Mechanical
Pioneer Landscaping
Diesel Fleet Mechanic General
The Graham Group
Assistant to the Building Manager Sales and Marketing
Xentel
Expanding call center. New Hiring Bonus! Production and Manufacturing
Pioneer Landscaping
Crushing Crew Trades/Construction
Baker Brothers Plumbing
Dry Wallers Trades/Construction
Wentz and Patrick Construction
Carpenters & Helpers Trades/Construction
arizona portland cement
maintenance electrician

It should come as no surprise that Tom DeLay, a former pest exterminator, and a lobbyist representing some of the world's most powerful industries are linked to the corruption of our political system.

A remarkable and historical example of their motivation has been the crippling of regulatory agencies authorized to protect human health and the environment.

In the 1960s, the pesticide manufacturers and the pest-control industry, on whose products and services the American farmer and public had become dependent, were caught unaware.

Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" had exposed the involuntary environmental health risks associated with pesticide use.

The truth of "Silent Spring" gave rise to the widespread questioning of our dependence on pesticides, eventually our nation's environmental protection laws and the EPA.

The pesticide industry found it should not have relied on the USDA and farm state politicians to protect the use of pesticides. It needed more power and less chance of regulation — but that is history, right?

These industries learned well the lesson of not pre-empting popular belief in environmental health protection as they suffered the effects of environmental activism.

Thus, they persistently, and with almost unlimited funding, created industry groups and a lobbying system to influence the regulation and use of pesticides, pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals.

In the mid-1980s, they found their champion — Tom DeLay, an anti-regulation zealot and a pest exterminator from Texas.

He believed it was a criminal act for the EPA to ban the use of DDT and blamed that action for the deaths of millions in the Third World from malaria.

Bent on exterminating environmental regulations and promoting the increased use of pesticides, DeLay and the pesticide industries created a pro-pesticide cabal in the mid-1990s.

Advancing and exploiting a "pay-to- play" system of enabling very wealthy donors access to manipulate congressional budget allocations and agency oversight, they formed a finely tuned strategy to cripple regulatory agencies.

This strategy has resulted in the severe restriction in the ability of the EPA to protect our health and the environment.

In the last 10 years, reduced funding, Draconian travel restrictions, calls for "science-based" studies to delay the common-sense implementation of best management practices and rule-writing "assistance" by regulated trade groups have subverted, or at best, diverted agency priorities — particularly with regard to pesticide reduction programs.

When we send our children to school or day care centers, can they be assured of a safe learning environment in terms of pests and pesticides?

Trade groups for the pesticide industry have been empowered to attack scientists concerned with pesticide use around children and to browbeat the EPA into minimizing those who might advise implementation of more effective, less pesticide-dependent pest management.

As an entomologist experienced in implementing pest management in schools, I find that our children are being exposed to pesticides unnecessarily.

Although the toxicity of pesticides can be debated, what should not be debated is unnecessary exposure to toxins, ineffective pest control and the wasting of tax dollars.

It is no coincidence that industry strategies to increase our dependence on pesticides have become more effective.

Concurrent with the subversion of the EPA, funding for pro-pesticide mosquito control programs has increased, and industry-sponsored "science" Web sites are calling for the reinstitution of DDT.

Can we speculate that "Abramoff- tainted" lobbyists worked for trade associations to influence deregulation and promote pesticides?

Does our national situation regarding the regulation and promotion of pharmaceuticals parallel these strategies? Is this no surprise?

The pesticide industry has learned its lesson well, and our nation is moving very close to the state of pre-"Silent Spring" pesticide dependence.

So why should we be surprised with this convergence of the anti-regulatory/pro-pesticide profiteers and ideologues whose union has produced the largest political corruption scandal of our time? I guess we can blame it on the '60s.