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WEIGHING IN
By Chris Williston, IBAT President and CEO
The Alliance of Independent Bankers
Volume XXXIII No. 1 January/February 2007 |
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You just have to laugh. Are we really so gullible to believe that spending eight minutes three times a week on an abdominal cruncher will yield “six pack” results in ninety days?
Or how about a regular regimen of the Bow Flex, Windsor Pilates, or the Ab Lounger?
It is good to know that if exercise is not your thing you can always resort to magic pills or formulas that are sure to make you look like “The Rock” in no time. I have become particularly enamored with the colon cleansing products sure to help us drop those unwanted pounds with the daily consumption of a pill containing such beneficial ingredients as beet root, slippery elm bark and fennel seed.
With the advent of each New Year, there seems to be an endless number of new infomercials that taunt us to spend a few bucks to achieve dramatic personal appearance transformations. At one point early New Year’s morning, the only thing one could find on the three major networks was “paid programming.” What ever happened to the Cotton Bowl Parade anyway?
Welcome to our new world. A world that promises us hope that dramatic results can be achieved quickly with little investment of financial resources or personal sacrifice.
But you and I know that this is not real world. Our experiences have taught us that most if not all things in life, including “buns of steel,” can be achieved without a consistent, sustained and persistent course of action.
This is especially true in the legislative arena where progress can be painstakingly slow, achieved in bite sized pieces rather than comprehensive, wholesale changes.
Take regulatory relief for example. Initiatives to reduce the regulatory burden on community banks have been introduced in at least the last five Congressional sessions in one form or another. Finally, we got our first crumb enacted in 2006. While there is much work to be done, indeed it is a start to obtaining meaningful relief provisions outlined in the Communities First Act, an ICBA/IBAT initiative.
How long have we been advocating the merits of deposit insurance reform? Ten years. Again, we finally realized the benefits of our persistence in 2006. Again, this was a community bank led initiative only…the big banks have little regard or need for enhancements to deposit insurance.
Or how about home equity reform in Texas? We have only been able to chip away at the onerous provisions that limit the true accessibility of this valuable asset for Texas consumers since it was first enacted in 1997. Important reforms are contemplated for this legislative session and badly needed to make this a viable product for most community banks.
I wonder how successful we would be in selling the benefits of IBAT membership with a promise that members will see real legislative results in ten years on an IBAT infomercial?
Fortunately, community bankers know better. You know the benefits of becoming acquainted with your elected representatives. You understand that writing checks to the IBAT and ICBA political action committees is an important investment to facilitate the communication of our message. And you know that no one works harder than IBAT and ICBA on your behalf with direct lobbying in Austin and Washington in an attempt to improve the business climate and increase your franchise value.
I wish our legislative promise to you could be one that ensured quick results. We can only promise a sustained, consistent and persistent effort. We weigh in for you every day. We understand that real results are only achieved by being proactive and heard.
As one career community banker said to me the other day, “it is good to know that IBAT and ICBA have my back.”
Now if only we could do something for your abs.
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