I see many comments expressing opposition to the new licensure requirement for continuing education.  Unfortunately, this legislation was passed and certified.  Now we are left dealing with the fallout.  I believe that the only way to effectively defeat this legislation is to find creative ways to scuttle it so that it is meaningless.  It is clear that special interests were able to shoehorn this legislation through "under our radar".  So, the response should target those groups. 

I therefore propose that we implement the mandate with the following provisions:

1.  Require the state to pick up the tab for *all* of the courses we are required to take.  The state should pay for its own stupid mandates for a change.  It won't be long before the mandate goes away as taxpayers complain about the misspent money.

2.  "Grandfather" all current license holders so that they do not need to meet the requirement.

3.  Boycott continuing education courses offered by all organizations who were responsible for enacting this legislation.

4.  I understand that part of the justification for a continuing ed requirement is that reciprocity can be maintained with states who do have these requirements.  Most of us do not care much about reciprocity, however.  The continuing education requirement should not be enforced for those of us who do not require reciprocity with other states.

We can render this requirement impotent by diluting it sufficiently so that most license holders do not need to meet the requirement, and so that the groups who stood to benefit from it monetarily do not ultimately do so.  The strategy for implementation should keep these goals paramount.

Dr. Cathy Roberts, P.E.

Smithfield, VA