Confessions of a Drugstore Car Guy

When I got my Super Chevy magazine last month, the cover immediately caught my attention, just as intended. Specifically, I saw headlines announcing the imminent threat of government action against me and my old car. The reason my attention was grabbed, according to automotive aftermarket mouthpiece, SEMA:
“Source Interlink Media, publisher of automotive specialty niche brands with more than 50 titles and 60 websites, is devoting each of its performance automotive group publication titles to the laws and regulations affecting the enjoyment of the automotive hobby. The themed issues are scheduled to hit newsstands in September and October—in time for the November 2010 elections—and will encourage the nearly 50 million readers to exercise their right to be heard.”
Why? According to SEMA:
“It is clear from the constant stream of anti-automobile enthusiast legislation across the country that, in order for the automotive hobbies to survive the present, let alone flourish in the future, hobbyists must work toward becoming more politically involved and effective. Most importantly, hobbyists must learn to work the system. Auto enthusiasts and clubs must learn to lobby.”
Why now?
“We are again at an election crossroads in which many voters are seeking change,” said Doug Evans, Source Interlink Media’s senior vice president and group publisher, performance automotive group. “These issues of our automotive magazines will give our readers an opportunity to consider how actions being taken by federal and state lawmakers impact the auto enthusiast. The need for the enthusiast community to stay informed and become involved is greater than ever. From emissions to auto equipment standards, the government is making decisions about your current and future car.”
“The people who love musclecars, hot rods, street rods, tuners, replicas, off-road trucks and many other varieties of automotive pursuits are as diverse as the country in which we live,” said SEMA Board Chairman Rick Rollins. “We must work to protect our automotive passions from unnecessary, unfair or well-intentioned but poorly written laws and regulations. Fortunately, we live in a country where we can still make a difference in how we are governed.
"Our greatest tool in making that difference is our voice. By speaking out on issues that concern the automotive hobby, contacting our representatives and working constructively with government officials, we have the power to protect our passion and keep it safe for future generations of auto hobbyists and enthusiasts.”
The future of the hobby depends on those who enjoy it. The ballot box is one venue for making views known. Enthusiasts can also work collectively by joining the SEMA Action Network (SAN), which is a partnership between enthusiasts, car clubs and members of the specialty auto parts industry in the United States and Canada who have pledged to join forces in support of legislative solutions for the auto hobby. It’s free to join and the SAN keeps you informed about pending legislation and regulations—both good and bad—that will impact your state or the entire country.
“We are the destination for millions of enthusiasts and consumers looking to find anything and everything about their enthusiast lifestyle,” Evans added. “Nowhere else can you find more powerful and credible brands specifically targeted to the needs and passions of our readers. We owe it to these dedicated readers to let them know about the threats to their hobby and solutions they can help enact to protect it.”
What’s the point?
While I have no problem with the idea that people should be involved in issues that affect, or even simply interest, them, I do have a problem with getting their attention with the printed equivalent of shouting “Fire!” in a crowded theater.
In the last month or so, each of the publications in the Source Interlink Media stable featured a cover similar to that on my Super Chevy. In dramatic fashion each reader received what appeared to be a 9-1-1 call warning them of the impending end of life as they know it. Those who read on found a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing; SEMA and Source Interlink Media simply wanted to get our attention.
I suppose the motivation behind this campaign can be taken at face value, they just want to reinforce the Civics lessons we learned back in high school. But I kinda doubt that. Why would SEMA spend all that money, go to so much effort, just to be good citizens helping us become better citizens?
The businesses for whom SEMA works are not all negatively impacted by automotive-related legislation. I believe SEMA and its clients are no more opposed to draconian legislation than Accountants are to incomprehensible tax laws; government rules and regulations are the geese laying their golden eggs.
Although many SEMA members are car guys and share some of the same interests and fears we do, the organization’s primary purpose is securing preferential treatment for its “special interests.” Before we let them talk us into getting a manicure, fancy haircut, and shiny suit; before we go schmooze a Congressman, let’s think about what’s in it for SEMA.
What are SEMA’s special interests and are they the same as ours? Is the sky really falling or is Chicken Little just trying to impress America’s legislative bodies with how many friends he’s got on his facebook page?