[View Point]

Industry’s support of Dold campaign is admirable

Bob Dold, president of Rose Pest Solutions, Northfield, Ill., took a major step in his congressional bid by winning the Illinois 10th Congressional District Republican primary in early February. Dold captured 38 percent of votes in a five-way primary, with state Rep. Elizabeth Coulson of Glenview finishing second with 31 percent. The primary victory sets up a November election against Democrat Dan Seals, a narrow winner in the Democratic primary. Seals lost congressional bids in 2006 and 2008 to incumbent U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), who opted to run for the U.S. Senate instead of seeking re-election.

The November election is expected to be hotly contested and draw national attention. The 10th District is a Democratic-leaning (61 percent voted for Obama in the ’08 Presidential election) district, but it has been held by Republicans since 1980. The district’s political makeup — plus the fact that it is an open seat up for grabs — has made the Illinois 10th District a target for Democrats looking to strengthen their majority in the House and for Republicans seeking to close the gap.

It’s been exciting for PCT to follow the Dold campaign since it began late last summer. Leading up to the February primary the campaign picked up endorsements from former Vice President Dan Quayle and the Chicago Tribune, which wrote, "Congress needs more people who genuinely understand what it takes to put people to work — and how government puts up roadblocks to employment. Dold makes a convincing argument that he does. He’s not a political neophyte: He has been active in local and national Republican politics for years. But he is making his first run for office and he would bring a fresh, common-sense perspective to government."

It’s also been exciting to watch the pest control industry support Dold, as so many understand the importance of having one of their own in Washington. How great was it to see fellow industry professionals passing out "Dold for Congress" buttons at PestWorld 2009, or making significant financial donations to his campaign? Many of these donations were from industry friends, but others came from casual industry acquaintances and even from competitors (e.g., Orkin and Terminix). It was yet another example of how this industry is able to come together and rally for a cause.

NPMA also has done a great job supporting Dold by making a financial contribution and holding fundraising events. The association held a fundraiser at PestWorld in October and will be doing so again on March 2, in conjunction with Legislative Day. For more information on how to participate, contact Bob Rosenberg at 703/352-6762 or e-mail him at rosenberg@pestworld.org.

PCT is excited to introduce "Tech Talk," (page 98) a new monthly column from the Copesan Technical Committee (CTC). Every month, a different CTC member will be featured, providing valuable insights on a range of technical topics of interest to pest management professionals. For the inaugural column, Steven Graff, quality assurance manager, Abell Pest Control, Toronto, Canada, provides tips for preventing food service clients from feeling the wrath of their local public health inspector in an article titled "Closed for Business." If there’s a particular topic you would like to see addressed in a future issue of PCT magazine, please send an e-mail to PCT Editor Jodi Dorsch (jdorsch@giemedia.com).

The author is Internet editor of PCTOnline and can be contacted at bharbison@giemedia.com.