Why It's No Problem That Joe the Plumber Lacks a License

I've read some comments on this subject saying an unlicensed person could create a leak or cause some other inconvience and while this is very true plumbing done wrong can be down right dangerous. There have been cases of infants being scalded to death because there was no thermostatic mixing valve on a hot water source, water heaters exploding because they lacked a pressure relief, carbon monoxide poisoning caused by incorrect venting of appliances, people becoming sick from methane gas (sewer gas) exposure from incorrect drainage installs and the list goes on. All of which could be avoided by using a competent professional, who also by the way would have a permit pulled and his work inspected where any problems would be picked up and resolved before a system went into service. And by the way only a licensed contractor can pull a permit not a journeyman or an apprentice. Unlicensed work is no joke and those journalist who imply it's okay almost encouraging it are doing the public a great disservice and could even be responsible for some people being harmed by unlicensed workers. It's also a misdemeanor in most states and if it's not in Ohio I expect your going to see a rash of incidents in that state as its being widely publicized you can get away with it there.

john of CT 12:43PM November 03, 2008

Having the license is obviously an assurance may not be a measurment of skill. Although that is the case for the broader plumbers, Joe came with a political agend from the beginning. Because if you look back on the primary he voted for John McCain saw on different reportes had the communication with the republican campain advisories. I wouldn't be surprised if he is a decoy for the republican smear on this tightly contested state.

Back to the plumbing,

1. He need to have the license to work as a plumber because its an assurance to the people. Anyone can do plumbing if spend the time and have the patience to learn but one thing that convinced people to offer the plumbing work is the license because an organisation is behind his/her claim.

2. I will be very surprised if he is making morethan $60k/yr without a license because people are very cautious taking risk hiring someone on their investments.

3. Before he own a business, he need to be licensed, the law requires it. Until that time he is not considered a plumber.

4. Wealth distribution is not socialism, where socialism from practical sense will not distribute wealth but take away all the wealth and put it under government control where the government claim is representing the people when they are not. So Joe's narrow interprestion of Obama's tax plan and compare to socialism is his luck of understand of it as much his luck of understand of the law when required the license. If you make $250k or less and will get tax relief or reducton, it comes from somewhere. The idea was that many middle class heart in the republican administrations because the tax burden has been on them. But the weathiest few have been getting tax break with the idea that they will creat jobs. But that so called job creation incentive has been for the CEO's and their surrogates bonus. Do you call that fair tax incentive when the wealth distribution is taken away from the middle class and give away to the wealthiest few? I think Joe either confused or a gimmick.

5. Look even the difference in medical benifit. The $5000 give away to go out and shop for your medical provider by Senator McCain will not benifit us. Let me tell you this, under company health plan, my total insurance coverage is $600/month. Anually this become $7200 subtract from $5000 will remain $2200 can you afford paying $183/month additional spending for health? Other people could pay even much higher under Senator McCain medical coverage plan. Obama's insurance coverage plan is to reduce existing coverage but mandatory coverage for kids. This really make sense. My dielema is the luck of understand what is better for all us, the ordinary people - 95% of the population and make decisions on a cilly few minutes or may be a day or until the campain is over spot lights that the fame mongerers like Joe so called "the plumber" will take all of us to another measrable 4 years if republicans will take the white house again.

Tes of CA 7:09PM October 22, 2008

I think it is about time we started licensing JOURNALISTS. Perhaps it will improve the quality of journalism.

While we are at it, I think we need to license politicians, or at least make them take a test to prove they actually know something other than how to pander to the public.

After all, even Maryland licenses fortune tellers, so the rest of you scofflaws need to pony up and pay your fees.

Tony of CA 6:53PM October 21, 2008

What makes me feel good about this whole "Joe the Plumber" topic is that in the end; licensed or not, + or - 250K or not, Joe is just another example of smoke and mirrors politics - and Americans have begun to realize that. There are so many pivotal issues our country must consider this election, and plastering "Joe the Plumber"'s story as a face on the McCain-Palin ticket without even properly researching him in the first place is just another pitiful display of desperation. I feel like as a whole, Americans are awakening from an uninformed and mislead economic coma, and are finally holding their government accountable. Unfortunately, as much as the McCain-Palin ticket are trying to promote themselves as the "Mavericks" of the Republican party... we as Americans cannot and will not disassociate them with the last 7 1/2 years of politics that only benefit a very small, already well benefited slice of the population. In the end, thanks to this current "YouTube Era" of instantaneous informational gratification, the majority of Americans (who have not benefited from the last eight years of politics) can now truly make an educated decision. We the voters, we the struggling class, we the people who want to believe that achieving the American dream can once again be within any one's grasp CAN decide the destiny of this great country.

Ventura of TX 12:57PM October 19, 2008