New York vs Bed Bugs

The “Why doesn’t New York City have a Bed Bug Task Force?” Campaign

You thought we already had one, didn’t you?

No. There isn’t one! It’s time to ask our city government for help. This problem is too large and complex. A task force can coordinate resources, establish best practices and launch a public information campaign to control the spread of bed bugs in our city. Let’s ask the New York City Council to establish a bed bug task force.

Finding your council representative

• Find your NYC council member here.
• Or use NYPIRG’s Who Represents Me tool. This tool is great and will give you contact information for all your representatives in every level of government. Please consider contacting them as well. This will ensure that all our elected officials are well advised of our concerns and are given an opportunity to get on our side!

Calls

• The single most effective way for you to help is to pick up the phone.
• Call the representative of your district. It might take a few minutes but will likely have a powerful effect. Your representative needs to know this issue matters to people in your neighborhood.
• Keep it brief and simple.
• Make sure they know you are a voter in their district.
• Ask why we don’t have a task force.
• Tell them you are concerned about the spread of bed bugs in our city. Toronto and Cincinnati have a bed bug action committee and a task force, respectively. We need one too!

Letters

Not keen on the phone call idea?

• Write a letter, or an email. Same principles apply. Be brief and make sure you write your name and address. If you are writing a letter, asking for a reply at the end is a very good thing.
• If you don’t know what to say, use our sample letter which asks the question of the day, why doesn’t New York City have a bed bug task force? You should certainly edit our sample and add details of concern to you or describe your personal bed bug story. But, again, keep it short. You can always write a follow-up letter!
• NEW, please note: if you are writing an email to your New York City council representative, please copy Ms. Rosalba Rodriguez in council member Gale Brewer’s office: Rosalba.Rodriguez {at} council.nyc.ny.us
  

CitizenSpeak

Don’t have time? Overwhelmed by bed bugs? While personal calls and letters to your representatives are best, you can still participate via a simpler option and just type in your information to send a bed bug task force campaign letter plus a personal message to selected officials. Please visit our CitizenSpeak campaign page. It’s quick and gets it done.

Let us know you participated

• Please leave us a note to let us know if you called, sent a letter, or both!
• You can also email us if you have any questions or to let us know you made your calls or sent letters: underdog {at} newyorkvsbedbugs {dot} org.

We desperately need a NYC bed bug task force! Let’s ask for one right now.

NEW: The bed bugs in schools parental notification law

Please review Bedbugger’s update on Michael Gianaris’ bed bug legislation which is now in committee in the New York State Senate. Please follow the links to write to your senate representatives and support this legislation.

Thank you for your help.