ACMA, TruST in Desperate Need for Industry Support to Brush Back MFA                      Contact:             Paul Miller             914-669-8391             pmiller@catalogmailers.org            February 3, 2015 ACMA, TruST Need Greater Support To Counter Renewed MFA Threat   Dear Industry Executive: A couple of weeks ago, ACMA approached the catalog industry to support our True Simplification of Taxation (TruST) efforts for the new Congress. Since then, just three companies – all ACMA members – have stepped up. None are anywhere near our largest members and despite their generosity, we remain severely underfunded. It is our hope that the rest of the industry will step up to support this work even if (for whatever reason) your company is not part of one or more of the associations involved in TruST. Although the solicitation was straightforward, let me quickly clarify what’s at stake: TruST is a side project of ACMA, DMA, NetChoice and ERA (Electronic Retailing Association). Our respective member dues do not fund TruST’s expenses. A sizable portion of the funding we raised 2-1/2 years ago went toward a terrific government relations/P.R. firm called 463 Communications. This firm was responsible for placing persuasive information in publications read by the very members of Congress who were involved in the horrific Marketplace Fairness Act’s (MFA) demise in the 113th Congress. If we don’t get more funding within the next three weeks, TruST will have to let 463 Communications go, as we’ll have nothing left to pay them. If TruST can no longer function properly, the chances for passage of MFA will go up significantly. If passed into law, the MFA would either put a number of catalogers and other remote marketers out of business or cut deeply into your profits. MFA will be reintroduced in the new Congress, and it promises to be no better than the version passed by the Senate nearly two years ago – equally horrible. Bottom line: TruST has been incredibly successful in protecting your interests. But if TruST can't keep up our relentless action to defeat MFA again, the fate of many catalog and e-commerce businesses will change significantly for the worse. When MFA is re-introduced soon, it will again have heavy big-box retail backing. Our victory in the last Congress was great, but this isn’t a one-and-done situation.   We Need Funding Immediately Suggested contribution amounts are as follows: Small Companies: $1,000 Medium-sized Companies: $5,000 Larger-sized Companies: $10,000 Industry Leaders: $25,000 This valuable work badly needs your support, so please go to ACMA’s Action Funds web page and make a donation of whatever you can muster (if needed, you can paste this link: https://acma.memberize.net/clubportal/Fundraising.cfm?clubID=2129&campaignID=358). We are happy to address any questions. Please also forward this email along to any industry colleagues you can think of and encourage them to make donations too.   Thank you for your support.   Best, Paul Miller Vice President & Deputy Director American Catalog Mailers Association www.catalogmailers.org 914-669-8391 pmiller@catalogmailers.org     ### About ACMA ACMA is a Washington-based not-for-profit organization specifically created to advocate for the unique collective interests of catalog mailers in regulatory, public and administrative matters where the shared impact transcends individual company interests. The only catalog owned and controlled trade group focused solely on the business interests of catalogers and their supply chain, ACMA participates in rule-making and other proceedings of significance where a single collective voice increases influence and effectiveness. Membership is open to any party with direct interests in the catalog industry. More information can be found at www.catalogmailers.org. © 2015 American Catalog Mailers Association, Inc. You are specifically requested to share this message with others in the catalog industry.   Published: 02/03/15

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