WASHINGTON, D.C. -

As Ray Mungenast took over as the American International Automobile Dealers Association chairman last week in Las Vegas, he promised that he would represent members to the best of his ability.

And in an effort to maintain open lines of communication with members and dealers, he will now be establishing a regular blog “Ray on Point”, “through which he can communicate directly with dealers,” officials noted.

Taking a cue from his predecessors, many of which kept blogs as well, Mungenast says he strives to keep dealers up-to-date on such issues as taxes, regulations and labor.

And with issues in Washington, D.C. arising such as industry concerns with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Mungenast will most likely not lack in relevant  topics to share with the dealer public.

In introducing himself and his blog, the new AIADA chairman describes himself as “a Midwestern guy, and not the type to beat around the bush, so expect straight talk and real opinions in this space throughout 2012.”

He also noted that “dealers are some of the most resilient, creative and unified business owners in the world,” also stressing there is “no challenge they can’t face and win.”

Below is his first blog post, introducing "Ray On Point" and himself to dealer members:

When I took over as AIADA’s chairman last week in Las Vegas, I promised our members that I would represent them to the best of my ability and work to preserve our businesses for the next generation of dealers. A critical part of keeping that promise is maintaining open lines of communication with our members and sharing both the challenges and opportunities I find in Washington, D.C.

For that reason, I will be taking a page from my predecessors’ books and establishing a regular blog through which I can communicate directly with my fellow dealers. I’m a Midwestern guy, and not the type to beat around the bush, so expect straight talk and real opinions in this space throughout 2012. Ray on Point will focus on the issues that matter most to dealers – taxes, regulations, and labor – and the events that are shaping this industry.

There is no question that we have an action-packed year ahead of us. Today we are fighting a battle in Washington to include Japan in crucial trans-Pacific trade talks. We are also preparing for the UAW to follow up on their threat to use our stores as pawns in their highly politicized games. In November, we will participate in an election that will either establish a new direction or reaffirm an old one for this country.  And through it all, AIADA will continue to work with legislators to establish fair tax laws, stand up to regulators for impartial rules on labor issues and fuel standards, and cooperate with our manufacturers to protect their patents and grow our businesses.

That’s a full plate, but AIADA has the tools and dealer support it needs to meet our goals. I was never more confident of that support until I spoke to an absolutely PACKED room in Las Vegas. There, and throughout NADA’s convention, I saw firsthand the incredible level of dealer involvement we enjoy. Dealers are some of the most resilient, creative, and unified business owners in the world. It stands to reason, then, that international nameplate dealers – after decades of legislative harassment – must take those traits to the next level.

Together, there is no challenge that we can’t face and win.

Thank you for allowing me to represent you and your hardworking employees. Like Jim Smail and the other great dealers who have held this position before me, I fully intend to leave this association and its members in even better shape than I found it.

For more information, see here.