W.S.M.P.A.

NEWSLETTER

Professionals Dedicated to Health and Sanitation

 

Washington Suburban Master Plumbers Association

26712 Howard Chapel Drive, Damascus, Maryland 20872

Phone: (301) 466-7747

Web:  wsmpa.com         E-mail:  charlotte@wsmpa.com

 

April 2010

Vol. XVI   No 8

 

 

 

 

MEETING NOTICE

The regular monthly meeting of the Washington Suburban Master Plumbers Association will be held Wednesday, April 21, 2010, at the “Clarion Inn,”   8601 Baltimore Avenue, College Park, MD  20740.  Cocktails at 6:30p • FREE buffet dinner at 7:30p.  This meeting will be sponsored by Noland Company with Mid South Marketing featuring Kitchen & Bath Products from InSinkErator and Grohe.

 

 

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE George R. Cranford, Jr.

As we go into spring, the warm weather fills our hearts and minds with hope and promise that things will get better.  I have noticed positive activity, and from talking with some of you, that seems to be the consensus. 

 

The legislators ended their 90-day session this week and that is hope and promise for me. Speaking of legislators, the WSMPA PAC is in dire need of funds so we can continue to stay on top of things that affect our businesses. Your contributions do make a difference.  Please HELP!

 

In closing, a man's strength cannot always be judged by his strongest actions; in many instances he is judged by his weakness. (J.W.A. Henderson)

 

   

INDUSTRY  NEWS

                                                                 George Brill

As reported before, Chinese drywall emits 100 times more hydrogen sulfide than American made drywall; and, it’s eating plumbing, electrical, and gas piping.  Now for the good news.  The US Consumer Product Safety Commission is calling for the replacement of all that drywall and all piping behind it.  It’s like a gift that keeps on giving.

 

Here’s a shout out to WSMPA member Mike Kastner for receiving the Col. George D. Scott award from PHCC (national).  This is akin to our William H. Hahn Award but National PHCC only gives this out occasionally; the last time was in 2007.  Among Mike’s many accomplishments was serving as president of the national PHCC, 3 terms as president of MD PHCC, and a ten year stint as Howard County PHCC president.  Anyone attempting to survive a 10 year term as our association’s president would probably wind up being taken away in a straight jacket headed to the funny farm.  

 

LEGISLATIVE ALERT

                                                                 George Brill

HB580 was voted down in committee in General Assembly.  It was the bill to create a task force to study the reassignment of some tasks by the WSSC to Montgomery and Prince Georges counties.  Curious thing, the bill was listed as being sponsored by the joint Montgomery and Prince Georges Delegation, but the member of the WSSC subcommittee from Montgomery had never heard of the bill until I brought it to his attention.  Hmm, a little Prince Georges politics?

 

HB1184 a bill requiring apprentice plumbers to appear before the Maryland State Plumbing Board after renewing their license 3 times and explain why they haven’t gotten a journeyman’s license was voted unfavorable by the House Economic Matters Committee on 3/24/10.

 

HB892 is a bill concerning state property tax and homesteading.  It passed the House on 3/23/10 and received a favorable vote with amendments from the Senate Budget and Taxation committee on 4/5/10.  I report this because the amazing part is that Legislative Services reported the Senate vote on 4/3/10, that’s 2 days before the vote for the numerically challenged.  I would like to use their crystal ball on the day before the Mega-Bucks lottery drawing to supplement my IRA.

 

“Some judges think of the US Constitution as a big buffet that they can take what they want from it and leave the rest.  Other judges think words have meaning and they were put there for a reason.” 

 

EDUCATION

JOURNEYMAN MASTER PLUMBER

AND GASFITTER TEST REVIEWS

Plumber

Junel 2010

 

Gasfitter

May 4, 5, 10, 13, 25 & 26, 2010

Call the office @ 301-466-7747 for details.

 

POT SHOTS

Ah-Ha!  Caught’m.  JihadJane aka Colleen LaRose “represents one of the worst fears of intelligence and FBI analyst focused on identifying terrorist threats.”  Do I since some profiling going on?  A petite blonde woman is a threat?  Well, TSA isn’t being fooled; they are still pulling grandmothers out of wheelchairs for cavity searches while letting Abdul pass without a blink of the eye?  I think someone is being less than truthful (maybe they’ve been watching 24).

Speaker Pelosi says “We have to pass the bill (healthcare) so you can find out what’s in it”.  How does this person get elected?  Me thinks there is more than just some medicinal use of marijuana going on in San Francisco. 

 

Well, the Dem’s have made one person happy about the passage of healthcare take over, Fidel Castro.  He calls it a miracle and says they took over healthcare decades ago.  So why are all those boats heading north?

 

Certain rules in the healthcare takeover bill that passed apply to business’ that employ over 50 people except one industry.  If you are in a construction business, (us) than it applies if you have 5 or more employees. Wow!  We should feel honored. 

 

The poor guy in San Diego was saved by the actions of a California State Police Officer who helped him bring his runaway Toyota to a safe stop.  Toyota is sending a specialist to examine the car.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also said it will examine the Prius, to see how the heck anyone could get one up to 94mph.  I made the last part of that sentence up, never seen one go over 55.

 

The newsletter staff is thinking about starting a new service, movie reviews.  We need some volunteers to attend the openings of new movies and write a review.  First up is a movie soon to be released called “Ticked-Off Trannies With Knifes”.  Just go ahead and see it and send us a report so we can publish it, of course we will give the reviewer full credit.

 

EDITORIAL

                                          George Brill

If you have an Editorial you would like to submit for our Newsletter Committee to consider for publication, please email it to the office at charlotte@wsmpa.com.

 

(Opinions expressed by various authors are those of the author and not necessarily those of this association, the board of directors or the editorial staff.)

 

These companies support our Association, please patronize them:

  Meeting Sponsors and Advertisers:

Barger & Associates/ Delta (5/20/09)

D & B Distributing Co., Inc. (1/20/10)

Ferguson Enterprises, Inc.  (11/18/09)

Noland Company (4/21/10)

Northeastern Supply, Inc. (12/16/09)

Thos. Somerville Company (10/21/09)

S. E. Taylor & Associates (3/17/10)

Washington Gas (9/17/09)

Washington Winnelson Company (2/17/10)

Advertisers:

Cummins-Wagner, Inc.

Harry Eklof & Associates, Inc.

Milby Company

T. M. O’Donnell Company

Parts Unlimited, Inc.

Rentals Unlimited, Inc.

ROI Marketing

Water Heating Specialties, LLC

Tom Weaver Associates

Wolverine Brass, Inc.