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California State Regulators at it again.

2K views 26 replies 18 participants last post by  Bplacke150 
#1 · (Edited)
I just got notice of violations at my Emission Testing Station. Apparently my technician accidently overlooked a part on a car that is suppose to be on the vehicle, and the state of California came down on him hard.

They want $1,500 in fines, suspension of his license until he completes 28 hours of retraining and a loss of certification which will prevent my shop from testing the older model year vehicles that are known to be high emitters of emissions for a period of 1 year.

He is one of my best guys at the shop, and very upset with himself for letting that happen. Id hate to fire him over something so minor, it makes him unhireable at any other station if I do. I am not about to throw out a hard working guy to the street adding to the unemployment fiasco. He promotes the shop at cruise nights making a good bottom line for the station, he loves being here with a good attitude. I cant find employees like that any more.

Cant the State of California cut businesses a break? Its accidental oversight, it can happen to even the most of experienced of guys but, what really got to me was for the state to take his license away and, pay fines without income? Come On!

Ive seen lesser punishments handed out for negligent speeding.
 
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#2 ·
I couldn't agree more. Let me guess, the state of California has thousands of people employed to enforce these emission laws so they've got to be somewhat self-supporting so the only way they can do that is with outrageous fines. Then, of course, the environmental faction wants people severely punished for the smallest of errors.
 
#6 · (Edited)
I have filed an appeal on behalf of the employee and myself. At minimum I want them to lift the suspension off his license so he can continue to work and reduce the fines.

I have even filed a petition for discovery. I want to know what they have as evidence. Showing him before and after pictures of the same thing isnt good enough for me. I want to see the report.
 
#8 ·
the State knows tens of thousands biannuals are bogus so they take a real hard line against it. Try to get the penalty reduced, stress that he is a normally great employee and was off his game that day., financial hardship. Never ever argue with a bureaucrat. Good luck.
 
#13 ·
There is one easy to say but harder to execute answer.

Leave California as soon as you can! Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, Nevada, even Texas and Kansas are full of Californians who previously had enough. It's been happening long enough that the number of smart, sensible people has dwindled significantly - the tailspin has not only begun, it's advanced now.
 
#16 ·
If he is as good as you say, pay his fine for him. It will help him keep that attitude that you like so much.
 
#17 ·
:dito: I know my employer as stepped up to the plate and paid good Ole' California for a couple of fines i have received in the Big Rig, but then again if he would have listened to me in the first place and not gone threw the scales, or had the correct paper work for me, the fines would have never happened in the first place...

No matter what, it still sucks California is trying to bend him over so much for his first offence and a visual over site....:(


Rick
 
#19 ·
I'm a native Californian, I've lived elsewhere in years past but came back to California to the wonderful weather and close proximity to the mountains and ocean.

I don't want to start an argument over the benefits of reducing emissions from our vehicles but I have never understood the flunking of smog checks based on missing or wrong components. The emissions are tested at the tailpipe, either they pass or they don't! why does the government have always over complicate things?..:confused0006:

Good employees are hard to come by, I'm sure you'll do what you can to work this out. Good luck.
 
#22 ·
Trust me, I would like to leave if I had the financial means, and I will leave it at that without going into what I think about the Bureaucracy political rant. Ill just say too many leaders have their own agenda and its sad to see businesses paying the price over so small a thing.
 
#26 · (Edited)
I have a saying I tell my employees " The only person that Never makes a mistake is a person that is not doing Anything." If he is big enough to admit he was wrong and made the mistake I would give the Guy a break if it the first time. Hopefully he be more carefully in the future.
 
#27 ·
He told me the truth he was busy, he was multitasking, the phone was ringing, he was writing customers up to do the Emissions test, and doing the tests and he was all by himself. All it takes is a little complacency one time. I have been in his shoes, and all it takes is for the phone to ring, and you forget where on the inspection you were at.

The reason I want to keep him is because he came up to me, and took the responsibility to say "I am paying the fine, its my fault for not seeing the missing part."
 
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