VIEWPOINT: Making Your Voice Heard

They say you only have one chance to make a good first impression. But, I think there’s a lot to be said for second and third impressions too.

This month is PCT’s Legislative Issue, which was distributed at the National Pest Management Association’s (NPMA) annual Legislative Day the last week of February. Typically, about 500 pest management professionals attend this important event, learning about the legislative process and educating their U.S. senators and representatives about issues concerning our industry. It’s always exciting to go and meet with your elected officials and to come away feeling like you’ve actually done something to help you, your company, your peers and your industry.

But this year’s different. This year, there are new senators and representatives to meet with and some of them have only been in Washington, D.C., for a few months. That means Legislative Day is a great opportunity for our industry to "hit ’em often and hit ’em hard." Wouldn’t it be great to be one of the first constituents to meet with a representative and tell him or her how signing one of Sen. Barbara Boxer’s (see this month's cover story, "Legislative Update," www.pctonline.com/articles/article.asp?MagID=1&ID=1381&IssueID=139) would affect you — a real person (who also votes)?

But what happens after that first meeting? Nothing, unless there’s some follow-up. That’s when NPMA’s government affairs committee comes in. The government affairs committee, made up of nine industry representatives, meets several times a year and recommends policy regarding legislative and regulatory affairs to NPMA’s staff and board of directors. The committee also helps raise funds for NPMA’s Political Action Committee (PAC). (FYI, PAC is a fund designed to help elect officials with a pro-pest control industry point of view.)

The government affairs committee keeps on top of legislative issues that are important to the industry. But it is important for everyone in the industry to keep talking to their elected officials about issues affecting the pest control industry. Otherwise, that first meeting may be forgotten.

If you didn’t make it to Legislative Day, seek out members of this group who are making a difference. The committee includes Jerry Keown, Lonnie Alonso, Michael Katz, Norman Goldenberg, Tom Diederich, Dick Sameth, Bruce Carter, Charles Efird and Bob Kuntz.

Call NPMA at 800/678-6722 to get in touch with them or to get the name of your legislators. Give them a call. You’ll be glad you did.

The author is editor of Pest Control Technology and can be reached at: jdorsch@pctonline.com