TOCA Talk

Lessons Learned from Election Year: What to Expect for the Green Industry – David Crow, DCLRS

By Courtney Mullen, Xylem Marketing

At the beginning of the election year of 2020, the country was at its strongest. The United States was experiencing a good economy and low unemployment. The president’s strategy coming into the election was to run on the prosperity of living in a “Donald Trump World.”

That prosperity mindset was shaken in mid-March when the novel COVID-19 pandemic hit and the economy suffered as a result. A few months later, the Black Lives Matter movement began. With the status of the economy, social unrest and ongoing pandemic, what can we expect to see in this election year? David Crow, founder and president of DCLRS, believes that for U.S presidential candidate Joe Biden, it’s his to lose.

Founded in 1991 by Crow, DCLRS is a bipartisan lobbying and government relations firm specializing in several policy areas, including agriculture, climate, energy, international, labor and immigration, pesticides and fertilizers, small business, transportation and infrastructure, and water. In his presentation, Crow drew on his background in campaigning and political processes to describe each candidates’ views on taxes, regulations and green energy, and how these positions will affect the green industry and the nation in general.

Biden is running on a platform that includes:

  • Calling for a national lockdown on the coronavirus, which means mandatory masks in 50 states. His theory is unless you completely flatten the curve, you will not come out of this crisis.
  • Asking for a large tax increase and reversing President Trump’s tax breaks, even going as far back as reversing some of Former President George W. Bush’s tax breaks.
  • Signing the Paris Peace Accord and putting together the New Green Deal, a $2.5 trillion plan on climate and green jobs.
  • Disposing of the immigration police on the border.
  • Eliminating student loan debt and possibly providing free college.

However, Crow pointed out some of the concerns about the New Green Deal.

“The New Green Deal will mean Americans will have rolling blackouts on electricity because you can’t make electricity zero emission,” said Crow.

For Trump’s chances at re-election, voters will have to ask themselves these questions:

  • Did he lead us well during the pandemic?
  • Did he do everything to flatten the curve?
  • Are you more concerned about the climate and regulations, or about law and order?

Additional concerns by voters include the two candidates’ health. Although calm and likable, Biden will be 78 years old this year and voters will question if he is too old or senile. They will have to look at his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, and decide if she is who they would like for president, as she tends to lean more toward the left than Biden. Trump’s health and mental ability have been questioned recently, as well, and voters will have to decide if they will like Vice President Mike Pence.

In the future, it will come down to the three upcoming debates.

“There is no question Trump has a lot more obstacles in his way than four years ago,” said Crow. “Unless Biden stumbles, and stumbles big time, there is almost no way he loses, simply because Trump has kind of run out of things he can say and he can do.”

But the burning question during the presentation was how would either candidate impose or change policy in the turf industry?

Besides Biden bringing back the regulations imposed by Former President Obama, which were removed by Trump, the industry will face more regulations and tax increases. But Crow challenged the turf industry to look at something that needs a lot of thought moving forward.

“If climate change drives all energy, all environment and all tax, in the sense that you are rolling all taxes into it, we are going to have to do what I think we are great at, show that we are a game-changer in the climate debate. We sequester carbon; we stop runoff; we create beautiful spaces where would either be barren ground or concrete. I honestly think we take climate change to our advantage.

“We are not involved in the energy creation piece. We’re not involved in wind credits or solar panels. We are involved in producing a beautiful – what I consider indispensable world with plants – inside and outside. As we go forward, and if Biden wins, almost every thought on how we’re impacted begins with that word, “said Crow.

The turf and ornamental industry survived the turmoil of the pandemic, and when it comes down to it, no matter which candidate wins the election, the industry has an opportunity to find a way to prosper, adapt and even be a positive part of the change.

To learn more about David Crow and DCLRS, visit https://www.dclrs.com/people/david-t-crow/