southsoundtree
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Olympia, WA
Since the original post, I have blown off some of the steam associated, and still feel that the implications are the same.
Again, I'll say that if this is an attempt to soon get legitimate, buy liability insurance, buy Worker's Comp (I believe that there was a "we" in the cottonwood job, but I may be mistaken, and in WA state only the owner can get a WRITTEN exemption for WC from WA State),buy a bond, buy a license, buy commercial auto, pay all the appropriate taxes that support the state that supports the school where he will be attending, then I really don't mind, aside from posting credentials and working illegally.
Gotta start somewhere, honestly.
Again, no measure to ID FTH to ISA has occurred on my end.
My insured, licensed, WC covered company, etc, etc WAS FINED $1000 for being out of compliance with the new bonding law that the Dept. of L&I didn't announce to those affected.
My bookkeeper has been warning me that L & I is after people. A roofer was on a worksite with his brother. A compliance officer came up, checked out the WC situation, and levied a large fine on him for non-compliance.
We all have ripple effects.
If I were to have to close up shop because of illegal competition making the market too tough to work safely in, three people would be out of jobs. My one groundman yesterday didn't show up. I was about to suspend him for a week without pay, but then later in the day I find out he is at the hospital with his mom. Her house just burned to the ground. Is this the guy that should be out of a job. And the same guy is having to pay $400/ month child support, trying to cover his responsibilities to his daughter.
Again, which one should lose out IF it is a win-lose (not win-win, which would be best) situation, someone that chose to give up work in this economy to go to live as a poor student without a nest egg, or me and my employees, and all the associated relations, including his hospital-bound mother. My other employee loves trees as well, and wants to learn to become a great climber (some spurless experience now), and maybe a CA in time (at least wants to learn good practices and understand tree function to a higher level).
If I were to go under, then
I wouldn't be donating wood chips to the local school garden project,
Left Foot Organics, the organic farm that works with developmentally-challenged adults (also helping with their trees and contributing to their fundraising auction),
the Wild Felid Advocacy Center (an exotic cat rescue Non-profit in Olympia.
GRuB (Garden Raised Bounty) would not be getting chips for their new education center where they help teach people to provide themselves with good organic produce at home so that they/ their families can eat better.
I wouldn't be accumulating firewood, and going to my expense to meet up with some cold families with kids that are advertising on CL, asking if anyone can spare some wood 'cause the kids are cold and they don't have the money for the heating gas. Last winter, the kid asked his mom, "Do you think that we can fit all that wood in the car?" I stacked it for them Tetris-style to make it fit.
I wouldn't be able to finish a Drop and Leave job cheaply that the family of 7 started with a lombardi poplar over their water main. They were sending their kids up the tree one branch at a time, unless their courage held up for two branches. Then they would switch and harness up another kid and send him up the stubs to cry to cut off limbs in the wind next to a High Power Primary.
They were just trying to get by and were happy to just have it down without more damage to their house (their cutting efforts) or fearing the plumbing bill like the people across the street, cheaply.
I think that a lot of companies, and individuals, help out the community, so I'm saying that I'm not doing something revolutionary or special. Just illustrating that ripples go a long way beyond someone's pocketbook.
Following are two CL ads that I posted, in addition to ones directly promoting my services.
TREE TOPPING IS RIDICULOUS (ALL TREES)
Date: 2009-10-08, 11:48AM PDT
Reply to: serv-de7wf-1412420272@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
TREE TOPPING IS ONE OF THE MOST HARMFUL PRACTICES YOU CAN DO TO A TREE.
YOU WILL WASTE YOUR MONEY ON CREATION OF FUTURE HAZARDS!
ANY REPUTABLE TREE PERSON WILL KNOW THAT THIS IS VERY, VERY HARMFUL.
DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU WASTE YOUR MONEY!
DON'T AMPUTATE YOUR TREE. IT IS A LIVING ORGANISM THAT WILL BE GREATLY DAMAGED, MUCH LIKE IF A PERSON DECIDED TO CUT OF THEIR LEGS WITH A CHAINSAW, EXCEPT FOR THAT ANIMALS HEAL. TREES NEVER, EVER HEAL. EVER. THEY RESPOND TO WOUNDING DIFFERENTLY THAN HEALING. ITS A FACT!
All Legal Tree Services must have: License, Bond,Liability&WorkCompIns (Wa State)
Date: 2009-10-06, 6:51AM PDT
Reply to: sean@southsoundtree.com [Errors when replying to ads?]
All legally operating tree services must have a:
Business License which will have a UBI number 602 xxx xxx,
Liability Insurance for tree trimming or removal, as appropriate to services performed,
A Contractor's License and Bond
Industrial Insurance/ Worker's Comp through WA State Dept of Labor and Industries (L&I) for all employees aside from the owner (optional for the legal owner).
Check out your contractor at www.lni.wa.gov get a current certificate of insurance!
Protect yourself!
A legitimate contractor must post their Contractor's License number in all written advertising, which will look similar to SOUTHST913JO.
All ISA-Certified Arborists must post their certification number with written advertisements, which will look similar to PN-6626a, for Pacific Northwest arborists, with other regions having a different locality code.
DON'T TOP TREES! DON'T TOP TREES! DON'T TOP TREES! DON'T TOP TREES!
DON'T TOP TREES! DON'T TOP TREES!
Its a waste of money on an outdated procedure that greatly damages trees, leading to secondary problems like root rot, insect infestation, poor/ dangerous regrowth that means expensive maintenance.
Trees should be properly cared for, or removed.
Climbing spikes are ONLY FOR REMOVALS. Look in arborist supply magazines and arborist supply websites. You will never see spike climbing on trimming/ pruning!!!!!!!!!!!
FOR SCIENTIFICALLY BASED KNOWLEDGE FROM LEADING INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS, NOT WHAT GRANDPA BOB ALWAYS DID, SEE:
www.isa-arbor.org THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ARBORICULTURE
and
www.treesaregood.org ISA's CONSUMER HELP WEBSITE
and
www.tcia.org THE TREE CARE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, FORMERLY THE NATIONAL ARBORISTS ASSOCIATION
If you are thinking about topping your trees, think again, don't waste your money on a damaging, outdated practice.
* Location: Wa State
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
*
* License info: SOUTHST913JO, Insured for $1M, Bonded
Yes, this week has had more people breaking into treework (legally?/ Illegally?) advertising TOPPING and LIMB REMOVAL (properly?/ improperly?)
------------------------------------------------------------
What might be great is if there were a written and practical test for any persons performing tree care, with enforcement against people "hacking" and "topping".
Removals and grinding would just have to follow OSHA type regs and state laws for business.
Again, I'll say that if this is an attempt to soon get legitimate, buy liability insurance, buy Worker's Comp (I believe that there was a "we" in the cottonwood job, but I may be mistaken, and in WA state only the owner can get a WRITTEN exemption for WC from WA State),buy a bond, buy a license, buy commercial auto, pay all the appropriate taxes that support the state that supports the school where he will be attending, then I really don't mind, aside from posting credentials and working illegally.
Gotta start somewhere, honestly.
Again, no measure to ID FTH to ISA has occurred on my end.
My insured, licensed, WC covered company, etc, etc WAS FINED $1000 for being out of compliance with the new bonding law that the Dept. of L&I didn't announce to those affected.
My bookkeeper has been warning me that L & I is after people. A roofer was on a worksite with his brother. A compliance officer came up, checked out the WC situation, and levied a large fine on him for non-compliance.
We all have ripple effects.
If I were to have to close up shop because of illegal competition making the market too tough to work safely in, three people would be out of jobs. My one groundman yesterday didn't show up. I was about to suspend him for a week without pay, but then later in the day I find out he is at the hospital with his mom. Her house just burned to the ground. Is this the guy that should be out of a job. And the same guy is having to pay $400/ month child support, trying to cover his responsibilities to his daughter.
Again, which one should lose out IF it is a win-lose (not win-win, which would be best) situation, someone that chose to give up work in this economy to go to live as a poor student without a nest egg, or me and my employees, and all the associated relations, including his hospital-bound mother. My other employee loves trees as well, and wants to learn to become a great climber (some spurless experience now), and maybe a CA in time (at least wants to learn good practices and understand tree function to a higher level).
If I were to go under, then
I wouldn't be donating wood chips to the local school garden project,
Left Foot Organics, the organic farm that works with developmentally-challenged adults (also helping with their trees and contributing to their fundraising auction),
the Wild Felid Advocacy Center (an exotic cat rescue Non-profit in Olympia.
GRuB (Garden Raised Bounty) would not be getting chips for their new education center where they help teach people to provide themselves with good organic produce at home so that they/ their families can eat better.
I wouldn't be accumulating firewood, and going to my expense to meet up with some cold families with kids that are advertising on CL, asking if anyone can spare some wood 'cause the kids are cold and they don't have the money for the heating gas. Last winter, the kid asked his mom, "Do you think that we can fit all that wood in the car?" I stacked it for them Tetris-style to make it fit.
I wouldn't be able to finish a Drop and Leave job cheaply that the family of 7 started with a lombardi poplar over their water main. They were sending their kids up the tree one branch at a time, unless their courage held up for two branches. Then they would switch and harness up another kid and send him up the stubs to cry to cut off limbs in the wind next to a High Power Primary.
They were just trying to get by and were happy to just have it down without more damage to their house (their cutting efforts) or fearing the plumbing bill like the people across the street, cheaply.
I think that a lot of companies, and individuals, help out the community, so I'm saying that I'm not doing something revolutionary or special. Just illustrating that ripples go a long way beyond someone's pocketbook.
Following are two CL ads that I posted, in addition to ones directly promoting my services.
TREE TOPPING IS RIDICULOUS (ALL TREES)
Date: 2009-10-08, 11:48AM PDT
Reply to: serv-de7wf-1412420272@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
TREE TOPPING IS ONE OF THE MOST HARMFUL PRACTICES YOU CAN DO TO A TREE.
YOU WILL WASTE YOUR MONEY ON CREATION OF FUTURE HAZARDS!
ANY REPUTABLE TREE PERSON WILL KNOW THAT THIS IS VERY, VERY HARMFUL.
DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU WASTE YOUR MONEY!
DON'T AMPUTATE YOUR TREE. IT IS A LIVING ORGANISM THAT WILL BE GREATLY DAMAGED, MUCH LIKE IF A PERSON DECIDED TO CUT OF THEIR LEGS WITH A CHAINSAW, EXCEPT FOR THAT ANIMALS HEAL. TREES NEVER, EVER HEAL. EVER. THEY RESPOND TO WOUNDING DIFFERENTLY THAN HEALING. ITS A FACT!
All Legal Tree Services must have: License, Bond,Liability&WorkCompIns (Wa State)
Date: 2009-10-06, 6:51AM PDT
Reply to: sean@southsoundtree.com [Errors when replying to ads?]
All legally operating tree services must have a:
Business License which will have a UBI number 602 xxx xxx,
Liability Insurance for tree trimming or removal, as appropriate to services performed,
A Contractor's License and Bond
Industrial Insurance/ Worker's Comp through WA State Dept of Labor and Industries (L&I) for all employees aside from the owner (optional for the legal owner).
Check out your contractor at www.lni.wa.gov get a current certificate of insurance!
Protect yourself!
A legitimate contractor must post their Contractor's License number in all written advertising, which will look similar to SOUTHST913JO.
All ISA-Certified Arborists must post their certification number with written advertisements, which will look similar to PN-6626a, for Pacific Northwest arborists, with other regions having a different locality code.
DON'T TOP TREES! DON'T TOP TREES! DON'T TOP TREES! DON'T TOP TREES!
DON'T TOP TREES! DON'T TOP TREES!
Its a waste of money on an outdated procedure that greatly damages trees, leading to secondary problems like root rot, insect infestation, poor/ dangerous regrowth that means expensive maintenance.
Trees should be properly cared for, or removed.
Climbing spikes are ONLY FOR REMOVALS. Look in arborist supply magazines and arborist supply websites. You will never see spike climbing on trimming/ pruning!!!!!!!!!!!
FOR SCIENTIFICALLY BASED KNOWLEDGE FROM LEADING INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS, NOT WHAT GRANDPA BOB ALWAYS DID, SEE:
www.isa-arbor.org THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ARBORICULTURE
and
www.treesaregood.org ISA's CONSUMER HELP WEBSITE
and
www.tcia.org THE TREE CARE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, FORMERLY THE NATIONAL ARBORISTS ASSOCIATION
If you are thinking about topping your trees, think again, don't waste your money on a damaging, outdated practice.
* Location: Wa State
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
*
* License info: SOUTHST913JO, Insured for $1M, Bonded
Yes, this week has had more people breaking into treework (legally?/ Illegally?) advertising TOPPING and LIMB REMOVAL (properly?/ improperly?)
------------------------------------------------------------
What might be great is if there were a written and practical test for any persons performing tree care, with enforcement against people "hacking" and "topping".
Removals and grinding would just have to follow OSHA type regs and state laws for business.
