All policy's allowed in war and love, noted Susannah Centlivre in 1706, the precursor to Smedley's 1850 proclamation: "All's fair in love and war." Does that also go for politics, too? Is it ethical for a chiropractic organization to try to control the elections of another chiropractic organization it is "at war" with?
Consider this paragraph, an email that was reportedly sent by World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA) president Terry Rondberg,DC:
"I even rejoined the ICA (for one quarter) this past weekend at the WCA Summit just to cast my vote for you and Maxine, and encouraged everyone in the audience to do the same. We handed out hundreds of ICA applications at the Summit, and Bobby Braile joined the WCA in exchange for my application to join the ICA."The same person who resigned from the ICA late last year with a flurry of public comments openly criticizing the ICA in his column.1
Now the WCA members are being asked by their fearless leader to join the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) to try and manipulate the ICA elections. This is exquisite irony, given that the WCA bylaws specify that WCA members have no voting rights!
"Members shall not have any right to vote under section 10-1015 of the Arizona Revised States."2 (Emphasis added.)
So now the thousands of ICA members who have been loyally working for the betterment of chiropractic through the ICA may well have their leaders chosen for them through guerilla politics. Do Dr. Rondberg and his followers intend to skew the votes, let their memberships expire and then walk away laughing, leaving the ICA members with leaders that most of them voted against?
As you read the braggadocio of Rondberg, an obvious question comes to mind: What was the deal? Gary Pomeroy, president of ChiroUSA, will tell you that working with Terry Rondberg has a price. In his case, it was one percent of his monthly gross income to write articles in the WCA Journal.3 What is the price tag for manipulating an election? Will every ICA member be "encouraged" to join the WCA in return? If so, this would make the WCA the dominant conservative chiropractic association, placing the ICA in the number three position nationally and internationally.
For those that find this activity reprehensible, I agree. For those that think it's new, you've forgotten some history. It wasn't that long ago that Dr. Rondberg was caught violating Arizona campaign contribution laws by authorizing someone "to make political campaign contributions under his (Rondberg's) name and that of his wife, using funds not supplied by Terry Rondberg or his wife." (Per an agreement with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, Rondberg ultimately pled guilty and agreed to pay a civil penalty of $9,840. Under the agreement, "no criminal charges or further civil penalties or proceedings" were brought against him "concerning the illegal campaign contributions."4-6)
Rondberg was caught as part of an undercover investigation that became known as AzScam. The investigation ultimately caught a number of crooked politicians and other individuals. Rondberg's role in AzScam was significant enough to gain him a degree of notoriety, or was it infamy? Rondberg's involvement earned him his own reference in the index of What's in It for Me?, a book that detailed AzScam.7-9
Unfortunately, due to Rondberg's involvement, the book included a number of derogatory references to the chiropractic profession in Arizona. It was years before the DCs in Arizona could do anything politically without AzScam hanging over their heads.
In a few days, the ICA members will be getting their ballots, along with "previous nonmembers" that wish to control the election results. Each ICA member should make voting in this election a top priority. Don't let that ballot sit on your desk. Fill it out now and send it back. This is your only chance to determine the future of your organization!
For those WCA members, and any others who have joined the ICA just to sway the election: You should be ashamed. Do the honest, ethical thing and throw your ballot away. Let the legitimate ICA members elect their own leaders. If you really want to do something positive, convince the WCA leadership that you, as a responsible DC and member of the WCA, should be allowed to have a vote and a voice in your own organization.
References
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
