Did I Overlook Some Architect-Perpetrated Crime Wave?
It seems Texas has found a clever way to violate people's privacy. Starting January 1, architects who apply for an occupational license there will have to be fingerprinted. Mike Riggs writes at Atlantic Cities:
Texas House Bill 1717 [PDF], passed earlier this year, says that applicants seeking a license from the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners must submit "a complete and legible set of fingerprints, on a form prescribed by the board, to the board or to the Department of Public Safety for the purpose of obtaining criminal history record information." The FBI would also have access to all those fingerprints.The requirement applies not just to new applicants, but also to licensed architects seeking to have their registrations renewed. Violators face a fine of up to $5,000 per day in which they are not in compliance with the new law. Currently only one other state (Massachusetts) even runs criminal background checks on architects. Now Texas is upping the ante.
...Architects in the state aren't alone. The Texas Medical Board requires fingerprints for medical licenses and the Texas Nursing Board requires them for nursing licenses. Same goes for every job type governed by the Texas Racing Commission (ranging from assistant farrier to race announcer to jockey), as well as real estate agents, lawyers, and speech language pathologists.
...So what happens if an architect in good professional standing is revealed to have a minor crime on his record due to being fingerprinted? Could he lose his license, despite the quality of his work? The TBAE absolutely reserves that right.
Disgusting. This happens because no one complains. Or very, very few do.
As I was saying to a friend on Saturday night, this isn't the America we were told we were living in -- in so many arenas in our society, from the courts to police abuses to our government violating our privacy and genitalia in the name of "security."
And yet, no one complains. And we get what we put up with.
via @Overlawyered
At least in Amy's second home (France), people bother to riot when Hollande tries to place some onerous tax on a segment of the populace. Over here, if an onerous tax is placed on some people, we would just say, "Oh, well."
mpetrie98 at December 16, 2013 1:10 AM
I totally agree w/the Medical Board. I want to know that those taking care of the infirm (mine and yours) are not scum that have been run out of other States for harming those under their care.
Can't get my head around architects? However there was an instance I believe where a Florida ice loading standard was used somewhere up North resulting in a building loss. That is a licensed professional mistake that should follow someone.
Bob in Texas at December 16, 2013 5:28 AM
Can't get my head around architects? However there was an instance I believe where a Florida ice loading standard was used somewhere up North resulting in a building loss. That is a licensed professional mistake that should follow someone.
Posted by: Bob in Texas at December 16, 2013 5:28 AM
Architects are not usually the people putting their credentials on the line for the a design failure in a building. In my state, a licensed professional engineer (PE) who most likely is a structural engineer is required to sign off on the plans. This would be the guy on the hook in the event of a design failure, not the architect.
Isab at December 16, 2013 5:53 AM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/12/did-i-overlook.html#comment-4121900">comment from Bob in TexasDon't assume licensing makes people safe or means doctors are safe. My internist at Kaiser has posters on her wall about eating "healthy whole grains" and she couldn't figure out how to order an LDL particle size test -- which means she's never ordered one. That (or an EB scanner test) are how you most safely and reliably tell what your risk is of heart disease (the EB scanner is safer than the CAT scan -- far less radiation -- but GE has mostly run the EBs out of business).
Amy Alkon
at December 16, 2013 5:55 AM
Agree Isab. Be interesting to know the back story about architects. Did someone do a REALLY UGLY design on the State dime? Or was it really a pirate pretending to be an architect?
Bob in Texas at December 16, 2013 5:57 AM
I figure universal fingerprinting and DNA samples are just around the corner. And people worry about ID cards.
Cousin Dave at December 16, 2013 6:15 AM
Time to go off the grid.
Flynne at December 16, 2013 7:08 AM
i've been doing volunteer work for an after-school tutoring program where we also go into schools, and was notified we have to get digitally fingerprinted to continue the in-school work even though we have already passed a background check.
i discovered it is a DOJ directive, our fingerprints go to DOJ where they get shared with the rest of the alphabets (NSA, FBI, etc).
i informed the program i would not be able to comply due to privacy and civil liberties concerns. am awaiting their response.
rosalind at December 16, 2013 7:44 AM
However there was an instance I believe where a Florida ice loading standard was used somewhere up North resulting in a building loss. That is a licensed professional mistake that should follow someone. -Posted by: Bob
But whom should it follow? The guy who designed it for Florida? The guy who used it up north?
Or the government inspector up north who said it was safe?
lujlp at December 16, 2013 8:35 AM
Time to go off the grid.-Posted by: Flynne
Going off grid requires registration, that way we know you're off the grid
lujlp at December 16, 2013 8:38 AM
Howard Roark?
Conan the Grammarian at December 16, 2013 8:44 AM
Lujilp, it would be the fault of the licensed PE that approved the use of the inappropriate design at the failed location. No one else is 'expected' to catch the mistake, although there are others that 'double-check' stuff to catch these snafus.
Bob in Texas at December 16, 2013 8:44 AM
I'm totally on board with fingerprinting medical professionals as well. Yes, I would want to know that someone treating me isn't scum on the run. Fingerprinting and licensing doesn't guarantee that, of course, but it might help.
As far as fingerprinting architects; who knows the rationale. Unless there really is a reason that I'm not aware of, my guess would be that with this tight building market some larger architect firms lobbied the state legislature to do this - the large firms can absorb the added costs while their smaller start-up competition cannot. And if it is a cost that the larger firms already do then it isn't a problem for them. Smaller firms might not be able to compete with the added cost. An easy way to cut down the competition. All just a guess on my part.
And with all that is going on in this Obamanation who has the time (aside from Amy, of course - she blogs about this kind of stuff - thank you!) to complain? Most of us are too busy trying to keep our own heads above water in this crappy economy.
Charles at December 16, 2013 10:05 AM
Maybe in the past an architect serial killer purposefully designed a building to collapse when the building was full of people. Several times.
Or maybe they were designing rape and torture rooms hidden in the building like in Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Or hidden passages so the could sneak in and steal stuff
Architects are dangerous!
Nicolek at December 16, 2013 11:16 AM
Maybe in the past an architect serial killer purposefully designed a building to collapse when the building was full of people. Several times.
Or maybe they were designing rape and torture rooms hidden in the building like in Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Or hidden passages so the could sneak in and steal stuff
Architects are dangerous! Beware!!!
Irl tho its probably to make sure they weren't criminally negligent in the past. Probably it happened and someone sued
Nicolek at December 16, 2013 11:17 AM
Sorry for the double post
Nicolek at December 16, 2013 11:19 AM
NicoleK - that was funny enough that is was worth reading twice! I so want a house with hidden passages now; not to steal stuff, but, just because it sounds kind of cool.
Charles at December 16, 2013 12:42 PM
Like these
http://twistedsifter.com/2012/04/secret-hidden-passageways-built-into-houses/
Bob in Texas at December 16, 2013 12:50 PM
Sort of. Not an architect, but he did design a building with murder in mind.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._H._Holmes
Conan the Grammarian at December 16, 2013 2:03 PM
Our country is becoming a PATHOCRACY-- rule by psychopaths.
jefe at December 16, 2013 7:04 PM
YES Bob in TX; just likes those; especially the stairs in the first and the corner bookshelf in in pool table room. How cool! (I need a house first, sigh)
Charles at December 16, 2013 7:47 PM
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