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Hotel Information

This year, Legislative Day will be held at the Hyatt Regency Washington.  To reserve your room, call (888) 421-1442 by February 15, 2013 and mention "NPMA" to receive the group rate of $259 per night.  After February 15, rooms and the group rate are subject to availability.  

Questions?  Contact NPMA at (703) 352-NPMA (6762).

Have a division or pest management meeting announcement to share or questions about a meeting posted/mentioned?  Send info to info@ppmaonline.net  

Mark your calendar for the next PPMA Annual Conference on November 4 & 5, 2013 at the Best Western Premier Eden Resort in Lancaster, PA.

It was a busy week for Gov. Tom Corbett, and it began early. Instead of waiting for the Senate Finance Committee to hold a hearing Monday on his plans to privatize the Pennsylvania Lottery, he pushed ahead in executing a contract for Camelot Global Services to manage the lottery for 20 years. Corbett contends that private management will produce a larger and more predictable revenue stream benefitting elderly Pennsylvanians. Those expressing concern and/or opposition include the union representing lottery employees, most Democratic lawmakers, a few Republican lawmakers, and state Treasurer Rob McCord and newly elected Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, both Dems.
 

Yet to weigh in on the contract is the newly sworn third Democrat now occupying the statewide row offices, Attorney General Kathleen Kane, who gets to have the final okie-dokie within the next 30 days. House and Senate Democratic leaders urged her to reject the deal, contending that it usurps the authority of the General Assembly and violates federal law. Oh, by the way, welcome to Harrisburg, General.

Before the week was out, there were reports that Corbett was working behind the scenes to resurrect the move to privatize Pennsylvania's liquor stores as well http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/01/gov_corbett_to_renew_push_for.html. Liquor privatization was abandoned last year for lack of legislative support, but proponents are hopeful that Corbett's leadership will help move it forward this time.

This brings us to our Happy Hour Question of the Week: Which of the following events has the greatest probability?

1. Winning the lottery.
2. General Kane approving the lottery contract.
3. The General Assembly privatizing liquor stores.
4. Lance Armstrong winning another Tour de France.

Well, as Yogi Berra says, it's hard to make predictions, especially about the future, but one thing that seems to be gaining momentum is a transportation funding initiative. The Associated Press reported that the governor intends to roll out his funding proposal next week. Its centerpiece, the AP said, is removing the cap on the Oil Company Franchise Tax.

Making the funding plan look ever more likely is the support it's receiving from a diverse coalition of transportation advocates. For example, the president and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce joined two Philly labor leaders in calling for a comprehensive funding solution.

This week's installment of We Can't Make This Up sets a new standard for bizarre. Usually when someone says, "Hey, nobody died," it's considered good news. Not so for Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o. During the season, the story emerged that his girlfriend died of leukemia within six hours of the death of his grandmother, spurring him to an inspired athletic performance. As it turns out, his girlfriend was imaginary, and he said he had been the victim of a cruel hoax. By the end of the week, the cruel hoax explanation seemed to be gaining credibility. Some went so far as to suggest that the football career of this prospective first-round draft choice is in ruins. Dude, not unless he tackles ball carriers in the pros like he did in the national championship game.

PennDOT and Carnegie Mellon University are exploring how to regulate self-driving vehicles, a technological advancement that will enable motorists to pay even less attention to the road than they do now. The one-year study will examine public policy implications of autonomous vehicles, including their impact on infrastructure investment decisions.