February 12, 2011 - A former conservative powerhouse in Washington state politics was named the 2011 Ronald Reagan Award Recipient today by the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C. The recipient is the former Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) executive vice president Tom McCabe, who sat on today's "Bleeding America Dry: The Threat of Public Sector Unions" panel at CPAC.
Tom McCabe made a career of fighting heavy state regulation as the executive vice president of the BIAW. just confirmed in a news release that executive vice president Tom McCabe is leaving after 21 years fighting state regulations. A BIAW press release about McCabe's departure in December, 2010 noted this:
McCabe built BIAW’s workers' compensation retro program into the largest of its kind in the state, refunding $360 million from state government back to builder businesses over the past 20 years. Under McCabe, BIAW became a powerful political force for conservative, pro-business candidates and causes. BIAW hired McCabe the same year the disastrous Growth Management Act became law in 1990. Over the next 20 years, McCabe directed a lobbying team that prevented the passage of any legislation that negatively targeted the building industry. Source: TheOlympian.com (also see "Tearing down the builders" at SeattleWeekly.com).
A press release about McCabe's award was issued at 1:00 p.m. today:
For Immediate Release: February 12, 2011
TOM MCCABE NAMED 2011 RONALD REAGAN AWARD RECIPIENT BY AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE UNION
Washington, DC -- Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Chairman David A. Keene last night announced Tom McCabe of Olympia, Washington, as the 2011 recipient of the Ronald Reagan Award, an honor given annually to a conservative leader fighting in the trenches for the principles embodied by Ronald Reagan. The award was presented during the conference's annual Ronald Reagan Banquet for which Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels was the keynote speaker.
In presenting the award, Chairman Keene said, "Tom McCabe, during his tenure as the Executive Director of the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) for more than 20 years, built the organization into a force for free enterprise and conservative principles. Unlike most business associations across the nation, BIAW has been, under Tom's leadership, steadfast in its dedication to the defense of small business and entrepreneurship against the onslaught of the labor unions, trial lawyers, liberals and environmental extremists."
McCabe worked in the Department of Veterans Affairs during the Reagan Administration. In 1989, he and his wife Susan moved to her home state of Washington. In 1990, McCabe was named Executive Director of the BIAW and, over the next 21 years, created the premier business trade association in the state by adhering to the simple truths of promoting freedom, free enterprise, lower taxes and less regulation.
"Tom's strength of character and dedication to conservatism made him a target of the liberals and the Democratic left who always oppose conservatives and even some Republicans who have attacked Tom and BIAW to please the left in furtherance of their own political ambitions. The Ronald Reagan award is given each year to a conservative warrior and we are proud to present this year's prize to such a warrior -- Tom McCabe," Keene concluded.
The American Conservative Union is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots conservative organization. The American Conservative Union Foundation’s annual CPAC meeting is the largest gathering of conservatives annually. Testifying to the exponential growth of the conservative movement, this year’s conference has proven to be the most highly attended in its decades-long history with fifteen percent more attendees than last year and twice as many exhibitors. With forty percent of registrants being first time attendees, this year's CPAC will emphasize the development of a younger generation of conservatives.
Contact: Anne Marie Frawley (202) 489-7559
CPAC Names Its 2011 Ronald Reagan Award Recipient
February 12, 2011 - A former conservative powerhouse in Washington state politics was named the 2011 Ronald Reagan Award Recipient today by the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C. The recipient is the former Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) executive vice president Tom McCabe, who sat on today's "Bleeding America Dry: The Threat of Public Sector Unions" panel at CPAC.
Tom McCabe made a career of fighting heavy state regulation as the executive vice president of the BIAW. just confirmed in a news release that executive vice president Tom McCabe is leaving after 21 years fighting state regulations. A BIAW press release about McCabe's departure in December, 2010 noted this:
McCabe built BIAW’s workers' compensation retro program into the largest of its kind in the state, refunding $360 million from state government back to builder businesses over the past 20 years. Under McCabe, BIAW became a powerful political force for conservative, pro-business candidates and causes. BIAW hired McCabe the same year the disastrous Growth Management Act became law in 1990. Over the next 20 years, McCabe directed a lobbying team that prevented the passage of any legislation that negatively targeted the building industry. Source: TheOlympian.com (also see "Tearing down the builders" at SeattleWeekly.com).
A press release about McCabe's award was issued at 1:00 p.m. today:
For Immediate Release: February 12, 2011
TOM MCCABE NAMED 2011 RONALD REAGAN AWARD RECIPIENT BY AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE UNION
Washington, DC -- Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Chairman David A. Keene last night announced Tom McCabe of Olympia, Washington, as the 2011 recipient of the Ronald Reagan Award, an honor given annually to a conservative leader fighting in the trenches for the principles embodied by Ronald Reagan. The award was presented during the conference's annual Ronald Reagan Banquet for which Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels was the keynote speaker.
In presenting the award, Chairman Keene said, "Tom McCabe, during his tenure as the Executive Director of the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) for more than 20 years, built the organization into a force for free enterprise and conservative principles. Unlike most business associations across the nation, BIAW has been, under Tom's leadership, steadfast in its dedication to the defense of small business and entrepreneurship against the onslaught of the labor unions, trial lawyers, liberals and environmental extremists."
McCabe worked in the Department of Veterans Affairs during the Reagan Administration. In 1989, he and his wife Susan moved to her home state of Washington. In 1990, McCabe was named Executive Director of the BIAW and, over the next 21 years, created the premier business trade association in the state by adhering to the simple truths of promoting freedom, free enterprise, lower taxes and less regulation.
"Tom's strength of character and dedication to conservatism made him a target of the liberals and the Democratic left who always oppose conservatives and even some Republicans who have attacked Tom and BIAW to please the left in furtherance of their own political ambitions. The Ronald Reagan award is given each year to a conservative warrior and we are proud to present this year's prize to such a warrior -- Tom McCabe," Keene concluded.
The American Conservative Union is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots conservative organization. The American Conservative Union Foundation’s annual CPAC meeting is the largest gathering of conservatives annually. Testifying to the exponential growth of the conservative movement, this year’s conference has proven to be the most highly attended in its decades-long history with fifteen percent more attendees than last year and twice as many exhibitors. With forty percent of registrants being first time attendees, this year's CPAC will emphasize the development of a younger generation of conservatives.
Contact: Anne Marie Frawley (202) 489-7559
