November 1999

Society President Urges Fiscal Year Reform at AICPA Council Meeting

NYSSCPA President Alan E. Weiner addressed AICPA Council in Seattle, recalling his and the Society's yearlong campaign to mobilize CPAs in support of fiscal year reform, also sometimes referred to as workload compression.

Last spring, Weiner wrote to state society presidents urging them to make the issue a major part of their agendas. He also sought the support of NYSSCPA committee chairs and chapter presidents, encouraging them to write and to rally other members to communicate their views to the AICPA and urging the Institute to put the issue on its legislative agenda.

The Georgia Society joined the NYSSCPA with a formal board resolution. In addition, presidents of the Nebraska, Wyoming, and Nevada state societies encouraged their members to write.

Weiner received 234 e-mails and 112 letters from around the country, a total of 346 pieces urging legislative advocacy from the AICPA.

Although this response fell short of his goal, response e-mails continue to come in; members can visit the Center for Fiscal Year Reform on http://http://www.nysscpa.org for more information and a sample e-mail directed to AICPA Chair Robert Elliott.

Weiner believes that regardless of the outcome, the Society's and other state society members' efforts were a good experiment in mobilizing the support of CPAs around the country. See this month's President's Commentary on page 2 for more on his views on the issue and other actions at the AICPA Council meeting. *