THE IMPACT OF LEG DAY 2012

Print this Article | Send to Colleague

Our PCOC Leg Day this was an outstanding success on many fronts. Better attendance than last year – always a good sign. More legislators at our Legislative Reception – in fact five times as many as in previous years: we had 30 legislators, including Assembly Speaker John Perez. We were also proud to welcome the new DPR Director Brian Leahy.

However, what really made this year's event so successful was the effect our talking points had upon the legislative process. They centered on the absolute necessity of preserving the Structural Pest Control Board by making sure appointments were made by the Governor. Otherwise, after June 1 the Board, for all intents and purposes, would have ceased to exist without a quorum. Immediately after the event I received many copies of letters written by legislators to the Governor urging that he make his appointments to the Board. This was a direct result of the visit made by PCOC members to their local legislators over in the Capitol.

The effect of all this? I quote directly from the Governor's press release dated May 25:

"Ronna Brand, 63, of Beverly Hills, has been appointed to the Structural Pest Control Board. She is the founder and owner of Brand Realty. Brand has been state director for the California Association of Realtors since 2006. She was president of Beverly Hills Greater Los Angeles Association of Realtors in 2007 and was founder and owner of Bicoastal Connections from 1980 to 1984. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Brand is a Democrat.

Naresh Duggal, 51, of San Jose, has been appointed to the Structural Pest Control Board. He has been a manager in the integrated pest management unit for Santa Clara County since 2002. Duggal was a quality assurance manager for the commercial division of Orkin Exterminating Inc. from 1999 to 2002. He served in multiple positions at PrismProfessional Integrated Sanitation Management from 1994 to 1999, including technical support, quality assurance manager and staff entomologist. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Duggal is registered decline-to-state.

Mike Duran, 70, of Indio, has been appointed to the Structural Pest Control Board. He has been president of Duran's Termite and Pest Control Inc. since 1977. He has been a member and trustee for Valley Sanitary District of Indio since 2003. Duran was a member and trustee of the Mosquito and Vector Control and Sanitary District in Coachella Valley from 2004 to 2008. He established the Pest Control Operators, Palm Springs chapter and served as president from 2001 to 2004. Duran served as a reserve police officer in the City of Indio from1964 to1967. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Duran is a Democrat."

ALERT - POTENTIAL LICENSE DENIAL OR SUSPENSION FOR FAILURE TO PAY TAXES

Effective July 1, 2012, the Structural Pest Control Board is required to deny an application for licensure or suspend a license/certificate/registration if a licensee or applicant has outstanding tax obligations due to the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) or the State Board of Equalization (BOE) and appears on either the FTB or BOE's certified lists of top 500 tax delinquencies over $100,000. (AB 1424, Perea, Chapter 455, Statutes of 2011)

Once it has been determined that an applicant or a licensee is on a certified list, the applicant or licensee has 90 days from the issuance of a "Preliminary Notice of the Intent to Suspend or Withhold Issuance or Renewal of the License" to either satisfy all outstanding tax obligations or enter into a payment installment program with the FTB or BOE. Any such person who fails to come into compliance will have his/her license denied or suspended until the Structural Pest Control Board receives a release from the FTB or BOE. The form for requesting a release will be included with the preliminary notice of suspension or denial.

The law prohibits the Structural Pest Control Board from refunding any money paid for the issuance or renewal of a license where the license is denied or suspended as required by AB 1424 for failure to pay taxes.

The FTB and BOE are currently expanding the certified lists from 250 to 500, but you can check if you are currently on the FTB's certified list or the BOE's certified list. If you believe you are on either list in error, please call the FTB at (866) 418-3702 or the BOE at (916) 445-5167.

San Francisco Chronicle Update

Many of you are aware that the San Francisco Chronicle has been running a column called "Ask the Bugman," written by Richard Fagerlund, for several years. The column has repeatedly spoken negatively about our industry but perhaps more significantly, it has offered ill-conceived, often dangerous and even illegal advice to readers about pest control practices. PCOC has been advocating against this column for years. Recently, we have had ongoing dialogues with the paper and shared specific concerns about the advice being delivered through the column. We were recently informed that Mr. Fagerlund will no longer be writing for the Chronicle.

Pest Control Operators of California
www.pcoc.org

The Voice of PCOC digital magazine