Meeting notes…

The October 25th membership luncheon meeting was held at Sunniland Corp.’s Jacksonville location.  There were 27 members & guests present, with four past presidents (DeCicco, Dove, Hartley, & Register), and one past state resident (Register).  Minutes of the past meeting and the treasurers’ report were given in addition to announcing that nominations & elections would be held for next year’s officers at the November meeting.  The first guest speaker was rock star Chuck Gibson, Asst. Chief Building Inspector Duval County.  He spoke on several issues regarding re-roofing, roof sections, flashings, counter-flashings, weather protection, hurricane zones, sheathing, non-standard decking, stucco.  He also reported an incident at a military base where Homeland Security did an audit of workers employed on a project that resulted in the deportation of 2 illegal immigrants.  After the meeting he was bombarded with questions and did his best to answer them all.  Next up was Mark Goldwich, Insurance Adjuster with Gold Star Adjusters.  He explained his role in the claims process, timing, and his ability to deal for the property owner with their insurance company and keep the contractor/s out of trouble with the DFS.  Both speakers received a round of applause for their presentations.

Want Cuffs With That?  

A woman was arrested on September 7th at an Italian Pizza Kitchen restaurant in Washington, D.C.  She was chatting up a police officer she didn’t kno, then playfully took a French fry from his plate.  He asked her to stopm but she took another, and when the officer issued an ultimatem, she took yet another.  The arrest report for 2nd degree theft, cited by WUSA-TV, included “property stolen” as ‘three French fried potatoes’.  Source: Folio Weekly 10/12-18/16 ’News of the Weird’.

Register on the Disaster Contractors Network…

 A reminder to all FRSA members to register your business at www.dcnonline.org so you will be listed as a contractor for consumers looking for help after a storm or other natural disaster.  There is no charge and no obligation when you register.  This is funded by a state grant.    Register now (rather than when we get another storm).  It sometimes takes a little extra work to get registered because your information must match precisely with what is on DBPR's licensure database (a good thing to prevent registration of unlicensed contractors).  Source: FRSA Legislative Counsel, Cam Fentriss

Yes I am a senior citizen… 

Dear Lord: The last fifteen or twenty years have been very tough.  You have taken my favorite actor-Paul Newman; my favorite actress-Elizabeth  Taylor;  my favorite singer-Andy Williams; my favorite Author-Tom Clancy; and now, my favorite comedians – Robin Williams & Joan Rivers.  I just wanted you to know that my favorite politicians are Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, & Harry Reid, and I have a special place in my heart for Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton.  Amen.

Section 385 Tax Regulations…

The NRCA scored a major victory when the Treasury Department issued its final rule under Section 385 of the tax code aimed at curtailing corporate inversions.  The final rule allows the IRS to reclassify certain related-party debt as equity (stock), in whole or in part, for federal income tax purposes in an effort to curtail earning stripping transactions.  The NRCA aggressively opposed the proposed regulations and undertook numerous efforts to have member concerns addressed in the final rule. They are is pleased to report the final rule included nearly all the changes requested and virtually no NRCA members will be affected. The final rule includes exemptions for transactions made by S corporations and acquisitions of stock associated with employee compensation plans and allows businesses to continue using cash pooling arrangements and short-term intercompany loans.  The rule also allows exceptions for distributions (payments made to affiliated companies) to include future earnings and allows corporations to net distributions against capital contributions.  The NRCA is thankful for the bipartisan support from numerous lawmakers & individuals in the construction industry who helped highlight NRCA's concerns and that the Treasury Department issued a final rule that fully addresses them.

News, Blues, & Other Things… 

Hats off to Associate Member Alan Belcher for his no nonsense article ‘Head-Thread-Point’ on fasteners in September’s Florida Roofing magazine.  The only sure rule in golf is, he who has the fastest cart never has to play the bad lie…Mickey Mantle.  Why do we sing "Take me out to the ball game" When we are already there?  Roofer’s aren’t the only ones interested in the images captured during a roofing project.  OSHA may also find the images helpful for inspection & citation purposes.  Their officers will be more than willing to subpoena any images (drone, camera, phone, …) on file once the Administration learns of their existence.  "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."…Thomas Jefferson.  If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?  The IRS has issued proposed regulations that attempt to stop inversions of US companies that could impact businesses structured as S corporations.  Under the proposed regulations, the IRS would be authorized to reclassify certain elated-party debt as equity (stock) in whole or part for feral income tax purposes.  S corporations could lose their statuses and become taxed as C corporations.  The regulations have a retroactive date for any transactions that occurred after April 4, 2016.  This proposed regulation is being opposed by the NRCA, film at 11.  There are about 160,000 roofers in the us, about 22,000 belong to the roofers union.  Why is bra singular and panties plural?  You can make a lot of money in this game.  Just ask my ex-wives.  Both of them are so rich that neither of their husbands work…Lee Trevino.  "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."…Thomas Jefferson.  An estimated 45.3% of American households, roughly 77.5 million paid no federal individual income tax, according to data from the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan Washington-based research group.  The last four letters in American, I Can.  The last four letters in Republican, I Can.  The last four letters in Democrats, Rats.  Congratulations to FRSA Member Keith Perry on his big win! Keith will now represent the industry as a Florida Senator!

Military Family Appreciation Month…  

This month, we are celebrating Military Family Appreciation Month, which is an opportunity to recognize the immense sacrifices made by the loved ones who support our soldiers and their families while they are fighting to protect us.  Their dedication and commitment is greatly appreciated.  The last thing military members, veterans and their families should be worried about is being scammed, but unfortunately they are often targeted. These Americans sacrifice so much for us, and victimizing them with deceptive schemes is disgraceful.  To help military veterans and their families avoid these scams, I am providing my 2016 Military Consumer Protection Guide.  This guide is full of information and tips about common scams including predatory lending practices, identity theft, debt collection, foreclosure fraud and more. Although this guide is geared toward military families, it contains good consumer information for all.  Track it down through www.myflorida.com.  Source: Attorney General Pam Bondi

My Redneck Girlfriend Sandy says… T

here are two definitions for the word: ENTERTAINMENT (en-ter-tayn-ment) n.  For a female it means a good movie, concert, play or book.  But for a male it means anything that can be done while drinking beer.

FL Contractor Cited by OSHA… 

In August, OSHA inspectors observed Garcia Carpentry (of Winter Gardens)  employees installing roof sheathing without fall protection.  On August 15th, the agency issued one repeated citation to D.R. Horton for failing to ensure subcontractor employees were protected with fall-protection system while working from heights up to 25’.  OSHA also cited Garcia Carpentry for the same violation, improper use of a ladder, and two serious safety violations for permitting employees to work without wearing hard hats & operate powered nail guns without eye protection.  Proposed penalties total $107,785.

Blessed are The Young… 

We were celebrating the 100th anniversary of our church, and several former pastors and bishops were in attendance.  At one point, our pastor had the children gather at the altar for a talk about the importance of the day.  He began by asking, "Does anyone know what the bishop does?"  There was silence.  Finally, one little boy answered gravely, "He's the one you can move diagonally."

New I-9 Form Required…

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a revised version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.  By January 22, 2017, employers must use only the new version, dated 11/14/2016.  Until then, they can continue to use the version dated 03/08/2013 or the new version.  Among the changes in the new version, Section 1 asks for “other last names used” rather than “other names used,” and streamlines certification for certain foreign nationals.

Other changes include: The addition of prompts to ensure information is entered correctly.  The ability to enter multiple preparers and translators.  A dedicated area for including additional information rather than having to add it in the margins.  A supplemental page for the preparer/translator.

The instructions have been separated from the form, in line with other USCIS forms, and include specific instructions for completing each field.  The revised Form I-9 is also easier to complete on a computer. Enhancements include drop-down lists and calendars for filling in dates, on-screen instructions for each field, easy access to the full instructions, and an option to clear the form and start over.  When the employer prints the completed form, a quick response (QR) code is automatically generated, which can be read by most QR readers. 

Form I-9 requirements were established in November 1986 when Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA).  IRCA prohibits employers from hiring people, including U.S. citizens, for employment in the United States without verifying their identity and employment authorization on Form I-9.

Your Government at Work… 

When NASA started sending astronauts into space they quickly discovered that ball-point pens would not work in zero gravity.  To combat this problem, Congress approved a program and NASA scientists spent a decade and over $165 million developing a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, on almost any surface, & at temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 300o C.  The Russians used a pencil.  For the bad news, your taxes are due again on April 15th, 2017.

Worker’s Comp. Rate Appeal Filed… 

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (Office) has filed a Notice of Appeal with the First District Court of Appeal in the Fee v. National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI)/Office court case.  This action comes in response to a court order issued on November 23, 2016, which invalidated the 14.5% overall combined statewide average rate increase approved by the Office on October 5, 2016.  Based on the Office filing its Notice of Appeal, the order is stayed pursuant to Rule 9.310(b)(2), Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure.  The increase is scheduled to take effect on December 1, 2016 and apply to both new and renewal workers' compensation insurance policies in Florida. 

For more information about the NCCI public hearing and rate filing, visit the Office's "NCCI Public Rate Hearing" webpage. To view or download a copy of the NCCI rate filing, access theI-File Forms & Rates Filing Search System and enter File Log #16-12500 into the "Quick Search" function. NCCI is a licensed rating organization authorized to make rate filings on behalf of workers' compensation insurance companies in Florida.

Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don’t… 

Numerous Seattle employees are asking for REDUCED hours so that the "jacked-up" minimum wage won't cost them their subsidized housing.  Gee, who could have seen this coming?  Now this is downright funny.  They screamed for a higher minimum wage, then, when they get it they complain because they make too much money to qualify for the free stuff, go figure.  By jacking up minimum wage, Seattle has provided a valuable lesson in liberal economics.  The plan has now backfired.

Nora Gibson, executive director of Full Life Care, told Seattle 's KIRO 7 TV she saw a sudden reaction from workers when Seattle 's phased minimum-wage ordinance took effect in April, bringing minimum wage to $11 an hour.  She said anecdotally, some people feared they would lose their subsidized housing so they have asked that their work hours be reduced to remain eligible for all government subsidies.   It doesn't stop at $11/hour.  The law puts it up to $15 starting January 1, 2017, they will have to reduce their work hours even more to remain eligible for assistance.  Good thing the minimum wage wasn't raised even higher, most would not work at all, they prefer to be spoon fed and remain on the government subsidies.

So now workers work fewer hours, but for the same take home pay, business' labor costs increase so prices increase, buyers (workers) pay more and no one is better off.  Remember free market capitalism?  Under that system, the harder and smarter you worked, the higher your standard of living.  But that was found to result in income inequality, so now we have a system where wealth is bestowed by bureaucrats and working harder doesn’t always make sense.

New Overtime Rule Blocked by Federal Judge…

Filename: Snooper1116