06/07/2010
Dealer Action Needed Immediately!

Dealer Grassroots Efforts Needed Today!

Now that the House and Senate have both passed a Wall Street reform bill, the next step is a conference committee to hammer out the differences between the two bills.  With few rules, the Conference committee can easily strip out the auto dealer language unless they hear from their colleagues to keep it in. 

To that end, New York Reps. Bill Owens and Mike McMahon have drafted a letter urging conferees to retain language which keeps auto financing affordable and available for consumers.  We are looking for a minimum of 30-members on the letter and we are focusing on House Democrats who supported passage of the House financial reform bill. 

Timing is very tight as the House Chairman has laid out an aggressive schedule.  The deadline on the letter is Tuesday, June 8. 

MADA needs your help today!  We ask you to reach out to the following members of the Maryland Congressional delegation and ask them to sign onto the Owens-McMahon [letter attached here]; it would truly help our efforts: 

-       Kratovil

-       Ruppersberger

-       Sarbanes

-       Edwards

-       Hoyer

-       Van Hollen

Again, we are up against the White House which makes our efforts even more critical.

As a reminder:

·         Grassroots is still critical – For talking points and more, please visit www.NADA.org/KeepCreditAffordable or call the NADA Legislative Office at 1-800-563-1556.

·         Thank those Senators who voted in favor of the motion to instruct.  In addition, thank them publicly in your newsletters, electronic membership correspondence, and more.  Be sure to copy the Senate offices.

·         Ask House Democrats to sign the Owens-McMahon letter, especially House Democrats who voted in favor of final passage last fall. 

If you have any questions, please call Peter Kitzmiller or Travis Martz at 410.269.1710 or 301.261.1717. 

01/21/2010
MADA Names 2010 Board Members

ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 21, 2010) ­–  At its annual membership meeting held this week, the Maryland Automobile Dealers Association elected four area businessmen to its board of directors and to serve as representatives to local and national affiliates.

•  Jack Saum, Jr. of Beltway International, Inc. in Baltimore is joining the MADA Board as representative for all heavy truck dealers in Maryland. 
• Jerry Dillard of Park Dodge Chrysler Jeep in Lexington Park is joining the MADA Board as the representative for all dealers in Southern Maryland. 
• David Williams of Elkton-based Williams Automotive Family, a past chairman of MADA, remains on the MADA board and will now serve as the new National Automobile Dealers Association [NADA] director.  Mr. Williams will now represent the interests of Maryland dealers at the national level.
• Ray Nordstrom of Courtesy Chevrolet Cadillac in Salisbury is joining the MADA board and will represent Maryland dealers at the national level Dealers Election Action Committee [DEAC] Chairman.  DEAC is a national PAC for dealer issues.

10/09/2009
Shockley Honda Supports Local Volunteer Fire Department Through Valuable Donation

10.05.2009 – ANNAPOLIS and FREDERICK, MD – The Maryland Automobile Dealers Association (MADA) and Shockley Honda of Frederick are presenting the Guardian Hose Fire Company of Thurmont with a set of new Resusci Anne CPR training mannequins. The life-like devices provide real life simulation and performance measures so that volunteers can quickly sharpen their skills in performing CPR, the Heimlich maneuver and other life saving techniques

"This is a great opportunity for us to help many people by supporting the fine work of our emergency workers,” said Marisa Shockley, CFO of Shockley Honda.

“The Annie mannequins help volunteer rescue workers hone their CPR skills and also allow them to host CPR training sessions for local organizations,” said MADA president, Peter Kitzmiller. “The more people who are trained in CPR, the greater the benefit to the community.”

MADA offers the mannequins, valued at $1,500 each, through a partnership with the National Automobile Dealers Association Foundation. Since 1975, the foundation has distributed over 4,100 training units throughout the U.S., to provide training for more than 1.9 million people. Local organizations may apply for a Resusci-Anne at www.nada.org.

Founded in 1887 and comprised of more than 200 members, the Guardian Hose Fire Company, Inc. provides fire and rescue services to a predominantly rural area in the Piedmont region of Maryland adjoining the Catoctin Mountains (part of the Appalachian Moutains) in Frederick County.

10/5/2009
MADA Congratulates Maryland Teacher of the Year 2010 Jennifer Rankin!

10.07.2009 – The Maryland Automobile Dealers Association is honoring Jennifer Burdock Rankin, Maryland’s 2010 Teacher of the Year, with the gift of a new car. Ms. Rankin, of Northern Middle School in Garrett County, was announced the statewide winner of the prestigious competition from among 24 finalists selected from each county and the city of Baltimore. The car, a 2010 Nissan Altima is donated by Chevy Chase Acura Nissan on behalf of MADA.

“We are fortunate to have so many great teachers here in Maryland, and especially want to congratulate Jennifer Rankin for her achievements,” said Sam Weaver, chairman of MADA and vice president of Chevy Chase Acura Nissan. “It is our honor to present this car in appreciation for Jennifer’s hard work and commitment to Maryland’s children.”

Ms. Rankin, a graduate of Frostburg State University and West Virginia University, holds a bachelor’s degree in Education with a minor in Spanish, a master’s degree in Education in Special Education, and a master’s degree in Administration and Supervision. She is currently working on her doctoral dissertation in the area of educational leadership, which she expects to complete this year. Ms. Rankin has also achieved her National Board Certification in Early Adolescent Mathematics. She said that having a mother as a kindergarten instructional assistant was a major factor for pursuing teaching as a profession. Ms. Rankin said she learned from an early age that the key to teaching is finding innovative ways to motivate each and every student.

As a sponsor of the Maryland State Teacher of the Year competition, MADA annually presents the winning teacher with a free vehicle and an invitation to speak at the association’s annual meeting and legislative reception. Maryland’s Teacher of the Year Program is affiliated with the National Teacher of the Year Program, sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the ING Foundation.

Click HERE to view a video celebrating Ms. Rankin’s accomplishment. 

06/10/2009
Maryland representatives speak at DC news conference

June 10, 2009-Maryland Congressmen Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Frank Kratovil (D-MD), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Congressmen Dan Maffei (D-NY) and Don Manzullo (R-IL) and dealer representatives, Jack Fitzgerald and Tammy Darvish, at a press conference to discuss the recently introduced Automobile Dealer Economic Rights Restoration Act of 2009.  The legislation will restore the economic rights of automobile dealers in order to protect jobs, workers, and small business owners.  Click Here for video of Reps. Bartlett and Manzullo and Jack Fitzgerald’s remarks at the news conference.  Video of Tammy Darvish’s remarks at the news conference can be found here.  Comments from today’s press conference can be found here. 

The Automobile Dealer Economic Rights Restoration Act of 2009 would do the following:

• Restore the economic rights of General Motors and Chrysler car dealers as they existed prior to each company’s bankruptcies.
• Preserve General Motors and Chrysler car dealers’ rights to recourse under state law.
• At the request of an automobile dealer, require General Motors and Chrysler to reinstate franchise agreements in effect prior to each company’s bankruptcies.
•  

• Make clear that the legislation is not intended to make null and void the court-ordered transfer of assets from Chrysler LLC to New CarCo Acquisition LLC or the transfer of General Motors assets that could be approved by a court after the introduction of the Act. 

This builds on the bi-partisan letter signed by over 100 members of Congress, including Congressmen Chris Van Hollen and Steny Hoyer, that was sent to the President Obama on Monday and a letter that was mailed on May 15th to Steven Rattner, Senior Advisor on Auto Issues at the Treasury Department.

05/12/2009
Letter to the Editor for Dealer Use

Dealer members may use this letter to the editor on their behalf and distribute to local media.  Please make the appropriate changes with your business logo, name and contact information.  Click Here to access a Microsoft Word version of the letter.  Contact Katie Jones at the Association office with any questions, 800.526.7423. 

04/30/2009
MADA Recent Press Releases

Chrysler Bankruptcy Should Not be Used to Cut Dealer Network

Maryland Automobile Dealers Association Issues Response to General Motors

04/29/2009
Media Preparation for MADA Members

With the automotive industry in the news on an almost daily basis, your dealership may receive an unexpected inquiry from a reporter seeking a local point of view. MADA would like to share best practices for handling such inquiries.

Foremost, we recommend advising all staff members that only designated spokespeople at the dealership are authorized to speak with the press.

• Respond with courtesy
• Do not offer any comment
• Find out what the topic is
• Ask for their deadline (date and time)
• Get a phone number to call back

• Let employees know who is authorized to speak on behalf of the dealership.
• Make sure that contact information is readily available, including phone numbers for nights and weekends.
• Feel free to refer to MADA if you do not wish to respond**

** Contact Katie Jones at (410) 269-1710 or Nancy Carr at (410) 971-0668

THINK BEFORE YOU RESPOND

• Tell the reporter you will call him back (get deadline and phone number).
• Take time to collect your thoughts.
• Decide whether you would like to refer the reporter directly to MADA rather than respond yourself.

• Decide what message you want the reporter to take away from the interview.
• Write out 4 or 5 points to support the message or use points from the provided list (See link below).
• Keep comments focused on those points.

More Information

04/15/2009
Franchise Bill (SB 668) Passes

Franchise Bill Passes on Last Day of General Session

The Maryland Automobile Dealers Association completed one of their most successful legislative sessions to date on April 13^th. The landmark victory of the 2009 session will bring greater franchise protections for all dealers. Maryland’s franchise laws are now considered to be some of the strongest in the country.

The MADA-backed franchise bill was passed on the last day of session with 2 and a half hours to spare. The bill was sponsored by Senator Jamie Raskin and Delegate Barbara Frush.

Click the link below for full details on Maryland’s new franchise laws. 

More Information

03/17/2009
Local Credit Unions Offer Buyer Assistance

Did you know?

Your local credit union is now partnering with General Motors and Chrysler to provide buyer assistance when purchaisng a new vehicle.  Members of participating credit unions can get wonderful discounts on a new vehicle; visit Love My Credit Union to learn more!  Not a member?  You can find a participating union to join as a new member and benefit! 

03/24/2009
VA Auto Grant Program-Aiding Wounded Soldiers

Veteran’s Administration Auto Grant Program

A little-publicized Veteran’s Administration program provides grants of up to $11,000 to wounded service members for the purchase of a vehicle of their choice.  The amount of the grant is determined by the extent of the injury and is issued directly to the dealer when proper arrangements are made between the service member and the dealer.  Please be aware that the service member must also present the dealer with an approval form and a letter from the VA.   For further information on this program, please contact Katie Jones at the Association office, 800.526.7423. 

 Click here for access to a brief fact sheet.

 Click here to download the VA Program Handbook.

02/18/2009
Consumers Can Now Deduct Sales Tax on Federal Return

Maryland Titling Tax now Deductible on Federal Income Tax Returns!

More Information

02/27/2009
JP Bishop Ch. 13 WJZ and Fox 45 Interviews

MADA’s newest Board Member, JP Bishop, provided professional and knoweledgeable insight into the current economic stresses facing automobile dealerships in Maryland during an interview on February 26 with Ch. 13 WJZ in Baltimore.  Click here to view JP’s Ch. 13 interview.

Earlier in February on Fox 45, JP Bishop, also argued the case for improved dealership financing, customer financing and passage of Senator Mikulski’s Tax-Incentive Amendment.  Click here to view JP’s interview online.