Tom Castronovo spent 20 years as a landscape contractor before founding the state?EUR??,,????'?????<

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Castronovo said he founded his newspaper and web site and is pushing the legislation to cement landscapers?EUR??,,????'?????<

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A license law would make it easy for consumers to see who is following the rules regarding insurance and labor laws, Castronovo said. Like contractors across the country, New Jersey landscapers compete against unscrupulous operators who don?EUR??,,????'?????<

The New Jersey Nursery & Landscape Association agrees. On Nov. 16, director Carl R. Nordstrom sent Sen. Scutari a letter expressing support for the plan. If passed, the law would ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Some talk radio hosts and others, however, have railed against the plan as another layer of bureaucracy that could require more permits and fees. Castronovo is scrambling to tell landscapers that the benefits will far outweigh a few minor inconveniences.

As of late November, the proposed legislation was seeking a sponsor. Once entered at the committee level, passage could take a year or more.