whew!
Paul, you pull no punches my friend ! [Linked Image]

I guess I will refrain form standing on lauerals here. Any trades qualified members are usually quantified by it's peers. What being 'qualified' entails usually is more than formed opinion, there is some time required as an apprentice, intern, paraleagal, rookie, underling or what have you. Commonly, there is some sort of testing as to the 'level' of qualification achieved.
As a basic equation i would pose that Time & Education=Qaulification.

I suppose that the latter becomes more of a necessity in the extreemist litigate society we have here, lest every Moe, Larry & Curley open a brain surgey drive thru.

Personally, I am comfortable with a certain level of checks and balances, although i realize that the bueaucracy can be a double -edged sword ever leaning towards a leftist police state mentality.

Here, one can walk across state lines to experience an entirely different situation, not very comforting for those who spent their apprenticeship learining the "National Electrical Code" , only to find there is very little 'national' to it.

As to inspectors, my liabilty lessens when they point out the no-no's that could easily have me breakin' rocks in the hot sun, so as much as it sometimes pains me, i grow as a tradesman from this type of management.