Welcome back DFW, I am Anthony's Sumilia with Ask The Experts Radio Show on Talk Radio
1190, where we interview experts in the local area. Once again we have Roger
Wakefield from Texas Green Plumbing. If you'd like to get ahold to him it's 972-4
42-4101 or on the web at Texasgreenplumbing.com. He is speaking with Dianne
Villareal at - I'm sorry with A-Aces. That's a-aces.com and that's 214-2
21-3331. If you'd like to call the radio show right now we're at 972 I'm
sorry, 817-787-1190 or t214-78
7-1190. And I guess Roger getting back into this and the testing
and having people, you know, just being able to walk in and obviously just pay a
fee and do this, that's a health standard for the surrounding communities.
Not just, you know, for the the person, you know, buying the house that's their
neighbor, their neighbors neighbor. Correct?
It's and Anthony, don't get me wrong. I don't think that they're gonna set it up.
Where literally, you just call up one day and said: look I want to be a plumber,
here's my money. But it's not gonna be as stringent as, to me, the Texas State Board
of Plumbing Examiners is. But I believe that in plumbing, literally
somebody can come in and affect your water system and make you, your neighbors,
your city, whoever sick. And to me, I want to make sure that if I invite somebody
in to work on my system, they know what they're doing. Would you go to a surgeon
if you knew that you've got two surgeons to choose from you got one that, you know,
what I watched it online I took a test and
got my surgery license, so I'm cutting on you tomorrow? Or you've got another one
that has actually gone to school and put in the time that it takes to do it? I can
read books on plumbing but I tell you what, I've done it 38 years I still learn
things. I bet you can write books. Probably. The easiest thing to happen in
plumbing is a cross connection. And a cross connection
is the effective connection of drinking water, quality drinking water, and tainted
water. Sewer water. And that's like what Flint was dealing with and... Yes and
in the prevention of that is from qualified plumbers who recognize these
situations. And I mean potential. We see actual and that just gets our blood
boiling. But we need a qualified plumber on every job that oversees the
actions and prevents anyone from becoming sick. Anyone. So let's go back
into the report, and talking about different things. Because this is one
that I've got questions or comments from a lot of them on social media.
Publishing the disciplinary histories online. And I know Texas does that, and I
like that. I would - me as a plumber because I believe in rulemaking, I
believe in keeping it open being very transparent. I love the fact that I can
look up any plumber online to see if he has a license. I think that when I look
up a plumber, when somebody looks up me. If I have any disciplinary histories, it
should show up and say: hey look Roger has been busted for not doing the right
thing, and not fulfilling his obligation to a customer, and not pulling permits
and not doing this and not doing that. That way people look at it and they say, you
know what, I don't think I want to use this guy. I love that. What do you think
about that? It's been in the makes for quite a while at the board. Again,
financial limitations, computer issues that they are burdened with have
prevented them from doing the things that they felt were important for our
industry. And I'm not going to say that actually publishing your administrative
issue, but to let the consumer know that when they pull up your name
if there has been an administrative issue that it would be identified there
and then only through open records would you be able to get any further
information. Oh I don't have a problem with that, I like that like that. Like you said,
you've done what you need to do, your records clean. You bet.
So let's move into the next one, and from what Anthony was talking about, while I
go over there, and he makes a good point, but let me ask you the way you
said. If the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation takes over the
plumbing industry, can anybody just get a license then? Here's the real issue, they
don't - they don't feel the need for marking your trucks, they don't feel the
need for identifying the masters number, because there will be no RMP anymore.
Yes I could. If I were not licensed, the way I read this report, I could pay my
money and I could get me a plumbing contractors license and I'd get
out there go to work. Oh yeah, there's a few other little things I'm supposed to,
but what's gonna make me do it? Well nothing, they're getting rid of enforcement. It's
the beginning of legitimizing the handyman and the unlicensed so-called
plumber out there soliciting work with the general public. This is the beginning
of it and if we're not gonna have supervision of or license checks,
we're opening a floodgate. That just seems not right and not to interrupt. You know on the social
media standpoint with four minutes left, you know, somebody like Angie's list's.
Aren't they in business just to like point people like you out and couldn't,
I mean shouldn't they get involved as well? Shouldn't they be mad? Like, you
know, the owners of Angie's List? Because you know, there are people that they say
are qualified are gonna be in jeopardy as well. Well remember Angie's List is in
the business that - they're in the advertising business, they're in the
marketing business. And if there's a hundred more plumbers that want to
advertise through Angie's List, Angie's List is going to be happy. Oh okay, so you can pay to
be on Angie's List. That's right. I'm just saying. No and that's what my point, you
know with social media and everything, you know, it's what you know, it's what
the consumer believes at that instant you know? They don't, they don't do any
homework on it they just believe what they see. Well let me ask you something Dianne,
if I want to go to Austin, which I will be there December the 12th, but if I want
to go to Austin, I've only got three minutes to talk and where do I need to
go and really what do I need to say? You need to go to the sunset Finance
Committee room in the capital. That is E1036 the capital extension is at 1400
Congress Avenue. You can park on San Jacinto, there is a parking garage there
about two blocks away. You'll have to fill out a witness card,
you only have three minutes. Plan what you're gonna say. You need to declare
that you are a homeowner, a citizen of this state, you're a licensed plumber, how
long have you been a licensee and declare your support for the Texas State
Board of Plumbing Examiners to remain as a standalone agency and for the
legislators, our representatives from the state of Texas to properly fund our
agency. So my name's Roger Wakefield, I'm a licensed master plumber, I've had my
license for 38 years and I support the Texas State Board of plumbing examiners
as a standalone agency. And guys, if you start off that way they clearly
understand exactly what you're trying to do, what you're trying to support and
what you're trying to say. I know Anthony's fixing to get us out of here pretty
quick. I'll tell you all, I've got this recorded and I said I got this recorded
we video this and I'm so glad that, you know, Dianne came in because she
makes the two of us look all a lot better. We do this on YouTube, I've got a
YouTube channel called The Expert Plumber. Guys if you want to see this, if
you want to comment on this, it's a great place to go. Go to The Expert Plumber,
subscribe, ring the bell, you'll get notified every time that we update this.
We'll be releasing this over the next month or so. But I do a lot on social
media and a lot of plumbers that are listening this have seen this through
Facebook. I deal with a lot of other plumbers on Facebook that really
are trying to make the industry better. And the one thing that I will say,
Dianne. Is most of the feedback that I've got and I'm on several different
plumbing channels on social media, most of the feedback I got says: look we need
the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners the way it is. I know you
believe that. Absolutely. So if people want to get in touch with you, they can
get in touch with you through A-Aces. Absolutely. And tell me a little bit
about A-Aces real quick. What all do y'all do? We are a provider of the
state, any of the required courses to obtain a license, an endorsement, a
continuing ed, that's what we're here for. To serve the plumbing industry. To serve
our citizens. Guys and you can get her at www.a-aces.com. Diane Villarreal and I'm
Roger Wakefield at Texas Green Plumbing.On YouTube The Expert Plumber. Give us a
call at 972-441-4101. Anthony Hook 'Em Horns, brother.
Hook 'Em! That does it for Ask The Experts Radio Show this Saturday. I am
Anthony Sumiia with Ask The Experts Radio Show on talk radio 1190.
We will see you next Saturday right here at 10 a.m.
Have a great day!