Florida deregulation will restore your right to practice!

Sick and tired of the state of Florida meddling in your design practice? Learn how to support the growing movement to deregulate the interior design profession, and why it should be deregulated.

Here’s a link to the full article, since this has gotten cut off and I still don’t know how to fix it.

Interior Design Protection Council TAKE ACTION! Florida deregulation will restore your right to practice! Florida Statute 481 is anti-competitive and anti-consumer Members of the Florida design community: The Interior Design Associations Foundation (IDAF), the ASID-supported and funded coalition responsible for the perpetuation of Florida’s monopoly practice law, is mobilizing their licensed designers in a mass letter writing campaign in an attempt to derail the deregulation movement and save their ruthlessly enforced protectionist interior design law. The talking points email that IDAF sent to their members to “remind legislators” is filled with misleading and blatantly false information in what appears on the surface to be an intentional effort to mislead government officials. Click here to read IDAF talking points, 02.10.09 We cannot allow your Florida legislators to be hoodwinked into believing that (1) IDAF’s information is true, or (2) that it reflects the will of the design community. IDPC has written a STRONG REBUTTAL, which factually, statistically and empirical disproves ALL of IDAF’s claims. Click here for IDPC Rebuttal to IDAF Talking Points. The rest is up to you… Do you want to continue to let this cartel restrict you from performing services that you would be perfectly able to provide in 47 other states? Do you want to continue to let this cartel take away your First Amendment Right to accurately describe yourself and what you do? Their lobbyist, Ron Books, is already working behind the scenes and allegedly has $400,000 at his disposal to distribute to legislators as he sees fit. But a strong grassroots movement can trump the pocket-lining! And that’s where you come in….. TAKE ACTION NOW! You must act now to let your Legislators and the Governor know that, especially in this difficult economic climate, the state government should continue no laws which make it more difficult for its citizens to compete in the free and open market unless there is clear and compelling evidence — which is clearly lacking here. IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED: Fax, call, and email the following Legislators (click on committee or legislator link below for contact information): Senate Select Committee on Florida’s Economy Senate Committee on Regulated Industries Senate Policy and Steering Committee on Commerce and Industry Senate Committee on Government Appropriations House Economic Development and Community Affairs Council Full Appropriations Council on Government Affairs & Health Care House General Government Policy Council House Speaker protempore Your senator Your representative Faxes are prefered over emails. Please follow up with a phone call to make sure they received your letter and see if you can answer any questions. If you can’t send a fax or email to every member of each committee, at least send one to the Chair of each committee. It’s very important that at least one person in each committee gets a letter from you! Note: one option is to select 2 or 3 committees to send to each day. Another option is to fax a letter to the Chair, and send one email addressed to the rest of the committee members. Fax, call and email the Governor Rally all students you know to write as well. Licensing HURTS not helps them. (See details in Rebuttal) Ask your clients, vendors, friends, family, and other consumers, to call or write to their legislators, asking them to deregulate the interior design law as it restricts their right to hire whom they choose, serves no ligitimate public good, and is bad for the Florida economy. Designers in other states — If you currently do any kind of design or decorating work in Florida, or if you plan to in the future, then you also need to contact the government officials above to protect your rights. Support our efforts to protect Florida interior designers’ rights and livelihoods. Click here to become a member of IDPC. CONSUMER PROTECTION? Absolutely NOT! Not a shred of evidence has ever been presented to warrant a conclusion that the unregulated practice of interior design places the public in any form of jeopardy. In fact, 12 government agencies have looked into this issue and concluded that interior design licensing does nothing to protect the public beyond the processes already in place. Click here for a list and access to all 12 government reports, including the 1999 Florida report recommending that the profession of interior design be deregulated. DID YOU KNOW THAT…. Interior design practice laws affect more than just interior designers? In Florida, approximately 22 professions have been the subject of disciplinary actions of Statute 481. If you work in any of the following professions, beware — you could be the next victim! *interior designer *interior decorator *office furniture dealer *residential furniture dealer *restaurant equipment dealer *flooring company *wall covering supplier *fabric vendor *builder *real estate stager *real estate developer *realty company *remodeler *accessories retailer *antiques dealer *engineer *drafting services *lighting company *florist *kitchen design *upholstery workroom *carpet retail *art dealer *paint store Even if you are an extremely successful or even a “celebrity” designer, you will not be sheltered from this law. In Florida, even internationally known designers like Kelly Wearsler, Hirsch Bedner Assoc., Juan Montayo, Clive Christian, and Phillip Sides were victims of ruthless disciplinary actions. Click here to see the list of hundreds of Florida disciplinary actions. THIS IS THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO RID FLORIDA OF THIS UNNECESSARY AND ANTI-COMPETITIVE LAW! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at legislation@IDPCinfo.org Patti Morrow Executive Director Interior Design Protection Council Join Our Mailing List!

Forward to a friend! Interior Design Protection Council | 91 Reserve Place | Concord | NH | 03301

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ASID: An Agency Out of Control

http://cotedetexas.blogspot.com/2008/06/asid-agency-out-of-control.html

See this great blog post about how Kelly Wearstler, Juan Montoya, and other prominent interior designers have been issued Cease and Desist orders in the state of Florida for practicing interior design without a license.

Since Florida is one of three states with a practice act, which is a form of legislation prohibiting the practice of interior design without a license promulgated by ASID, several of the most prominent designers in the US today cannot legally practice there. They are considered unqualified, dontcha know – despite their astronomical success elsewhere.

ASID really has gone off the deep end in promoting and supporting this kind of legislation nationwide. Well-established designers like Wearstler or Montoya may think they are protected, but if these kinds of laws pass elsewhere, we will just see a repeat in every state that has such legislation of precisely this kind of idiocy.

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