Pest Management Professional, September 2012

the government makes it to kill or manage pests the greater the opportunity for PMPs For example as do it yourself DIY products become more targeted and difcult to use consumers will turn to professionals because theres zero evidence theyre learning to share their homes yards and workplaces with structural pests The good news for PMPs is theres zero evidence consumers are learning to share their homes yards and workplaces with structural pests What is the general industry approach to added legislation and or regulations these days In recent years weve been spending more time on regulatory issues and less on legislative which is likely because so little seems to get accomplished in Congress these days because of the hyper partisan environment Weve worked hard at developing respectful cooperative relationships with federal and state regulators with good results For example earlier this year by working closely with ASPCRO the Association of Structural Pest Control Regulatory Ofcials and the U S EPA we were able to jointly create rodenticide label changes that the industry needed What year was Legislative Day started and how did it compare to Legislative Day 2012 Legislative Day was started in 1988 My frst Legislative Day was in 1989 We might have had 40 attendees counting staf speakers and maybe even a few hotel employees This year marked the events 25th anniversary It drew about 400 people industry insiders Our industrys participation in Legislative Day is the envy of organizations many times our size But it isnt just the size of the event thats changed and mushroomed The biggest diferences are the comfort sophistication and education of todays attendees and the clear recognition of the pest management industry on Capitol Hill In 1989 people got lost on the Hill When they found their ways often they were intimidated by members of Congress With 25 years under our collective belt its a very diferent story in 2012 Todays attendees are knowledgeable confdent and skilled grassroots advocates As a result today the industry has a stellar reputation on the Hill What does a PMP gain from attending Legislative Day PMPs need to be involved in the policy making process whether its attending Legislative Day communicating with state or federal regulators or being involved in the electoral process by volunteering and making political contributions At a superfcial level one could argue that one person cant make a diference or that Others will charge the Hill Ill just stay home and reap the beneft But this is fawed shortsighted thinking I promise you that legislators and regulators care about what each PMP says respect and use the information they receive and are profoundly infuenced by the eforts of constituents and our regulated community Sweetening the deal its truly rewarding to be a part of our countrys policymaking process and 25 years later theres 10 times the strength in our numbers pmp Jerry Mix was editor publisher of PMP until his retirement in 2004 A member of the PMP Hall of Fame Class of 2005 Mix can be reached at jnmix@ aol com www mypmp net Pest Management Professional September 2012 111