By Zeb Hunter
As an electrical worker early in my career, I am one of those many millions of contract employees out there that waits on a call from a licensed contractor to work for him on the big jobs that bring more sizable income to me and my family. I am looking forward to the day very soon when I will secure my license and be able to open and operate a small business of my own.
Despite my eagerness to get to that next level, I do hear daunting stories from the owners of the businesses that employ me now. The cost of insurance, the frustration of too much government regulation, and the fear of lawsuits always seems to be the things that they talk about. All three of those things are tied to a culture that has become far too litigious. This has a depressive effect on the free market and obviously is something that sits in the back of my mind as I begin to think about that business of my own.
Just last year, I was noticing that the governor and legislature took steps to limit frivolous lawsuits and stop the kind of legal bullying that would cause some of my employers to even consider turning jobs down because their complexity could lead to a lawsuit. That is just not right that something like that would stop someone from moving forward on a project, and I am glad that they did take those steps. Insurance has gotten a little cheaper, and the number of lawsuits they are dealing with is on the decline. That definitely gives me more confidence in my next steps, and I hope that is spread throughout the economy in Florida at large.
Zeb Hunter is a Steering Committee Member with the Small Business and Consumers Alliance.
