4 responses to “Credential Envy”

1. 

   She’s Back!!!

   March 2, 2011 at 2:37 am

   ATTENTION Interior Designers!

   The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) has launched a full-scale assault on the interior design industry nationwide.

   For over 30 years, ASID has aggressively lobbied for legislation that would effectively put the majority of hard-working designers out of business or prevent them from calling themselves “interior designers” unless they possess certain arbitrary credentials—credentials that just happen to be identical to those needed to become a “professional” member of ASID.

   They claim interior design should be licensed to protect the public’s health and safety—yet there is not a shred of evidence to corroborate this claim.

   In reality, this small group of industry insiders is pushing for regulation in order to eliminate much of their competition.

   What is at stake is one of the most basic freedoms afforded to U.S. citizens—the right to earn an honest living. This is an outrageous assault on economic liberty, and their efforts to cartelize the interior design industry must be stopped.

   And this year, they are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to gain control. At their Annual Legislation Symposium in Colorado last October, ASID leadership encouraged the attendees to introduce bills in all 50 states. And that’s exactly what they’re doing. Since January 1st, 18 bills which would impact interior designers are already in Committee or pre-filed – never have we seen so many so early.

   That’s where I come in. My name is Patti Morrow, and I’m the director of the Interior Design Protection Council. IDPC is the nation’s leading advocacy group protecting the rights and livelihoods of all in the interior design community.

   IDPC is the spearhead of the interior design “Freedom Movement,” a collaboration of 28 national trade and stakeholder associations who work together across the country to protect design freedom. We are on the frontlines—and we are winning, as you can see from our proven track record of success.

   Since 2006, we have successfully defeated over 100 bills in 21 states that would have expanded or enacted new protectionist, anti-competitive interior design regulations that would have put interior designers and industry allies out of work.

   In addition to fighting for liberty in state capitols, IDPC also trains interior designers to become activists and provides rapid and strategic response to the pro-cartel movement’s propaganda. For example, we have issued three “white papers” that time and again are used to rebut ASID’s false claims for licensure:

   • Three E’s Myth of the Interior Design Cartel

   Click to access THREE_E_s.pdf

   • The Collateral Effect of Interior Design Regulation on Real Estate Stagers

   Click to access IDPC_Stager_Statement_060109.pdf

   • Rebuttal to ASID’s Messaging Guide

   Click to access Rebuttal_to_ASID_Message_Guide.pdf

   I’ve also published a book, Getting Grassroots Galvanized, and my opinions have been featured in outlets like The Wall Street Journal, Reason TV, AIA The Angle, Today’s Home, Interiors and Sources, Design Trade Magazine, Window Fashion Vision, and More Magazine. I’ve enclosed some clippings of coverage IDPC has received for you.

   Indeed, ASID’s efforts have nothing to do with the public health and safety. To the contrary, 12 government agencies have reviewed the issue and all concluded that interior design regulation would provide no additional protection to consumers beyond measures already in place.

   ASID simply wants to protect themselves from competition, by passing protectionist laws that only benefit themselves. They believe that consumers lack the ability to make informed choices about who they retain for design services.

   In striking down Alabama’s Interior Design Practice Act, Justice Parker stated:

   “Nor should this court embrace the paternalistic notion that the average citizen is incapable of choosing a competent interior designer without the state’s help. The economic liberty of contract remains a protected right in Alabama, especially in a field like interior design that involves expressive activity.”

   Americans are fully capable of choosing an interior designer that best suits their needs—and in an open marketplace free of unnecessary and arbitrary licensing, customers can enjoy lower costs and better interior design services.

   But we need support from people like you.

   As I wrote in Vision magazine, interior design is a dynamic profession that celebrates innovation, creativity and diversity. Regulation is contrary to those values and antithetical to a free market society.

   It is critical that IDPC remain on the frontlines in the fight against efforts to cartelize the industry. But to do so, we need your help.

   Every day, ASID is pushing for new legislation that would put more and more interior designers out of work. They are well-funded by their small group of industry insiders, desperate to wall-out competition. Meanwhile, IDPC relies on the voluntary contributions of independent interior designers.

   Please support IDPC in our efforts to keep interior design free. A contribution to IDPC is a contribution to the movement for economic liberty—the fight to restore the right to earn an honest living. Entrepreneurism is the backbone of America’s economy, and an attempt to cartelize one industry is an attack on all.

   It is the not the government’s job to protect one group of established industry-insiders from others who wish to compete.

   Would you please consider supporting the Interior Design Protection Council?

   For just $29 a year, you will become a member of the Interior Design Protection Council, and receive information about legislative activities across the country, and in your own state — exclusive updates, bill analysis, legislator contact information, talking points, sample letters, and free one-on-one coaching with me if you wish to testify in opposition to a bill.

   http://www.idpcinfo.org/Membership.html

   For an additional one-time donation of $100, $200 or more, we will provide you with free advertising on our website as well as exclusive access to additional features and materials.

   http://www.idpcinfo.org/Donate.html

   The Interior Design Protection Council can’t keep the interior design profession free without your support. Please consider joining today so we can continue to achieve incredible results.

   I hope to hear from you soon.

   Sincerely,

   Patti Morrow
   Executive Director

   P.S. My good friend Ed Nagorsky, the General Counsel and Director of Legislative Affairs for the National Kitchen and Bath Association, had this to say about the Interior Design Protection Council:

   “IDPC is the nationwide voice of the design community, seeking to protect the rights of interior designers to continue working in the profession they love without unnecessary and anti-competitive regulation which does nothing more than protects the economic self-interest of a handful of designers.

   The organization has shown a light on the efforts of the interior design lobby which is trying to corner the market on interior design services and dictate who may or may not be hired by members of the public. Its newsletters and articles have effectively and truthfully raised the awareness of the design industry to the anti-consumer legislation that the lobby is seeking to foist upon the public.”

   As I described above, IDPC is winning the fight against the pro-cartelization movement. But we need your support to continue to be effective. Please join us today for just $29 a year and if you are in a position to do so, make a one-time gift of $100, $200, or even $500. Thank you.

   http://www.idpcinfo.org/Membership.html

   http://www.idpcinfo.org/Donate.html

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2. 

   Chris Birkentall

   March 2, 2011 at 3:02 pm

   wow, credentials alphabet soup!
   FYI, the NKBA owns the KBIS show and certifies the credentials, CKD, CBD, and CMKBD.
   As for the comment on this post, there is no cartel, ASID or otherwise. In the evolution of any profession ( not art) there is regulation. Most regulation stems from other regulations already in place. That is certainly the case in my state, as the Professionally trained and educated commercial design firm was placed under the jurisdiction of another profession in the 1990’s. Competition is what this is all about. A consumer or business can freely hire any designer, but if they hire one who is Registered or Certified, then they know by that credential that person is duly qualified by exam, experience and education, whether it is the RID or a CKD.

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3. 

   Michael Dudek

   March 2, 2011 at 4:44 pm

   Thanks I agree Chris. Unfortunately when the ID regulation effort started some 35 years ago it was a concerted effort to redefine “interior design”. Hence the 1st ammendment issues in which the courts spanked the pro-regulation effort and the push back by the old school designers and decorators. Some like the IDPC have never gotten over it and continue to rail against ASID in what has become a pathetic personal vendetta.

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4. 

   Andy B.

   March 4, 2011 at 7:12 am

   Patti,

   Maybe if you spent as much time developing your ID (interior design or decoration…I don’t care) practice as you do fighting a profession that you have no care to be involved with, you could be a millionaire. Yes, I’m part of the cartel and have too many initials after my name to mention! However, I very little interest in doing whatever it is you do when you are not fighting the advancement of a profession that has little concern to fight you. I’m sorry if you feel threatened, but we are not.

   Realize that your good friend Ed represents NKBA industru

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