ILMA Compoundings - July 2020 - 3

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Chuck Decker
American Oil &
Supply International, LLC
Vice President
Scott A. Schwindaman
Lubrication Engineers, Inc.
Treasurer
Michael Damiani
Radco Industries, Inc.
Secretary
Ann Ball
CIMCOOL Industrial
Products LLC
Immediate Past President
Barbara Kudis
Allegheny Petroleum
Products Co.

Barbara A. Bellanti
Battenfeld Grease &
Oil Corporation of N.Y.
Richard Camper
Pacific Precision
Formulators Inc.
Dave Croghan
Maxum Petroleum
Lon Fanning
DuBois Chemicals
Catharine T. Golden
Etna Products, Inc.
Frank H. Hamilton III
South Atlantic Services, Inc.
Greg Julian
Advanced Lubrication
Specialties
Michael McHenry
Master Fluid Solutions
Kent Morris
Pinnacle Oil, Inc.
David Richards
RichardsApex, Inc.

STAFF
Chief Executive Officer
Holly Alfano
Associate Director
Martha F. Jolkovski
Senior Director of
Communications
Brenda Gillinson
Senior Manager of
Member Engagement
Tim Mack

Senior Manager of
Marketing & Digital
Communications
Amber Lopez
Meetings Manager
Meg Thaxton
Accounting Manager
Margaret Smith
General Counsel
Jeffrey L. Leiter
Associate Counsel
Matthew Levetown

EDITORIAL, DESIGN
Contributing Editor
Brenda Gillinson

Designer
Mark St. Amand

THE YGS GROUP
Senior Managing Editor
Sam Hoffmeister

Copy Editor
Amanda Holahan

Content & Copy Director
Craig Lauer

Account Manager
Max Lalwani

MEDIA SALES
President
Jack Davidson
Vice President
Serena L. Spiezio

Advertising Account
Executive
Tima Good
tima.good@theYGSgroup.com

INDEPENDENT LUBRICANT
MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION
675 North Washington Street, Suite 275, Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703-684-5574 * Fax: 703-836-8503 * www.ilma.org
Editorial, Design, Media Sales, & Printed by The YGS Group
800-501-9571 * www.theygsgroup.com
Compoundings (USPS 003-447) is published monthly by the
Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association,
675 North Washington Street, Suite 275
Alexandria, VA 22314.

LETTER FROM THE CEO

2020: Having Fun Yet?

f you thought 2020 couldn't get any worse, hold that thought - it's an election
year. And while political junkies like me used to find that fun, that's all over.
I have been a Republican, and I have been a Democrat. Those days are gone.
Now, I look at both political parties, and it's not a pretty sight.
I guess I can confess now that I am an oddity. I am a true Independent because
I vote for candidates on both sides of the aisle. My experience is that those who
claim to be Independents are usually hiding their affiliation. And who can blame
them? In the current environment, to admit to belonging to the wrong party
could elicit hatred from someone who used to be your friend. And forget about
polite debate; that no longer exists. You risk inciting a riot.
If you think I'm exaggerating, here are some eye-opening facts, recently reported
in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
* According to a 2019 survey by the Brookings Institution, 82% of Republicans believe the Democratic Party has been taken over by socialists.
* 80% of Democrats believe the Republican party has been taken over by
racists.
* The WSJ cited a paper by political scientists Nathan P. Kalmoe and Lilliana
Mason that found that 60% of Republicans and more than 60% of Democrats
found the opposing party to be "a serious threat to the U.S. and its people."
* They also reported that "18% of Democrats and 13% of Republicans agreed
that violence would be at least somewhat justified if the other side won the
2020 election."
So, if you think 2020 has been fun so far, hold on. It may just get a whole lot
more interesting.
How on earth did we get here? There are many theories, but I blame party
leadership on both sides.
Today, the political parties are all about fundraising. To create a sense of urgency
to spur contributions, the parties have resorted to demonizing the other side.
Mudslinging is gone. Today, they swing hatchets. Instead of disagreeing with a
person with differing opinions, they are fighting the devil.
What really is so disheartening is that both sides claim that they are driven by
morality when, in fact, they are really being manipulated by party leadership, who
use innuendo and half-truths to make their case. And eager for the ratings-inducing
soundbite, the news media and their "commentators" perpetuate it.
As the presidential election approaches, I am holding my breath. I fear that it's
going to be uglier than ever. I know it's a cliché, but - the American people deserve
better. I believe in our country, its people and our system. But it has been hijacked. I
do look forward to the day when people reach the point where they say, "Enough!"

Annual subscriptions: Members, $75 of annual dues;
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and additional mailing offices.
ISSN 1042-508X
POSTMASTER: send address changes to
Compoundings, 675 North Washington Street, Suite 275,
Alexandria, VA 22314.

Holly Alfano
Chief Executive Officer

© 2020 Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association.
All Rights Reserved.
ILMA is pleased to present a variety of viewpoints in Compoundings
magazine. Readers should keep in mind that bylined articles represent the views of the named author or authors and not necessarily
the opinions, viewpoints or positions of ILMA.

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ILMA Compoundings - July 2020

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