Plano AC Repair company owner reflects on the state of our…

Plano AC Repair Company owner Steve Lauten, President of Total Air and Heat Co. in Plano, TX reflects on the state of our country as he looks back on 2006.

A Year to Celebrate!

As I sit here writing my message this month I am reflecting on what changes occurred in our Nation, our State, and our Chapter.  The recent elections should send a strong message to everybody that the “status quo” just got its butt kicked.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying I liked the strong message sent, in particular the changes in Dallas County with the majority of the judges losing re-election is cause for concern.  My main point being is I really don’t see what politics has to do with being a judge at the County level?  The focal point should be is the judge qualified to be sitting at the bench and following the legal system.  Enough about that, but it does point out several key things we should all remember:

In either example the system works as designed.  The recent election clearly stated there were lot’s of voters who were not happy with the status quo.  It also showed that many of the Incumbents did not think they could be beat and I bet they were surprised with the election results!

This leads me to remind each of you that we have a huge legislative session coming up in 2007 in Austin.  You need to know that some form of Technician Licensing bill will likely be presented.  Now that plumbers and electricians are required to be licensed at the Master, Journeyman and Apprentice levels; it is very likely that this will be attempted for HVAC too.  At this point, what happens is entirely up to you!  Doing nothing is a decision and it allows your destiny to be determined by those who do not have your best interests in mind.  At this point, all I ask is for you to consider making a donation to the TACCA PAC fund. Keep in mind these donations have to be in cash, or personal check.

We also have many reasons to celebrate the successful year we have had at our ACCA-North Texas Chapter.  The December meeting is our “Awards” meeting and a time to celebrate.  We will be handing out lots of awards, so please plan on attending.

I would also like to thank each and every member of our 2006 Board of Directors.  They have done an excellent job in taking the ACCA-NTX Chapter to the next level.  In addition, we made some changes this year to the Board of Directors structure.  The net result is many of the board members have agreed to stay on longer.  This includes me, I would normally being retiring.  When we held our planning session last year, it was discussed that to be more effective we needed to change up the Board to allow for better continuity from year to year.  Therefore, I will be serving an additional year as Chairman.  I want each of you to know that the entire Board of Directors is volunteering for the same reason:  to make a difference in our Industry and enhance our image in the Community in which we work.  Feel free to contact any of us with ideas on how we can continue to make this Chapter among the best in the Nation.

In closing, I wanted to rewind back a few months.  I had heart surgery in August, and fortunately avoided any damage because the nuclear stress test I did showed I needed an Angiogram, resulting in 1 stent being placed in a main artery.  I was extremely fortunate because I had absolutely no symptom and felt great.  Yet the diagnostic test showed otherwise.  I tell you this, because I also mention that 2 of my best friends in Boy Scouts died from heart attacks a few years ago.  When I was active in Scouts, there was a core group of 4 leaders who kept the Troop on track.  As mentioned, 2 of those died of heart attacks, I avoided a heart attack.  I told my story to the 4th person and he listened.  Dan went and saw my heart specialist and also got a nuclear stress test.  Needless to say Dan was shocked when he was told that part of his heart muscle was dead and not working.  The told him that he would absolutely have died if he did not have this fixed and real soon!  His surgery is on December 1st and it is an all day procedure to go in and reactive the area where the muscle is dead.  I hope that anybody you care about hears this story.  I hope all of you macho men that are indestructible listen too.  It does not matter if you have a family history of heart disease.  My family does not, and neither does Dan’s.  Get a physical, and if you are over 40 and have never had a stress test done, get one, and if possible get a nuclear stress test.  Any questions about this, please call me!

I hope this has been a successful year for you and that you enjoy the holiday season.

Best Regards, Steve

Plano AC Repair Service, Total Air and Heat, is owned by Steve Lauten, the second generation owner.  Founded in 1957 by Steve’s dad, Fred Lauten, Total Air and Heat is proud to have received some of the highest awards for quality and service that are offered in the Industry. Among those awards are the Readers Choice Awards from the Collin County Newspaper, the Trane Pacesetter Award in 2002, and designation as a Trane Comfort Specialist.