Chuck Norton offered a quote from Bee Culture penned by the late Dr. Roger
Morse, in which Roger opined "there will probably never again be a strong
inspection force in most states."  Written in 1993, the New York State
inspection program had recently been abolished by the state budget ax.
Roger was a professor of apiculture at Cornell University (Ithaca, New
York).  Were he alive today, Roger would eat his words.  It took an
organized letter writing campaign by the New York State Beekeepers, an
herculean organizational effort to get the seventeen regional associations
and the state association alligned, and effective lobbying of state
legislators in Albany to get the state inspection program reinstated.  But
it was done, and it took more than a few years.    Not only was the NYS
Honey Bee Inspection program reinstated, but an Apiary Industry Advisory
Committee was formed (to advise state government and departments on
beekeepers' concerns), and funding for two positions at Cornell (an
extension position and an apiary technician) were also written into the
state budget!

The current inspection program suffered from nearly a decade hiatus and it
has been a hard task getting back up to speed.    The program lost a lot of
its seasoned inspectors and records of who was keeping bees where fell
woefully out of date.  It is much harded starting from scratch than
maintaining an extant program.  My advice to West Virginia is to get
organized NOW to retain your inspection program!  I don't know the
beekeeping scene in WV, but however many organizations there are, get on the
same base and get your members writing letters.  Arrange meetings with your
state legislators, and yes, make political contributions to reelection
campaigns!  And when you are successful (politicians will not ignore a loud,
unified voice), keep the pressure up!  Continue to be familiar voices in
politicians' mail boxes, keep the cards, letters and contributions coming.
Seriously.  New York's Govenor has not included the State Honey Bee
Inspection program in ANY of his proposed budgets since it was reinstated 5
years ago.  Continuing the program has required a vigilant campaign EACH
YEAR to keep the program was running!  It has been the Legislators who have
supported the program, based on the groundswell of supportive requests they
receive from the beekeepers who help elect and/or keep them in office!  It
CAN be done, but it requires coordination and continued pressure.

I have always opined that beekeepers are political buffoons.  We spend so
much time arguing amongst ourselves that it's hard for Senators and
Assemblymen and Governors to take us seriously.  We're a small constituency
to begin with, we can ill afford infighting.  But if beekeepers can get
together and get on the same base and speak with a unified voice, they can
be heard!

Aaron Morris - I'm a beekeeper and I vote!

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