In regards to the BobV message, bud let's get real. The state of Missouri and others like it should be licensed. First, opticians here are limited to lower salaries and not because they were hired right off the street with no experience. Non-licensing has become a way for many retail shops to place an extremely low cap on skilled people. Many of us here in Missouri have worked as opticians for many years and we deserve salaries that compensate our skills. Secondly, our patients deserve our skills worthy of the money they spent. Thirdly, it would free up many opticians to move to other states if they desire and work their profession without starting at the bottom of salary scale. Believe me know. I wanted to move to Virginia. I am certified in Missouri and checked into obtaining my license in Virginia. The ABO said that I could test out if I had worked X-number of years as an apprentist which I have if you consider fourteen years enough, pay testing fees and with approval of ABO get my license then it would be granted. I managed to anchor a job in Newport News for a greater salary than what I was moking and moved to Virginia. They knew I was only certified, it was on my resume. Well, I guess someone in their HR overlooked that detail. After working there a week the missed detail was brought up. Well guess what, my salary got dropped to half. I was now working for $9.00 an hour. How in the hell can one servive on that? Secondly, the school of opticianry declined to honor what the ABO stated regarding testing out. Why, because one of the board members of the school also held a position with the ABO. They wanted full tuition. Guess what, I didn't have that kind of money nor could I survive on 9 bucks an hour. Now I'm back in Missouri.

I hate to say this but it's mostly the chain stores that lobby against making a state licensed. I know this because I have interviewed with chain stores that out right said they oppose licensing so they don't have to pay their opticians more. Why hire skill when they can pull someone off the street for low wages and train them just enough to make a sale. So Bob, maybe you work for a chain or maybe you work in a small town were the cost of living is dirt cheap and you care to move, that's fine but try living in large cities like Saint Louis, you'll either change your mind or profession.

(note: This not necessarily the thoughts of the member whos name is presnted here on Optiboard. I am one of the opticians just using the membership access.)