Ed Meyer cares about the future of the trucking industry. As president of Fundis Co., a trucking business, he wants to ensure that his employees are educated about any legislative action that may affect what they do, such as the implementation or increase of taxes.

So this week he’s trying something new. Along with the various forms and orders his truckers might fill out, they’ll also find voter registration forms on tables and counters at Fundis.

“The amount of people working in businesses that are voting is pathetic,” Meyer said. “It’s mostly retirees, union and public employees. It’s mindboggling.”

Fundis and several other companies in the area are participating in the Nevada Prosperity Project’s Voter Registration Week. The event, which began with a kick-off event last Saturday at Trucker’s Rodeo, goes until Friday. Its purpose is to equip business owners with the tools to educate their employee about key legislative initiatives and to contact their government leaders for desired representation.

Participants will offer fliers, newsletters and links to their companies’ Web sites, courtesy of Prosperity Project, to give their employees opportunities to decide on the issues going on November’s ballot.

Although some tools are more conducive to some industries, Jodi Folen, controller for Fundis and Meyer’s daughter, said the emphasis this week will open up dialogue for employees and hopefully attract them to Fundis’ new Web site, www.nevadaprosperity.org/fundisco, that has been set up for the Prosperity Project.

Fundis deals primarily with transporting hay and waste paper and services the warehouse industry. The company owns 63 trucks and has about 90 employees.

“We want (our workers) to come in and explore the Web site on a regular basis and get the word out (on voting), whether it’s early voting or for the absentee ballots,” Folen said.

“People have to wake up and realize it’s everybody’s problem. We’re trying to encourage people (to vote or run for office), but most don’t have time to take off to serve in office” or even campaign, Meyer said.

Voter Registration Week also provides easier access for employees to register or change their affiliation or address so they can be involved in November’s election.

“It’s non-partisan and we’re trying to make it non-threatening for employees because a lot of employers don’t know how to share what they know without giving the appearance of telling them how to vote,” said Stephanie Herrera, who is overseeing the Nevada Prosperity Project. “(Through Prosperity), they get to make their own decisions.”

According to Herrera, in 2006 more than 15 percent of private industry voters surveyed said they received better information on political issues from their employers. More than 55 percent of those voters said they wished they would have been informed by their employers before voting.

Small businesses are underrepresented in the Senate and Assembly because many business owners don’t have time to become involved in the legislative process as they struggle to run their company.

“There’s not a lot of people from businesses who run for office because they’re busy running their companies,” Herrera said.

The Prosperity Project is an initiative in about 30 states to encourage more employer and employee education on the issues affecting private sector businesses.

Although it failed, Meyer said a weight distance tax, which would have charged truck drivers based on the truck’s weight and distance proposed in the 2007 Legislature would have crippled the trucking industry. A better solution would be to raise the fuel tax, he said.

“The cost of construction is going up, the fuel economy of cars is going up, too, but the taxes are getting less,” Meyer said.

He also said the trucking industry is being hit hard by the current economic state and said other industries should shoulder some of the costs of business, not just truckers.

“We don’t mind being part of the solution; we just don’t want to be the solution,” Meyer said.

Business owners can help their employees know who is a proponent for businesses by a report card the Prosperity Project has put out. A poster for businesses to display shows members of the Nevada Senate and Assembly in green (ranked at more than 50 percent) or in red (less than 50 percent). The colors signify whether they “pass” or “fail” in terms of supporting small businesses in the private sector.

“One in four members (of the private sector) are represented when it comes time to vote when we have budget issues,” Herrera said. “Businesses are tapped to fund whatever is lacking.”

How will Herrera and others know that the Prosperity Project has been successful?

“We’re on the radar screen for a lot of representatives and they’re not super thrilled and that tells me we’re doing something right,” Herrera said. “I think representatives count on the fact that their constituents don’t know how to access voting information.”

To access Nevada Prosperity Project’s Web site, visit www.nevadaprosperity.org. The site contains information about voting records, how to contact representatives and voter registration.