Sleep Tight. Don’t Let The Bed Bugs Bite.

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Good night. Sleep tight. Don’t let the bed bugs bite.
There’s a good chance your parents said that to you as they tucked you into bed at night. Parents have been saying that to their children since the phrase was coined in the 17th century.
My mom used to say that to me before I went to bed, and so far, so good, in all my years of living I’ve never been bitten by a bed bug.
The folks who live in Omaha Housing Authority properties have not been so lucky. Many of the OHA buildings have been infested with bed bugs for years. A recent class action lawsuit filed against the housing authority is hoping to force them to finally fix that problem.
Since following this story, I have learned more about bed bugs than I ever wanted to know. All I knew before was that the very idea of these varmints makes my skin crawl. It’s a tough story for reporters to cover because it makes the viewers’ skin crawl too. Nobody wants to watch videos of the insects or the welts of bed bug bites while they’re having dinner at six or right before they turn out the lights at ten.
Here are some not-so-fun facts about bed bugs. One female can lay up to 3 eggs per day. I’m no math wizard, but if three eggs a day result in three more bugs that can lay up to three eggs a day, it won’t be long before you have a major problem. Bedbugs excrete anesthetic before feeding on people, so you won’t feel it when they bite you. It may take a few days to develop symptoms. They bite and then go back hiding in the walls, bedding, and clothing.
Some might think that OHA has this bed bug problem because the tenants are dirty. That’s not the case at all. Bed bugs don’t discriminate. Five-star hotels, major airlines, and hospitals have all had to deal with the problem. But when that problem arises, those for-profit businesses take care of it right away. They know their customers will go elsewhere and they won’t stay in business long if those pests are allowed to multiply.
OHA doesn’t have to worry about competition or staying in business. But they should worry about the health and safety of their tenants.
This lawsuit asks for aggressive remediation to get rid of the bugs once and for all. The logistics and the expense won’t make it easy to get the job done. To do it properly I am told could require all renters to have to move out temporarily. Where do they go? And will they take the bed bugs with them?
The lawsuit also asks for monetary compensation for the tenants. It asks for rent to be returned from a designated period. The plaintiffs’ lawyers have pointed out that in lawsuits filed against housing authorities in other jurisdictions, rent has been returned.
They claim they are owed that money because they shouldn’t have had to pay for the substandard living conditions in the first place.
I wholeheartedly support the first part of the lawsuit. These people deserve to live in a safe bug-free environment, but I have a problem with the second part. Since these rent payments for the most part have been subsidized by the government, I don’t feel the tenants are entitled to double dip and get another check from the taxpayers. I feel bad that they are in that situation, but I don’t feel it’s the taxpayer’s responsibility to pay for their past problems. I’m sure I’d feel different if it was their own money being used to pay the rent.
It never should have been allowed to get to this point, but there’s nothing that can be done about that now. What’s past is past.
The question facing us today is what’s going to happen now that lawyers are involved? Will the tenants of OHA finally be able to get a good night’s sleep? A night where they could really sleep tight and not let the bed bugs bite.
Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.
Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.
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