L eg i s l a t i ve le a d e r
���Gene (Guilford) asked us to testify
because of our experience with bio���we
were one of the companies that have used
it the longest, we���re going on seven years
now. I can put bio heating oil into every
gallon we sell and that is great at a 2 percent
blend or 5 percent blend or, if I advertise it
properly, at a 10 percent blend. But I cannot get the sulfur out unless the legislature
demands it. So that was the next step for us
to get the heating oil really clean by getting
the sulfur out. So I testified for ICPA.���
Lohr first became active when she
testified for ICPA over pricing contracts
relative to the run up in prices in 2008.
���We were up there testifying about what
happened in the industry and how could
dealers like ours that were family businesses,
for the most part, how could we guarantee
our customers that they wouldn���t get hurt in
pricing structures like that and we couldn���t
guarantee that,��� said Lohr. ���I guess at the
time we were hoping that the state would
not really allow us to sell pricing contracts
anymore because it made it tougher for us
to compete with each other and that didn���t
fly. That was a good one for me to break in
with because there was a lot of contention
on that issue. It got them thinking about
it and it gave me a chance to testify and see
how the process worked.���
How hard is it to step out and become
involved? For Jamie Lohr, once the initial
inertia is past it���s a straightforward process.
���It���s surprising. If I can do this, anybody
can do this,��� Lohr said. ���This is not a hard
thing to do. You find out what the issue is and
if the issue means something to you and you
have a viewpoint, all you have to do is give
your viewpoint. You do not have to be an
expert on it you just say how you feel about
things. I���ve watched a lot of other people give
testimony to the legislators on other issues.
When I went to testify the first time, I realized
that these are just ordinary people who care
about these issues. It���s okay to be nervous if
you are in front of a microphone in front of
the legislature in Hartford. You just say what
you need to say and hopefully that influences
people to adopt the legislation that you are
interested in or at least give them something
to think about for the next round.���
What does Lohr say to others that might
not be as active in supporting their organizations? ���The last thing that I would want is for
legislators who do not know the industry to
be making decisions that affect us every day,
and they do that if you do not speak up
because then they are only getting their information from other sources,��� she said. ���So it
really is important if you want to serve your
customers better and if you want to make
your business operate more smoothly to
have your government working for you, and
the best way to do that is for you to tell them
what you need. Don���t be afraid.��� l F ON
www.fueloilnews.com | FUEL OIL NEWS | January 2013
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