Letter to my Florida Representatives

To the Honorable Esteban L. Bovo, Jr.

My name is Deon Bent and I am opposed to the Deregulation of Registered Interior Designers in House Bill 5005, and I ask that you take Interior Design off the list.

As a current student in the Interior Design profession, I realize that the importance of an education is more prevalent than it has been in past years. To be able to practice something you are passionate about takes hard work, dedication and perseverance all which when combined together produce success! But if this Bill will be passed, no longer allowing me to practice Interior Design, I will be devastated. To hear someone say that all the years of schooling is a complete waste of time and that it is unnecessary to attend schooling for Interior Design will affect not only me but thousands of students around me. I wanted to attend schooling for Interior Design. It was MY choice to take up a profession that I knew would cost me money and time to receive my certifications, but I was willing to do that. I was willing to take that time to become even more passionate about it.

I will also be extremely affected by this deregulation becasue of student loans. Interior Design school is not cheap. For me to take out a $100, 000 loan because I am that passionate about my future means a lot. I do not want to have to waste this money because my profession was deemed "incapable" of being regulated. You will be destroying my dreams of becoming a licensed Interior Designer because regulating this profession does not seem important to you. But on the other side, every other profession IS regulated. Education and practice is what a profession is composed of. As a consumer you trust that the product or services that you will receive are being regualted and worked on by someone who is a professional in the industry! I cannot stress enough the impact this bill will have on many people including me!

In closing, I ask that you please re-consider your stand on the issue of Interior Design and realize the demolition of one profession is not worth the pain or misery of someone's dreams.

Deon N. Bent
Interior Design Student