Results 1 to 17 of 17

Thread: What is a young Californian Optician to do????

  1. #1
    OptiWizard OptiBoard Bronze Supporter pezfaerie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    California
    Occupation
    Optical Laboratory Technician
    Posts
    326

    Confused What is a young Californian Optician to do????

    Ok guys, California Opticians used to be regulated by the medical board of California as of last year, mid year, we became swallowed up by Optometry. The way that whoever wrote the bill did it very stealthily and without concern for Opticians rights (whatever they may be). The California Association of opticians that represents us essentially had the door closed in their faces as these meetings were happening. The same group that fought for opticians rights and won in the 80's I feel was purposely shunned from these discussions.

    The one Optician (who is supposed to be an RDO is only an RSLD in the state of California) that the board of Optometry included in the discussions belongs to(is employed by the big W)a big box store and doesn't seem to be anything more than a pawn holding a spot to make it appear that they included Opticians.She also sits on their newly made up advisory board. The bill literally redefines what a dispensing Optician is and it does not truly encompass what we are. I believe that the board who fought in the eighties are a group of older gentleman Opticians and one woman and I don't know/ haven't heard if they are fighting this bill or if they even can at this point.

    Anybody out there in Optiboard land that can tell me as an Optician what or how I can begin to do something about this? I don't want to be governed by Optometry. They have there own craft they are good at and I have mine. I want my profession recognized as the stand alone profession it is. I know that we are becoming an anomaly but we do still exist.

    Am I a little cray cray for thinking lil ol me can even begin to make a difference?
    Pez:D

  2. #2
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    Jun 2000
    Location
    California
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    2,816
    Are you a member of CADO?

  3. #3
    OptiWizard OptiBoard Bronze Supporter pezfaerie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    California
    Occupation
    Optical Laboratory Technician
    Posts
    326
    Quote Originally Posted by CME4SPECS View Post
    Are you a member of CADO?

    Not currently but have been talking with the membership person.
    Pez:D

  4. #4
    OptiWizard OptiBoard Bronze Supporter pezfaerie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    California
    Occupation
    Optical Laboratory Technician
    Posts
    326
    CME4SPECS are you a member? If so is it worth it to you?
    Pez:D

  5. #5
    Master OptiBoarder rbaker's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2000
    Location
    Gold Hill, OR
    Occupation
    Other Optical Manufacturer or Vendor
    Posts
    4,401
    Be ye not concerned. The battle was lost many moons ago, perhaps before you were born. As Grandpa Pettibone used to say "don't waste your time flogging a dead horse."

  6. #6
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    Jun 2000
    Location
    California
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    2,816
    Quote Originally Posted by pezfaerie View Post
    CME4SPECS are you a member? If so is it worth it to you?
    No I am not, but if you have concerns, that would be the group that you should contact. They are about the only voice for opticians in the state.

  7. #7
    OptiWizard OptiBoard Bronze Supporter pezfaerie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    California
    Occupation
    Optical Laboratory Technician
    Posts
    326
    The only dead horse is the one in the glue factory.... I think I'll try and ride this one till its dead...LOL
    Pez:D

  8. #8
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Mitten State
    Occupation
    Ophthalmic Technician
    Posts
    713
    If the bill is already law, there is no battle to be had. It has already happened and been lost. The new law is now the law of the land. You'd need a new bill to become a law to change it. That seems unlikely since the people who wrote the first bill obviously have an agenda.

  9. #9
    OptiWizard OptiBoard Bronze Supporter pezfaerie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    California
    Occupation
    Optical Laboratory Technician
    Posts
    326
    Quote Originally Posted by Lelarep View Post
    If the bill is already law, there is no battle to be had. It has already happened and been lost. The new law is now the law of the land. You'd need a new bill to become a law to change it. That seems unlikely since the people who wrote the first bill obviously have an agenda.

    Well, there is an assemblyman who I'm reaching out to who I am hoping can give me insight on what I can do or the proper channels to go through to perhaps get the bill amended. I don't know where else to start. I can't be the only Optician in California that cares about it though...I hope.
    Pez:D

  10. #10
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    Jun 2000
    Location
    California
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    2,816
    pezfaerie
    In what way has this affected you as an optician?

  11. #11
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Mitten State
    Occupation
    Ophthalmic Technician
    Posts
    713
    Quote Originally Posted by pezfaerie View Post
    Well, there is an assemblyman who I'm reaching out to who I am hoping can give me insight on what I can do or the proper channels to go through to perhaps get the bill amended. I don't know where else to start. I can't be the only Optician in California that cares about it though...I hope.
    The problem is, you can't amend a bill that is already law, amendment occurs before a bill is voted on in legislature and signed by the executive to be enacted, which makes it into a law.

    The only way to change it now would be to pass a new law that amends the original law. This would require an entirely new bill to amend the current law. You'd be starting from scratch to amend the current law.

  12. #12
    Master OptiBoarder optical24/7's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Down on the Farm
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    5,809
    Become your own lobbyist, and go to Sacramento....often. Get the rep chair of the committee in charge of state healthcare to be your best friend. (i.e. visit him/her often), and keep hammering your case.




    When I was younger, that’s what some of us did here in Texas...We got some victories, and defeats. Be prepared for virtually no support from your peers..Nether financially or even morally. Prepare for a very long drag of persistence, it will more than likely take years to even get your bill in committee, then legislative council before it goes to the floor. Pray it doesn’t get killed or buried by a lobbyist that actually has more money and experience than you ( about all of them)...

    Sounds grim..It is, But, It’s surprising how such a small group of people ( I’m talking 3 or 4) can effect change on legislative fronts both local, state and even nationally. Good luck in your pursuit!

  13. #13
    OptiWizard OptiBoard Bronze Supporter pezfaerie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    California
    Occupation
    Optical Laboratory Technician
    Posts
    326
    Quote Originally Posted by CME4SPECS View Post
    pezfaerie
    In what way has this affected you as an optician?
    I feel it affects me because it discredits my profession to the general public. It groups me in with vendors who just do adjustments and dispense finished products and have nothing to do with lens selection but get to call themselves an optician. I studied a lot and continue to study a lot to know how and what materials of lenses do so I can help give patients the best vision possible with the rx their doctor has prescribed. I had to pay to be certified and pay to be licensed and now with they way the verbiage reads on the amended bill anyone can call themselves an optician when they're a sales person. Being grouped under Optometry, who I don't think should be dispensing their own rx's in the first place, allows them to decide what my job encompasses and they left an enormous amount of what Opticians actually do out of this bill.
    Pez:D

  14. #14
    OptiWizard OptiBoard Bronze Supporter pezfaerie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    California
    Occupation
    Optical Laboratory Technician
    Posts
    326
    Thank you :) Optical24/7
    Last edited by pezfaerie; 04-11-2019 at 05:38 PM.
    Pez:D

  15. #15
    OptiBoard Novice
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Las Vegas
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by pezfaerie View Post
    Ok guys, California Opticians used to be regulated by the medical board of California as of last year, mid year, we became swallowed up by Optometry. The way that whoever wrote the bill did it very stealthily and without concern for Opticians rights (whatever they may be). The California Association of opticians that represents us essentially had the door closed in their faces as these meetings were happening. The same group that fought for opticians rights and won in the 80's I feel was purposely shunned from these discussions.

    The one Optician (who is supposed to be an RDO is only an RSLD in the state of California) that the board of Optometry included in the discussions belongs to(is employed by the big W)a big box store and doesn't seem to be anything more than a pawn holding a spot to make it appear that they included Opticians.She also sits on their newly made up advisory board. The bill literally redefines what a dispensing Optician is and it does not truly encompass what we are. I believe that the board who fought in the eighties are a group of older gentleman Opticians and one woman and I don't know/ haven't heard if they are fighting this bill or if they even can at this point.

    Anybody out there in Optiboard land that can tell me as an Optician what or how I can begin to do something about this? I don't want to be governed by Optometry. They have there own craft they are good at and I have mine. I want my profession recognized as the stand alone profession it is. I know that we are becoming an anomaly but we do still exist.

    Am I a little cray cray for thinking lil ol me can even begin to make a difference?

    The board of Optometry tried to pull the same trick move with Nevada. We were a bit lucky that a few members heard about it in time to represent us opticians and put up a good enough fight against those restrictive changes. I would not be surprised if they try it again.

  16. #16
    Compulsive Truthteller OptiBoard Gold Supporter Uncle Fester's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    At a position without dimension...
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    5,300
    Here's a possible deep pocket behind this (and for a while now):

    https://news.kochind.com/news/2017/k...ng-regulations

  17. #17
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Mitten State
    Occupation
    Ophthalmic Technician
    Posts
    713
    Quote Originally Posted by Uncle Fester View Post
    Here's a possible deep pocket behind this (and for a while now):

    https://news.kochind.com/news/2017/k...ng-regulations
    I normally poo on this type of logic, but this time I think it actually has legs, given the reach of the influence of the CEO of this organization.
    I think deregulation when it comes to things that influence health, safety, etc... is a terrible idea. Everything else, it's crapola. It's just a way for the state to create a hidden tax. But, for certain industries, it can be the difference between harm and no harm. Opticianry is such an essential part of eyewear, and the level of knowledge to do it well is so high (as demonstrated by members such as Mr. Martellaro, among others), that it absolutely should have professional regulation.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Looking young...
    By Magpetro in forum Just Conversation
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: 07-31-2008, 09:20 PM
  2. How young is too young?
    By AdmiralKnight in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 23
    Last Post: 10-17-2007, 09:30 PM
  3. How old is young?
    By mrba in forum Just Conversation
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 04-11-2004, 10:59 PM
  4. A nice looking young man
    By Maria in forum Just Conversation
    Replies: 37
    Last Post: 03-27-2001, 01:46 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •