WOW! Simply Amazing

[Bill West]

I'm amazed that a few harmless words as stated in the thread " Trick Question", can arouse a few X- State board members and a few active ones to close the thread and brand you as "Shameless behaviour". Guess they never change, do they?
Give some folk a little power and watch out.

[Framebender]

It seems to me like you're just trash talking, and the point of that would be?!? If you don't like what you're doing or where you're doing it move or do something else!! No one really cares about your whining!!

I live in Colorado so I have no connection with anything back east!!:finger:

[Bill West]

Sounds like the thin air has got to you.
After 46 years I still love this business. It has been extremly good to me. I started out stating a few things as I have lived it over the years. I guess some people only like to hear what they agree with.
I feel the remarks I made in the first thread were just my opinion and did not name names, so folk could guess who I was talking about. If you were not there you could not know. Why they got so upset , I do not know, except it stepped on the toes of the elite, as they see it.
I'm not opposed to education or law as long as one is truly informative and the other does overstep good common sense.
By the way, if you want whinners, just read the people who whine about Lenscrafters and wally world and the chains in general. WHINE<WHINE<WHINE.

It seems to me like you're just trash talking, and the point of that would be?!? If you don't like what you're doing or where you're doing it move or do something else!! No one really cares about your whining!!

I live in Colorado so I have no connection with anything back east!!:finger:

[Darryl Meister]

Bill, I know of close to 30 unlicensed states that would almost certainly be glad to trade you for the antics of your own licensed state. ;) You say that this business has been "extremely good" to you... Was it this good to you in Massachusetts, or some other state?

[culland]

Bill, I know of close to 30 unlicensed states that would almost certainly be glad to trade you for the antics of your own licensed state. ;) You say that this business has been "extremely good" to you... Was it this good to you in Massachusetts, or some other state?

Bill,

I feel terrible for you! To have to sit through a few hours of education a year to maintain a license. (Note the sarcasim) You could certainly come up here and work, It's great we have no licensing requirements! Just hope you don't mind working for $7.00/hr. at most opticals in the state! I would do anything to have my great state be licensed, you should be greatful. I don't normally post on this type of thread but I'm sick of people complaining about how bad things are in their licensed state (typically MA in many posts) or what the requirments are etc... Darryl hit the nail right on the head.

[Bill West]

Darryl,
I have operated stores in more then one state. These were independent owned by me. Never had a bad one, have been really blessed in this business. I may sound like I have a real grind and maybe I do. I just feel that state boards can go overboard in trying to make it hard on chains and wind up making it very tough on independents, all the while telling you what a great thing they are doing for you. Independent opticians and optometrist are on the way out.
I presently operate my 11th store and work it 3.5 days a week, sold the others. I would like to say that Virginia is a great State to operate in, not like some I know.
I am a past president of a state assoc. and have held both ABO & NCLE. I very much approve of continuing ed., but feel the quality of it is lacking, at least where I have been exposed to it. If we are to advance and be seen as qualified professionals, we must have better education then we have had in the past. I am not anti education but anti same ole, same ole.

Bill, I know of close to 30 unlicensed states that would almost certainly be glad to trade you for the antics of your own licensed state. ;) You say that this business has been "extremely good" to you... Was it this good to you in Massachusetts, or some other state?

[Bill West]

Culland,
If no license is required, why not open your own location. I can show you how and how to be successful. You can make more then $7.00 an hour doing most anything. Why do it? Sounds like you need a change in order to live. Hey, I know a guy that makes $13 an hour operating a fork lift. I know another fellow that makes $15 hr laying tile.Never work for a title or prestige it does'nt put food on the table.It's not the license that makes you money it's knowing how. I think I could do it anywhere.
It's not the time, but the content of the education I complain about. If you eat nothing but green beans you will stunt your growth.
Best of luck to you.

By the way, it seems that ABO certification don't do much in getting you any money. What good is it?

Bill,

I feel terrible for you! To have to sit through a few hours of education a year to maintain a license. (Note the sarcasim) You could certainly come up here and work, It's great we have no licensing requirements! Just hope you don't mind working for $7.00/hr. at most opticals in the state! I would do anything to have my great state be licensed, you should be greatful. I don't normally post on this type of thread but I'm sick of people complaining about how bad things are in their licensed state (typically MA in many posts) or what the requirments are etc... Darryl hit the nail right on the head.

[harry a saake]

Bill, i feel positive that i know who and what it is that you are talking about. If so and that is the case, i personally have known this man for some years, and because of that i am not going to drag his name into this.

.....As far as the law part goes, if it is my state that you are whining about, north carolina, BILL, THERE IS NO CHOICE, it is the law passed by the state legislator, that irregardless of changes or not, one hour MUST be taken by all licensees. We used to have a fine attorney, but he passed away and has not been replaced. so some one HAS to do it, its that simple, like it or not.

.....As far as this gentlemen goes, if everyone in this business had and was doing what he does for this business we would all be better off. I wont even start to list the numerous committees and org,s that he has served, what have you done Bill, thats meaningful to and for our trade.

.....Course, yes, once in a whle we do run into redundant type courses,but more especially to the ones like myself who have been around this trade a long while, which is the case with you. If you want really top notch courses, spend the money and go to VE east or west, and you can take on teachers like laurie pierce, phernell walker, roger hill, alex yoho, etc, you will find out real fast how little you think you know.

.....As far as the inspectors in this state go, these are legal badge carrying personel whos duty it is to enforce the law. Again when there is a compaint, valid or not, they are bound by law to make an inspection. Yes , a lot of it is nothing more then sour grapes by a disgruntled employee, but it still must be investigated if a complaint was made.

...Your statement about rehashing the law, as ludicrious as it may sound every year there are LICENSED OPTICIANS who didnt realize for whatever reason that the fee s due by JAN 1ST, and thats just one issue.

Bill, all i can say is if you are doing as well as you have said many times over on this board, why are you worrying about it, impuning the veracity of this gentlemens character, who you probably don,t even know. Why don,t you spend some of this energy on doing something constructive for the trade, that would give us respect for you.

[Darryl Meister]

If no license is required, why not open your own location.

As you noted in your previous post, it is becoming more and more difficult for an independent optician to survive. As more and more ophthalmologists invest in their own dispensaries, the traditional customer stream for independents is drying up. Employing an optometrist is also becoming difficult, even if you happen to live in a state where this is legal in the first place. While you, personally, may have been successful at it, every year plenty of other opticians have to give up on the idea.

[Bill West]

Bill, i feel positive that i know who and what it is that you are talking about. If so and that is the case, i personally have known this man for some years, and because of that i am not going to drag his name into this.
Harry, I am not referring to a person but a system. I have not singled out one person.

.....As far as the law part goes, if it is my state that you are whining about, north carolina, BILL, THERE IS NO CHOICE, it is the law passed by the state legislator, that irregardless of changes or not, one hour MUST be taken by all licensees. We used to have a fine attorney, but he passed away and has not been replaced. so some one HAS to do it, its that simple, like it or not.
I am not sure but I think it was requested by the state board of opticians that this be done. And i think he might have been on it when this was requested. Making it a law was stupid. And i am not whinning, if no one complains soon they will tell you how to dress and what to drive.

.....As far as this gentlemen goes, if everyone in this business had and was doing what he does for this business we would all be better off. I wont even start to list the numerous committees and org,s that he has served, what have you done Bill, thats meaningful to and for our trade.
I too appreciate some of what he does. He is however eat up with the politics of it. I have done what all good opticians should do, make top notch glasses and support my assoc. Always have always will.
.....Course, yes, once in a whle we do run into redundant type courses,but more especially to the ones like myself who have been around this trade a long while, which is the case with you. If you want really top notch courses, spend the money and go to VE east or west, and you can take on teachers like laurie pierce, phernell walker, roger hill, alex yoho, etc, you will find out real fast how little you think you know.
No comment.

.....As far as the inspectors in this state go, these are legal badge carrying personel whos duty it is to enforce the law. Again when there is a compaint, valid or not, they are bound by law to make an inspection. Yes , a lot of it is nothing more then sour grapes by a disgruntled employee, but it still must be investigated if a complaint was made.
This is where you really miss it. These people snoop around where no law is broken.
Unless there is a valid written complaint the state board should not harass any optical place of business. They are to respond to a valid written complaint, not the sheriff. The badge carrying person goes around looking for problems when there is not a valid reason, and is paid out of the coffers of the state board, who is always complaining of a money shortage and raising fees. It is expensive and a waste of hard earned dollars that could be spent on better things. The board is not to promote or demote opticians, but to protect the welfare of the public. No complaint no problem. Leave us alone. I will never back off this assine idea. And the people responsible for this are stupid and power hungry and looking for trouble.

[hcjilson]

Sounds a little paranoid to me. I would ask the gentleman what he is specifically referring to in the above post. I would then suggest he take his complaint directly to the people involved.All board meetings are open to the public and everyone who wants to be heard will be heard. I would not, however, begin the meeting by calling board members or their investigators stupid, rather,I would show up to perhaps learn how the regulatory system really works.