pulling permits

[renosteinke]

Whether the purpose of licensing laws is to protect the public safety, or to line contractors' pockets, can be a fine discussion .... but it's pretty much irrelevant to this thread.

The fact is, the rules exist. Some folks don't want to play by the rules, and want to get around them. Would you pllay poker where the other guy didn't have to follow the rules? That's what these schemers are asking of you.

If they're honest, they'll have no problem putting you on the payroll and making sure that you are actively involved in running the jobs. If they want you to cash your check and disappear, they're trying to cheat.

Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly. Don't be that fly.

Another wild thought has occurred to me: tax revenues are down, and bureaucrats have time on their hands. THEY don't want to get laid off, either. Has it occurred to anyone that the wave of 'rent your license' pitches might actually be sting operations by the contracting boards?

 

[roger]

Why not say unlicensed?

And that is mostly not about qualifications, so much as limiting the competition.

Just out of curriosity, do you apply this same thinking to Engineers and their firms?

Roger

 

[PEDRO ESCOVILLA]

if I was not going to work on the project, and assume responsibility for it, I would not pull a permit on my name or license number for someone else. way too much exposure (liability)

 

[petersonra]

Just out of curriosity, do you apply this same thinking to Engineers and their firms?

Roger

I kind of do. But I am not a PE, so I have a different perspective than a PE might have.

One of the things that I have observed over the years is that there is often a high degree of correlation of enrichment of some at the expense of others when the term "public safety" is used to describe licensing laws of all types.

I would be less offended if most of these jurisdictions accepted other jurisdiction's licenses. The fact that a license, education, or experience from one jurisdiction may be completely meaningless in another one, and that it is often very difficult and expensive to get licenses in multiple jurisdictions, shows me that there is a high degree of deliberate intent to restrict competition as part of the system.

It does not mean that there is not somewhere in there at least some level of public safety involved, but that self interest of the people making money off these activities is a high priority. That is not real surprising given that consumers rarely have any say in these kind of things. Out of the area contractors also have little say in the laws so it is not at all surprising that their interests are also not represented. It is basic human nature to take care of one's own interests first and foremost.

 

[satcom]

Do they reciprocate with other states? Nebraska would allow Certain other states (don't know which ones off the top of my head, it is quite a few) and those same states also allow a Nebraska licensee to get a license without going through the experience and exam process again. You do have to pay the State you are wanting a license in whatever fees are required for the license, and take any required CEU's they require for renewal. The recriprocating list may not be the same for journeyman as it is for contractors, it all has to do with agreements and licensing and exam requirements of the states involved and whether or not they feel that is equivelant to what they do.

New Jersey, started licensing electrical contractors in the early 60's and the initial testing was not the dumb down test we have today, it was a true test of the ability and know how to operate as a contractor, and gave some assurance, to the public, that they were indeed qualified, now with the dumb down testing they found the need to increase the CEU hours to maintain the min. standard of a qualified contractor, accepting licenses from other states, may have less to do with state home rules then with meeting the level the board sees as qualified.