Strengthen Idaho's oversight of contractors

The Times-News, Twin Falls

"No person shall build, construct, alter, repair or modify any building ... without obtaining an appropriate building contractor's license ..."

You won't find those 18 words in state law. To work as a general contractor in Idaho, you need only to lift a hammer and pay for insurance. The exception, quoted above, is from city code in Idaho Falls, the only major municipality in the state to require contractor licensing.

It shouldn't be. Statewide, regulation of general contractors is inadequate.

Idaho has had a Contractors Board for two years. All contractors must register with the Idaho Bureau of Occupational Licenses. To do that, you pay $30 and buy liability and workers' compensation insurance. No training or experience needed.

That's not enough, as the case of Ada County contractor Dairld Wurtz recently demonstrated. He's accused of defrauding clients of hundreds of thousands of dollars and failing to pay subcontractors.

What's really needed is what the state already requires of electrical and plumbing contractors. They must complete rigorous training programs before they can be licensed, according to Carol Alexander, a Moscow city building official and president of the Idaho Association of Building Officials. "They have a higher bar, and we think the same standards should apply to building contractors."

A cleaner Seattle is worth 20 cents a bag

Seattle Times

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels' environmentally friendly green fee on paper and plastic grocery bags will be a hassle for consumers who participate - and an annoying new tax for consumers who don't. Yet, on balance, the plan is worth the effort.

A clean, sanitary city with a reduced waste stream is a value Seattleites can wrap their minds around. As for the tax, consumers opt in or out simply by remembering to bring a canvas tote or reusing their own plastic bags. The 20-cent-per-bag fee will be imposed at all grocery, drug and convenience stores.

Look around our city. Plastic bags are a huge share of litter. Landfills are filling with plastics. This is one way to reduce overall use of plastics and encourage reuse. A bit of undeniable nanny-ism from the mayor and council, albeit annoying, may be one cost of living in a city that remains livable and clean.

Well-rounded is nice; food on the table is better

Coeur d'Alene Press

As fascinating as it is to speculate about how North Idaho College might merge and meld with other higher ed institutions, the bottom line for our community college is training students to succeed in life. Strong background in the liberal arts makes us more aware, well-rounded creatures, but it does not necessarily translate into putting food on the table.

The Idaho Department of Labor (labor.idaho.gov) has created a pathway for today's students planning on a better tomorrow. It has compiled lists of "hot jobs," projecting a market for the best and brightest in the year 2014. The projections rank the abundance of jobs in the economy, jobs which are growing the fastest and jobs with the highest pay. The study also breaks down the job market on level of education someone would need to qualify for that job.

Right near the top of the list for projected job opportunities in 2014 is - you guessed it - registered nurses. The Labor Department projects almost 600 job openings a year for nurses, with excellent pay. The statewide median hourly wage for nurses in 2005-06 was $24.07 and will certainly increase over the next six years.

Interestingly, six of the top 50 "hot jobs" are medical-related: registered nurses, dental hygienists, medical and health services managers, physical therapists and physician assistants. Of those top 50 jobs, in fact, pharmacists command the second-highest pay ($43.88/hour in 2005-06). That's more than lawyers ($40.43) and chief executives ($40.76) but less than engineering managers ($47.29).

We recommend that prospective students and anyone considering a career change spend a little time examining the Labor Department's projections. And we hope that every discussion about expansion at NIC is centered on providing the best possible training for tomorrow's work force.

Police shouldn't serve as hall monitors at WSU

Spokesman-Review, Spokane

The state Court of Appeals recently ruled that (Washington State University's dorm patrol) policy remains an unconstitutional violation of Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure.

Students who step into hallways of dorms with shared bathrooms and study areas should have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Outsiders, including the police, shouldn't be able to roam without invitations or escorts. Officers cannot inspect students' fraternities, apartments or houses uninvited. There's no reason an exception must be carved out for dormitories.

It's time WSU and all other universities stop the condescending snooping and figure out a better way to safeguard students before fall classes begin.