The eruption of Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland has created havoc with travelers around the world, and has cost airline companies millions of dollars a day. To prove that it’s safe for airplanes to fly over Iceland and Europe again, several companies sent empty passenger planes soaring over Europe this past weekend. Would you want to be the first passenger on a flight, based solely on information provided by the airline? Some people would, but most of us would question the hidden motive behind “It’s all right, it’s perfectly safe”. We’d wait until the airlines’ statements were verified.
Would you jeopardize your career and your financial future, based on statements from an organization whose main purpose is to gain control of your profession to arbitrarily benefit only those they deem worthy? The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and the International Interior Designers’ Association (IIDA) are telling us that they want us to get on board to support interior design legislation. They say we don’t need to worry about our future. When we ask honest questions about the difference between “first class” (i.e., professional) members and “coach class” (i.e., allied) members, their replies are vague, and they rely heavily on pat answers about Grandfathering. Or they change the subject. When we ask about their intentions to provide a safe career journey for everyone, they offer to sell us insurance in the form of certification, and tell us that we have to buy this insurance from their selected agent (the National Council for Interior Design Qualification, NCIDQ). They provide no other options for us to get to our career destination successfully.
Pilots rely heavily on their instrument panel to help them safely fly a plane. We rely on the pilots’ training and experience, and his knowledge of the instruments to take us safely to our destination. What would happen if the pilot disregarded everything that his instruments told him? He would lose control of the plane, and it could go into a tailspin.
The pilot has two choices as soon as he loses control of the plane. He can continue disregarding the reliable information, which will result in the plane crashing. Or, he can acknowledge that the messages are correct, and pull out of the tailspin. This may be where “Straighten out and fly right” came from.
Leaders of the three organizations have been flying the pro-legislation planes for years, totally disregarding their members’ needs and the obvious warning signals from legislation opponents. They have crashed many planes, although they will never admit to making any mistakes. The most successful flight for them was a trip to Florida in 1994, but thousands of innocent designers’, contractors’, and suppliers’ earning ability were seriously injured or killed when they landed. Finally, there is a group of people, headed by attorneys from the Institute for Justice and Patti Morrow, the Executive Director of IDPC, who want to hold them accountable for their single-minded, greedy actions.
You don’t have to fly with “Cartel Airlines”. You don’t have to believe everything they tell you about interior design legislation. Ask yourself, “What’s their benefit, and what’s my benefit?” If your reply is, “It’s okay because they told me so,” read what they’re actually proposing in legislation before you decide to get on that flight. To them, you’re just another number, and they really don’t care where you’re going, as long as you fly with them. Isn’t it better to sit safely on the ground, wishing you were on the plane, than sitting on the plane, wishing you were on the ground?
If you are disillusioned, disgruntled, and dissatisfied, and want to know the truth about ASID, IIDA and NCIDQ, join the Interior Design Protection Council (IDPC) today. We are here to help you have a successful journey through your entire career. http://www.idpcinfo.org/Membership.html
Closing message to ASID, IIDA, and NCIDQ: Change your flight plan now. Heed feedback from your members and the opposition. Straighten up and fly right!
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