Comments on: California toughens criminalization for unlicensed contractors

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 15:53:48 +0000

I believe this is about putting value back into the trades.
This is totally about licensure and if this law happens to affect unlicensed non US citizens illegally contracting within a trade that requires a license, then, that’s the law. Let them take the risk.
Maybe it should be taken a step further and target the consumer with fines as well.
(Because after all this under ground construction economy would dry up if the consumer was at risk for jail and fines for hiring unlicensed contractors for $500 +)
These unlicensed contractors (immigrants or US born citizens) are killing small licensed general contractors and subs.
The small jobs (10k and under) are gone. They’re given to the guy desperate enough to bid it for wages, while the homeowner brags to their friends about how cheap they had their bathroom tile installed.
Someone above spoke about overhead… God forbid a licensed contractor has overhead for things like liability insurance, a bond and workers comp. all of which are put in place to protect the homeowner from things like smoldering painter rags burning your house down or a nicked pipe flooding your hardwood floors.
And I doubt this means agents will be busting your door down if you (the homeowner) decide to change a light fixture, planter box or toilet, besides, that’s what licensed handymen and women are for.

By: Darleen

Darleen — Sun, 21 Sep 2014 03:12:03 +0000

Geez, it is a wonder that these laws don’t apply to people who are DIY oriented.

At what point will I be banned from painting my walls or refinishing a desk or installing shelving or building planter boxes? (just some of my home projects this year)

By: En Passant

En Passant — Sat, 20 Sep 2014 22:39:41 +0000

Because this is about immigration-law enforcement, and it’s about occupational licensure only as a side effect (if it’s an effect at all).

I must be denser than you, because I don’t comprehend how this law is about immigration, legal or illegal.

Occupational licensure, along with money, is the mother’s milk of every Democrat in CA, and every Republican too. The state legislature can never think of enough things to regulate, and enough ways to collect money.

What this law will do is make the self-employed handyman you once could hire to patch some stucco or make other minor repairs completely illegal. Now you’ll have to hire a licensed contractor, complete with overhead and reporting compliance costs.

Next up on the legislative agenda: illegal and unlicensed light bulb changing and garden hose washer replacement. I kid, but not much.

By: DensityDuck

DensityDuck — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 16:55:07 +0000

Is immigration-law enforcement important to you?

Because this is about immigration-law enforcement, and it’s about occupational licensure only as a side effect (if it’s an effect at all).

By: "California Destroys Winery Over Use of Volunteers" - Overlawyered

"California Destroys Winery Over Use of Volunteers" - Overlawyered — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 16:15:09 +0000

[…] Rebecca Parr, Daily Review/San Jose Mercury News] More: I mention this episode, along with the one linked below about a California law combating off-books contractors, in a new Cato post about how licensed and […]