| Last Rep |
Give! Before the Government Takes!
I
One Hundred Twenty Million Members by 2010
Let me, if I may, second the sentiments and suggestions put forth last month by Art Curtis, the new chairperson of IHRSA’s board, in his “First Set” column in CBI. Its title, you may recall, was “Are You a Giver? Or a Taker?” Well… made up your mind?
have to admit that, like Curtis, I’m infuriated by threats to our industry, and, conversely, firmly committed to efforts to protect it. The risks lie in wait on numerous fronts, made more dangerous, in many cases, by their low, nearly-invisible profiles: an announcement in a local newspaper about plans to construct a new YMCA; a legislator’s suggestion to register personal trainers; a state’s desperate need for more revenues… Each of them may, in fact,
pose a life-or-death threat to a commercial for-profit health club. Who’s defending the industry
from these insidious hazards? Individual operators, in some
Joe Moore IHRSA President & CEO
cases. Local club alliances. Major chains with lobbying arms. But the principal wall that stands between the industry and treacherous public policy is IHRSA’s Industry Defense Fund (IDF), which, last year, spent $1.2 million on initiatives at both the state and federal levels.
Its efforts, which produced impressive progress,
particularly at the state level, were underwritten by just a handful of club companies (the “givers”). But the results accrued to the benefit of the non- contributors, as well (the “takers”). So what was your response to Curtis’ question? Let me remind you of just a few of the battles
that the IDF is either currently fighting or prepar- ing to wage:
• Over the past few years, there’s been a growing trend, on the part of some states, to require the licensing of personal trainers. Some of the proposed
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bills would impose unreasonable standards, including the need to have a four-year degree in exercise science or a related field; passing a government-adminis- tered test; and/or meeting other requirements to be developed by a government board.
• Many states want to place unnecessary and counter- productive restrictions on EFT dues collections. Some proposals would go so far as to require members to provide their clubs with written permission before they’d be allowed to collect each month’s dues, even in the case of month-to-month memberships.
• State legislators have also introduced bills that, while requiring clubs to be equipped with AEDs, fail to incorporate the necessary liability protec- tions for the club management and employees who, when called upon to do so, would employ the AEDs to save lives.
• Given the current economy, many states are now considering introducing, or increasing, sales taxes on club memberships. Such taxes do damage in a num- ber of ways, imposing an additional administrative and financial burden on clubs, forcing them to raise fees, and, thereby, reducing the pool of individuals able to purchase their services. Compounding the injury is the fact that YMCAs and other nonprofit fitness providers remain tax-exempt, enhancing the competitive advantage they already enjoy. And now, according to Paul Volcker, the head of
the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board, we apparently now face the prospect of a new national Value Added Tax (VAT) similar to that levied in many European countries. Given the challenges that our industry faces, is
there any doubt whether everyone should be a member of IDF? We need to give… before the gov- ernment takes. —|
– Joe Moore,
jmoore@ihrsa.org
To enlist in this vital industry effort, contact Meredith Poppler, IHRSA’s Vice President, Industry Growth, at 800-228-4772 or 617-316-6750 or
mpoppler@ihrsa.org.
104 Club Business Internat ional | SEPTEMBER 2010 | www.
ihrsa.org
Tracy Powell
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