Joe "the plumber" Wurzelbacher again

Here's one of the later installments of Joe being interviewed. He has some valid ideas and doesn't seem to be in awe regardless of his surroundings.

HOLLAND, Ohio - Joe the Plumber said Thursday he doesn't have a license and doesn't need one. Joe Wurzelbacher, better known as Joe the Plumber, the nickname Republican John McCain bestowed on him during Wednesday's presidential debate, said he works for a small plumbing company that does residential work. Because he works for someone else, he doesn't need a license, he said.

But the county Wurzelbacher and his employer live in, Lucas County, requires plumbers to have licenses. Neither Wurzelbacher nor his employer are licensed there, said Cheryl Schimming of Lucas County Building Regulations, which handles plumber licenses in parts of the county outside Toledo.

So, Joe doesn't have a license, but does that mean he isn't a plumber? Could someone be trying to discredit Joe? I wonder what it takes to be a licensed plumber in Ohio?

To apply for a plumbing, electrical, HVAC, hydronics, or refrigeration license, you need at least five years of experience in the field. You also have to be a U.S. citizen and have never been convicted of a felony.

The Board will review your application and if you're eligible they'll send you information on the exam they require. You must have 5 years experience to qualify to take the exam. The exam has two parts -- one on business and law and the other on HVAC, electrical, plumbing, refrigeration, or hydronics. Everyone must take the business and law part.

The component listing of the open book exam, as if that's a big deal, can be found here.

http://www.contractors-license.org/oh/Ohio.html

Well, that link to the State of Ohio doesn't satisfy the local UNION.

Mr. Wurzelbacher’s notoriety has raised the ire of Tom Joseph, business manager for Local 50 of the United Association of Plumbers, Steamfitters, and Service Mechanics, who claimed that Mr. Wurzelbacher didn’t undergo any apprenticeship training.

"When you have guys going out there with no training whatsoever, it’s a little disreputable to start with," Mr. Joseph said. "We’re the real Joe the Plumber."

Mr. Joseph said Mr. Wurzelbacher could only legally work in the townships, but not in any municipality in Lucas County or elsewhere in the country.

"This individual has got no schooling, no licenses, he’s never been to a training program, union or non-union, in the United States of America," Mr. Joseph said.

The association has endorsed Barack Obama, according to Mr. Joseph.

Of course, the Ohio licensing board didn't mention anything about "apprenticeship training", did it?