Which Came First? he License or the Rules?

摘要

We are all familiar with the dilemma of the chicken or the egg. Which came first? Chickens hatch from eggs, but eggs are laid by chickens. An egg that produced a chicken comes before the chicken, but can a non-chicken lay a chicken egg? Are you answering from a theological perspective, an evolutionary perspective, or are you simply a contrarian? In the pursuit of soil science licensure in a number of states, including my home state of Pennsylvania, we are faced with our own version of the question. Which comes first, the license or the rules? If there are no existing rules that require specialized training in soil science, then why do we need licensing? If there is no licensing, then how can any proposed rules require a licensed soil scientist? Whopasses the rules and who issues the licenses? Each state has a licensing board that governs professional practices. The California Department of Consumer Affairs has a Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, as well as a Cemetery and FuneralBureau. Ohio has a State Barber Board and a Manufactured Homes Commission. Georgia licenses librarians and hearing aid dealers. Any soil science license would require a similar regulatory board to oversee standards of practice and to levy punishment forviolations of the standards.