Certainly, we all understand the difficult situation Rhode Island is facing, and the Association pledges to work with our elected officials to develop solutions, but it is important that those solutions strengthen the state and not impose burdens upon the state’s most valued and important industries.
One of the primary roles of RIHTA is to serve as a voice for the industry at the State House on all issues that impact the ability for you to conduct business. Be it new health regulations or new taxes, the Association is the industry’s lobbyist and political advocate.
On the federal level, RIHTA is working with the Senatorial and Congressional delegation to bring relief to the H-2B Visa crunch. With Rhode Island being a highly seasonal workforce, the state’s reliance on H-2B Visas increases year after year. Yet the allowable applications have decreased since 9-11, while the deadline to apply for such Visas moved up to very early in the year. Many times, the cap has been met long before New England hospitality businesses can apply.
Recognizing this problem, Congress provided a “returning employee” exemption, allowing employees who have participated in the H-2B Visa program in at least one of the past three years to return to a U.S. job without counting against the annual 66,000-visa limit. But, Congress put a sunset clause on the exemption, which is running out this year. RIHTA is working hard to extend that sunset clause to 2012.
While our elected officials expect to see me and the Association’s lobbyist each year, it is important that they also see the men and women who make up the industry. Owners, managers and workers need to be active in the economic and social issues that could hinder the growth of the industry. To affect change, you must get involved in the political process. One personal letter, one personal story, does more than 100 ‘form letter’ emails they might receive from our opponents.
Whatever the issue may be, working together as a team and continually educating our legislators on the issues and concerns of the hospitality industry are the only ways we can ensure the continued success and growth of our industry. It is imperative that members of the hospitality industry have a common voice, the voice from the state’s largest growth industry—a voice that deserves to be heard.
We have made good progress this year; however, there are still many tough issues to face. Understanding the legislative process can be daunting. For many, it is nearly impossible to be aware of all the legislation entered for consideration that would affect their business. RIHTA is committed to providing the tools and resources needed to help the industry respond effectively to legislation that could affect individual businesses and the hospitality and tourism industry as a whole. For more information on how you can take a more active role in molding the policy issues facing our industry, call RIHTA at (401) 223-1120.
Currently, Rhode Island is facing a $450 million deficit. Rhode Island’s Governor and Legislature have been handed the task of finding new streams of revenue while curtailing spending. No stone will be left unturned and no program will be overlooked. While the industry has been spared a direct assault so far with no increases in taxes, it’s still early in the process. The Association is watching with a careful eye on any attempt to increases meals and beverage tax or hotel tax.
While the discussion has not been centered on tax increases, there are several pieces of legislation that propose spending cuts that could have an adverse impact on the industry.
The Governor’s office has asked all departments to find ways to trim budgets. This may impact the Department of Health ability to fund food safety inspections, an area already severely lacking in staffing. RIHTA is responding by working with a certified health expert to provide assistance to foodservice establishments in creating and maintaining food safety programs.
Another area that will be desiccated is workforce development. The hospitality industry is one of the state’s largest benefactors of workforce development programs, training people who are re-entering the workforce, new to the workforce and those who are new to this country. Lack of training will create a large segment population who is unable to find work, causing higher social service costs and creating a vacuum in the hospitality industry.
Certainly, we all understand the difficult situation Rhode Island is facing, and the Association pledges to work with our elected officials to develop solutions, but it is important that those solutions strengthen the state and not impose burdens upon the state’s most valued and important industries.
One of the primary roles of RIHTA is to serve as a voice for the industry at the State House on all issues that impact the ability for you to conduct business. Be it new health regulations or new taxes, the Association is the industry’s lobbyist and political advocate.
On the federal level, RIHTA is working with the Senatorial and Congressional delegation to bring relief to the H-2B Visa crunch. With Rhode Island being a highly seasonal workforce, the state’s reliance on H-2B Visas increases year after year. Yet the allowable applications have decreased since 9-11, while the deadline to apply for such Visas moved up to very early in the year. Many times, the cap has been met long before New England hospitality businesses can apply.
Recognizing this problem, Congress provided a “returning employee” exemption, allowing employees who have participated in the H-2B Visa program in at least one of the past three years to return to a U.S. job without counting against the annual 66,000-visa limit. But, Congress put a sunset clause on the exemption, which is running out this year. RIHTA is working hard to extend that sunset clause to 2012.
While our elected officials expect to see me and the Association’s lobbyist each year, it is important that they also see the men and women who make up the industry. Owners, managers and workers need to be active in the economic and social issues that could hinder the growth of the industry. To affect change, you must get involved in the political process. One personal letter, one personal story, does more than 100 ‘form letter’ emails they might receive from our opponents.
Whatever the issue may be, working together as a team and continually educating our legislators on the issues and concerns of the hospitality industry are the only ways we can ensure the continued success and growth of our industry. It is imperative that members of the hospitality industry have a common voice, the voice from the state’s largest growth industry—a voice that deserves to be heard.
We have made good progress this year; however, there are still many tough issues to face. Understanding the legislative process can be daunting. For many, it is nearly impossible to be aware of all the legislation entered for consideration that would affect their business. RIHTA is committed to providing the tools and resources needed to help the industry respond effectively to legislation that could affect individual businesses and the hospitality and tourism industry as a whole. For more information on how you can take a more active role in molding the policy issues facing our industry, call RIHTA at (401) 223-1120.
