We believe strongly that the insect should not be allowed to crawl over children while they are sleeping. We took the position two years ago that (bedbugs) are a public health crisis.
-Chris Eddy, Environmental Health Director, Hamilton County, Ohio
The Cincinnati Post, September 6, 2007
Cincinnati established a Bedbug Remediation Commission in September 2007. A combined city of Cincinnati/Hamilton County bed bug task force is reviewing a draft report this month. There are a number of measures already taken and more ambitious initiatives forthcoming.
In November 2007, Toronto City Councillor Paula Fletcher asked the Board of Health to “direct the Medical Officer of Health and Public Health staff to investigate measures to deal with the spread of bed bugs.” Toronto established an Action Committee in February.
These cities are working hard and tapping smart and talented people to come up with sensible solutions and strategies.
New York City is not without smarts and talent and caring! City Council member Gale Brewer proposed bed bug legislation as early as 2005.
But we haven’t supported Ms. Brewer’s and other council members’ efforts in sufficient numbers. We haven’t asked for help. Not enough of us.
When we have bed bugs, we are exhausted and barely functioning. If we are lucky enough to get rid of them, we are anxious to return to our lives and move on.
We understand that. We’ve lived it and we know exactly what it’s like.
But we have no committee, no task force, no commission.
And the bed bugs are winning. If you doubt it, you haven’t been following the news.
These pages may be of related interest:
- Heartfelt thanks to all of you supporting our efforts for a New York City bed bug task force
- Psst, CBS: there is no bed bug task force
- Franklin County, Ohio gets in on the bed bug task force idea
- NYT editorial acknowledges Gale Brewer’s cause
- A small preview of the Cincinnati/Hamilton County bed bug task force report
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Hi, do you really think that City Goverment cares about us? I don’t think so, take a look what is our NYC looks like? A big junk yard-not a capital of the world, maybe junk yard of the world. So bed bugs have found a paradise here. One of the solution – just don’t vote for them anymore (I mean City Goverment). But establish a task force is a good idea, why not-we have to do some thing, otherwice we all be eaten by them (by both of them, literally). Clean our city and make it again beautifull NYC.
Hi Alex,
I guess the short answer would be no, I don’t think they care.
However, when it comes to politicians, (I’m told) they care about what their constituents tell them to care about, most of the time. Based on this premise, we think that if New Yorkers, in sufficient numbers, demand that action be taken on the issue of bedbugs, they will have no choice but to take action, no matter how much they wish they didn’t have to, because the issues are so complex and a reasonable policy can’t possibly be advanced without money.
That said, I would lie if I didn’t say that I’m not so sure anymore that this will happen. I’m losing confidence that there will be sufficient outcry to force their hand.
Still. We’re not giving up on this perhaps quixotic effort. We’re hoping to get lucky. And doing something feels better than doing nothing.
Thanks for your comment. Please, ahem, write to your council person.
I would like to attend the EPA bed bug conference in April. Can you tell me how and where I can register?
Thank you
Hi Sandy,
The EPA conference will be announced, with instructions on registration, in the Federal Register: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/browse.html
This should happen sometime this week, I expect, but don’t really know.
I wasn’t really supposed to post the news, so for now treat it as gossip and the official announcement should come any day now.
I’ll post an update when I see the notice in the FR.
If current private companies can’t rid a sudio apartment for $1500, what makes you think there gona get rid of them for the city salary, of I”m sure, lets be generous, $15.00 per hour. LOL… You have to be kidding me!!! You have private PCO’s charging thousands of dollars, yet have an employee making $12.50 an hr, who can care less… If the employee was making even a small percentage of that $1500, mabye they would look into providing a quality service, yet the boss has them doing 12 stops a day with 3 budbug jobs included… ITS A JOKE!!
Hi BugBoy911,
I’m not sure what you mean? The bed bug task force — which is now not called a task force but a bed bug advisory board, and whose members haven’t been appointed yet, not sure what the holdup is — is going to be 5 appointees and 5 NYC agency people. Their job will be to make recommendations for the City Council and for the Mayor. These recommendations will be around prevention, education, garbage rules, tracking infestations, etc. They are supposed to write a comprehensive report making specific recommendations. The appointed members of the task force will not get paid.
About overscheduled technicians, I guess I would agree on that. One of the things we want to see — but something the industry is very resistant to — is specialized training of technicians and pest control operators, so that they learn about bed bugs and how to inspect and how to treat for bed bugs. As you must know, not everyone knows what they’re doing. Because things are so bad, everyone must know what they’re doing. It’s not a matter of simply hiring the good companies, which is what the industry thinks people should do. It’s about making sure there are as few unforced errors as possible.
Renee