Questions & Answers For www.Mandate Websites
Question 1 - Why call this Mandate To The Mayor, Mandate To The Governor and Mandate To The President?
Answer 1 - Because the elected officials should be accountable to the community for leadership on important issues, such as consumer fraud by some residential contractors. I truly believe that this is an issue that every voter could relate to as a benefit, and will motivate them to show up at the polls and vote, because this is a pocketbook issue that’s about saving money for the homeowner and reducing the aggravation of dealing with contractors when improving their home.
Question 2 - What is the purpose of the websites www.Mandate To The Mayor.com, www.Mandate To The Governor.com, www.Mandate To The President.com?
Answer 2 - The www.Mandate websites were established to collect all pertinent stories from the news media, print, television and radio on dealings with unscrupulous contractors. Consumers will have the ability to post their stories and dealings with dishonest contractors, with the ultimate goal of substantiating the necessity for disclosure to become a licensing requirement in all 50 states.
Question 3 - Is this for consumers to send in their own personal stories about contractor fraud?
Answer 3 - Actually it’s for their own personal stories to be vented but we will accept stories that are in the media. The www.Mandate websites……Send in your story about contractor fraud….Everyone has a story to tell.
Question 4 - Are you going to allow the names and addresses of these contractors that supposedly mistreat people?
Answer 4 - No we are not. We are going to only show the story and the situation, we’re not here to cause undue harm to a contractor who might not be guilty just because a single disgruntled person might write a letter in.
Question 5 - So why should a homeowner send a letter in and not be able to expose the contractor that mistreated them?
Answer 5 - Due to the simple fact that we do not have the staff or resources to validate the stories. Hopefully these victims will see the value of disclosure as a licensing requirement and get behind it and recognizing that the overall cure to the problem is more important than exposing the individual contractor that mistreated them.
Question 6 - Since this is on the World Wide Web are you going to accept stories from other communities other than Philadelphia?
Answer 6 - Certainly, we do expect disclosure for the public to spread across the state and eventually the country, because the same problems that exist with contractor fraud here in Philadelphia, are happening in every municipality.
Question 7 - Are you going to be disillusioned if none of the candidates support disclosure for the public?
Answer 7 - I will be disappointed, but never disillusioned. My enthusiasm grows due to the information revolution, because the information revolution truly is disclosure for the public. But what would be disappointing is to have our city miss the opportunity of being first because I do believe that the Internet and talk radio will bring this issue to some other community in our country, and there will be a mayor and a city council that will be wise enough to take a stand and change the way contractors are licensed, and give them a test, a competency questionnaire to fill out and have them sign it, and have the information attached to the contract for consumer evaluation with photo ID because this simple simple rule will empower the consumer with the necessary information to make a decision on how to spend their money.
Question 8 - Is there going to be enough quality contractors to handle the demand when disclosure becomes a licensing requirement, because you constantly hear from the consumer that there’s not enough quality contractors?
Answer 8 - I say yes because disclosure will reflect the percentage of business that comes in from recommendations and referrals, and this is a true indication whether the company have provided quality products and services in the past. At present the low bid, inefficient, complacent, dishonest person ends up with the check, and the honest contractor ends up going out of business. The reverse will be true with disclosure, and then the consumer will start financially supporting a competent contractor. These contractors will then stay in business, and they will expand.
Question 9 - After the consumer sends in their story, what else can they do to support disclosure as a licensing requirement?
Answer 9 - Well, they can register their support with www.Americans Who Care.com and join the revolution for disclosure. Take the 7 steps and help complete the mission. And if you know any competent contractor that would support disclosure as a licensing requirement they can recommend them to join the Open Disclosure Organization at www.Openmarketing.us. They can contact their local talk radio stations. Email info@Openmarketing.us