SAFE Fund

What is SAFE? 

Save American Free Enterprise (SAFE) leads the effort to provide financial and professional resources directly to states where and when it is needed the most to fight the issues that are most harmful to the restaurant industry. SAFE serves as a catalyst to mobilize, educate and execute the restaurant industry’s political efforts at the state level in cooperation with the National Restaurant Association (NRA), state restaurant associations (SRA), multi-unit companies and allied partners. Since inception in 1996, SAFE has contributed nearly $6 million to state partners in their efforts to fight anti-business legislation and initiatives.

Specifically in Ohio, the SAFE Fund has provided financial and professional resources to the Ohio Restaurant Association in its fight against ballot initiatives including the 2006 minimum wage initiative and the mandatory paid sick leave initiative in 2008.

What Does SAFE Do for Your Business?

Federal Level – National Restaurant Association

  • Restaurant Opportunity Centers are local efforts led by the nation’s most politically powerful labor unions.  Their purpose is to convince restaurant employees that they need to join a union.  NRA is involved in the 9 states where ROCs are active today (that’s 6 more states than a year ago).  Dollars that YOU invest in SAFE could stop this “movement” from coming to Ohio.
  • Food safety continues to languish in the Senate after passing the House.  NRA uses SAFE funds to participate in a national coalition to turn this much-need legislation into law.
  • The devil is in the details, which is why NRA is devoting time and resources to make sure the FDA’s rules implementing the menu labeling portion of the health care bill do not unnecessarily burden restaurants.
  • Do you want a law that tells you how much salt you can use in your menu?  Of course not.  That’s why NRA is joining with like-minded interest groups to fight these proposals in New York and elsewhere.  Remember, menu labeling started in New York City…

State Level – Ohio Restaurant Association

  • There is power in numbers, which is why ORA helped form a coalition of business associations in 2007 to fight mandatory paid sick leave. (We won.)  The restaurant industry needs a rainy day fund to quickly respond when similar ballot initiatives inevitably go before Ohio voters.
  • Will Arizona-style immigration reform come to Ohio?  If it would drive up restaurant costs, wouldn’t you want ORA to fight it?  That’s why we have SAFE.
  • The “food police” want to make offering certain “healthy” menu items a requirement to get a foodservice license, restrict your use of sodium, block certain types of restaurants in defined geographical areas, etc, etc.  SAFE will let us stand up to those who want to tell you how to run your business.
  • Ohio needs new revenue and raising your company’s taxes will be on the agenda.  SAFE could allow us to analyze exactly how specific tax changes would impact the restaurant industry.

How Can I Help?

The Ohio Restaurant Association hosts an annual golf tournament.  Money raised at this event benefits the SAFE Fund.  For more information, please contact Richard Mason at 614-246-0130.

 

ORA staffFor more information about ORA's government affairs program, contact me at 614-246-0130 or rmason@ohiorestaurant.org. 

 

Richard Mason
ORA Director of Government Affairs