The Texas Dental Association and advocacy: a TDA president's perspective

The TDA can take pride in the joint efforts of its leadership, its grassroots members, and its elected representatives in the middle of the decade of the 1990's. When asked about his legacy for the leadership of our organization, Dr. Eggleston emphatically states, "You have to act. You have to do the right thing even when you have critics and detractors." More recently, during his campaign for ADA President-elect, he constantly stressed the importance of our relationship with each other. Our relationship, in Dr. Eggleston's words now and during his TDA presidency, "is more important than all issues put together". As this brief retrospective illustrates, the issues faced by dentists and the TDA are never trivial and are always tied to the legislative process. Political advocacy by our association is, therefore, our first priority now, no less so than it was in the mid-1990's. As described in the recent "TDA Report Card" on our legislative agenda for the 80th Texas Legislature, our challenges continue unabated, but these challenges are answered, and in many cases, successfully overcome as a result of our advocacy efforts. Our need for constant involvement in the legislative process is perhaps best summarized by advice given to Dr. Eggleston by Senator (and oral surgeon) David Sibley at the 1995 TDA Annual Session. Senator Sibley complimented TDA on its achievements during the 1995 Texas legislative session, and added "but you've got to keep your garden weeded."