Sixty-one delegates representing the U.S. rental industry were in Washington, D.C., in May to press the American Rental Association's legislative agenda on Capitol Hill. The A.R.A.'s national legislative caucus has been gaining prominence in the halls of Congress for 23 years now, and this year featured Alan Keyes, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, who launched a bid for the Republican presidential nomination early this year.

"Don't reform the income tax," Keyes told delegates. "Don't simplify it. Don't flatten it. Abolish it! I think drug dealers and other crooks should pay taxes, too, don't you? Now, they don't. A national retail sales tax would tax everybody."

The A.R.A. has taken the lead in defending the use of surge brakes, spearheading a coalition of interested parties - including General Motors and Ford as well as the thousands of rental companies that rent trailers equipped with surge brakes - co-chaired by John C. McKibben, president of Universal Rent-All in Georgetown, Ky.

"The A.R.A. was really the catalyst in making this go," says Jack Klepinger, western regional manager of Wells-Cargo, Phoenix.

This year's caucus sought to involve Next Generation rental people more thoroughly in the political process, and delegate Debra Shipper of Chicago Party Rental in Countryside, Ill., reported later that "The caucus gave me a new respect for the A.R.A. and the generous efforts put forth on behalf of the members. I now understand the power we have to influence governmental policy. I look forward to becoming more involved in this element of our association."

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