California contractors license board on the chopping block

Pool & Spa News, Feb 14, 2005 by Donald C. Burns

In his January "State of the State" address to the legislature, California's Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called for the elimination of inefficient and expensive boards and commissions whose members are, in many cases, "making more than $100,000 a year for attending one meeting a month."

Within days, he made his reorganization plan public.

Three hundred thirty-nine state commissions and boards are being considered for elimination or consolidation. One hundred eighteen were selected by the governor and, incidentally, only three of them pay their board members in the $100,000 per year range!

To the astonishment of the California construction industry, the Contractors State License Board was included on Schwarzenegger's hit list.

Licensing and regulating some 280,000 contractors, the CSLB is made up of a cross section of California's population, including members of the public, contractors, labor representatives and consumer organizations. Each is considered a citizen volunteer, and paid $100 per quarterly meeting for expenses.

More importantly, the CSLB's entire budget comes from fees collected by the board itself from contractors. It is not a General Fund agency and its elimination would have no impact whatsoever on the state's budget mess.

California's Spa and Pool Industry Education Council (SPEC) is vigorously opposing adoption of the governor's plan. We will be presenting our case at a hearing held by the Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy as well as the legislature, which has an April 5 deadline to act.

The most glaring flaw in the governors plan is that it lumps radically different boards and commissions into a one-size-fits-all formula. It has the Colorado River Board, the Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs Commission, the Campus Sexual Assault Task Force and the Guide Dogs for the Blind Commission all being tossed into the Schwarzenegger salad--along with the Contractors State License Board, the Board of Accountancy, the Dental Board, the Medical Board, and on and on.

One size does not fit all!

The present accountability for adopting regulations, processing public complaints and getting licenses issued in a timely manner will be lost if the CSLB is converted into one bureau within a super Department of Consumer Affairs.

The public clamor for more responsible enforcement will return to sully the reputation of every licensed contractor in California.

SPEC has devoted major resources for years to bring the CSLB up to its present standard of excellence. The pool and spa industry is not about to roll over and play dead just because a bad plan has been put forward by a popular governor.

One man's assessment: It will take heavy lifting, but at the end of the day, this reorganization scheme will be rejected by the legislature.

Burns is CEO of SPEC, a lobbying group for the California pool and spa industry, based in the state capital of Sacramento.