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There’s nothing like an election year to bring the nation’s political pulse to a collective boil. But neither is there a better time for advocates of any cause or industry to band together as a delegation with a worthwhile message.
That was the objective of more than 200 green industry professionals when they took to the streets and congressional offices of Washington, D.C., last month in the 15th annual Legislative Day on the Hill, organized by the Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA). Armed with the legislative background and first-hand accounts of prominent industry issues, delegates from more than 30 states met with their senators and congressional officials to keep concerns including H-2B, association health plans, water regulations and industry-related funding top-of-mind for the coming year.
“The folks who come to our Legislative Day stand out as leaders in the industry and we know that there are a lot more of those leaders who haven’t had the opportunity to come to the event and really experience how much we can do,” says Tom Delaney, PLCAA’s vice president of government affairs. “We’ve worked hard to get as many people as possible from as many states as possible so we can make an impact as smaller delegations and as a whole group.”
Weed Man executive Phil Fogarty, who organized this year’s Renewal & Remebrance portion of the Legislative Day, agrees with Delaney and notes that anxiety associated with congressional meetings can be valid but also exhilarating for industry folks who are hesitant to participate.
“It’s understandable to be nervous about coming to Capitol Hill because you always have to be ‘on’ when it comes to talking about the details of the issues at hand,” Fogarty says. “But at the same time, professionals in our industry deal with these issues hands-on day after day. They know the issues, they know what the problems are that they face and it’s those concerns that members of congress need to hear first-hand at these meetings.”
As a Cleveland-area contractor, Fogarty and a group of industry delegates from met with aides from the offices of Ohio senators Mike DeWine and George Voinovich, as well as with assistants of representative Steven LaTourette. Joe Drake, president of J.F.D. Landscapes, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, also participated in these meetings – and came prepared.
“The H-2B issue is really key for us to focus on this year because of the visa cap being reached and so many companies not receiving their workers,” Drake says. “I brought dozens of application forms that were submitted to my company by people who were unemployable or didn’t show up for work, and also a copy of a check I wrote out just a few days ago for the premium processing fee that’s supposed to make sure we get our workers on time. We need laborers and we can’t find Americans to work these jobs, and it’s become almost mandatory to pay this $1,000 premium processing fee, but now no one can be certain that we’ll even get the workers we request.”
In addition to discussing H-2B reform, Hill attendees urged their legislators to consider the benefits of association health plans, the 21st Century Water Commission and continued funding for the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program.
Of course, the Legislative Day on the Hill was not solely designed to benefit members of the green industry. Indeed, the two-day event began with nearly 200 lawn care, landscape and tree care professionals donating a day to beautifying the grounds at the Arlington National and Old Congressional Cemeteries in Washington. This event marked the 9th annual Renewal & Remembrance Project associated with the Legislative Day on the Hill event.
“We wanted to give back to the armed forces and the American people,” stated Tom Delaney, vice president of government affairs for PLCAA. “We thought that helping to care for this hallowed ground would be a great way to give back,” Delaney added.
The group pruned trees and shrubs, fertilized, sodded, mulched and performed other needed tasks to help improve the green spaces at Arlington National Cemetery. Sod was laid on the most recent gravesites.
The total value of the services and the products donated was more than $100,000.00, and more than 235 acres were tended to during the four-hour event.
“PLCAA’s Legislative Day and the Arlington National Cemetery project combine the opportunities of congressional visits by lawn care and landscape companies to secure their business futures and to volunteer our industry trade. It is an honor to pay tribute to this historical resting ground with our green industry knowledge,” says Gary Clayton, executive vice president of PLCAA.
One of the co-sponsors of the event is the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA). For more information on PLCAA, visit the web at www.plcaa.org.
The author is associate editor of Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at lspiers@gie.net.