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| Legal Counsel and Legislative Liaison Iowa Secretary of State |
The terms “young professionals” and
“politics” often seem mutually exclusive.
Obviously the world of politics has young professionals who run for
office or are employed in politics and government. Yet, the perception is that young
professionals are part of the business world and not the political world. Some would even argue that except for voting
and being part of a democratic republic, most young professionals are not even
part of the political process.
However,
I would posit to you that this could not be further from the truth. In reality, based on your occupation you are
probably represented by a lobbyist or a political action committee that is
giving money to politicians ostensibly on your behalf. This link will give you an alphabetical list
of the businesses and organizations in Iowa that employ a lobbyist: http://coolice.legis.iowa.gov/Cool-ICE/default.asp?Category=Matt&Service=Lobby. This link is an alphabetical list of the
current political action committees that are active in Iowa at the state
level: http://www.iowa.gov/ethics/lists/list_download/pacs.pdf.
After reviewing either of these lists,
it will be clear to you as a young professional that based solely on your
occupation you are indeed part of the political process. If nothing else, you will recognize that some
of your money is already being spent on political campaigns or to impact the
legislative process and you did not even realize it. As such, I would encourage you to spend some
time looking through these lists. This
information is all a public record and too few people take the time to look
through it.
So why should young professionals care
about politics? Remember that elected
officials pass the laws and ordinances that have a direct and indirect impact
and influence on your businesses, employments, and everyday lives. Not only are laws and ordinances an issue,
but state agencies and departments are able to adopt administrative rules that
basically act like laws. Several of you
are in professions in which your employment activities are heavily regulated by
laws and rules. This is the major reason
why your professions have lobbyists and political action committees looking out
for your interests.
Not only do you pay federal taxes and
state income taxes, but there payroll taxes, property taxes, franchise fees,
and local subdivision assessments. While
I am not arguing for or against these “government revenue generators,” you
certainly need to be aware of them and how they impact your career. Some of the most spirited debates in Iowa
politics involve tax issues and rightly so.
Clearly it goes without saying that there are various ways in which the
imposition of taxes impacts your life as a young professional.
So short of running for office or
otherwise becoming a young professional that is employed in the world of
politics (and I would encourage you all to do those things), what should you be
doing? Read up and familiarize yourself
on the issues. There are plenty of
social media opportunities that give you quick access to information. It is amazing how much knowledge you can
capture from a couple of blogs or who you follow on Twitter.
Get to know people in government and
politics. Remember that they have strict
ethics laws including limitations on people able to accept gifts, including
free meals, but there are opportunities to interact with them. Let them know your feelings as a young
professional on the issues and how you are impacted. I believe you will be amazed at how easy it
is to access politicians and government officials in Iowa. I believe you will be even more amazed at how
much Iowa’s politicians and government officials appreciate receiving your
input.
So as you can see, no matter what your
current interests, politics does have an impact on you as a young professional
and it is crucial for young professionals to pay attention to political
issues. Brush up on the issues, learn
who the players are, and make your voice heard.
It will pay dividends throughout your career.
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