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Harry[_5_]

On 8/16/10 12:56 AM, wrote:
On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 13:39:40 -0500, wrote:

Maybe someone should start little regional businesses making and
installing something simple like solar water heaters. That would be
good for the workers and good for the environment.
Unfortunately the union plumbers, pipe fitters and boilermakers would
probably shut you down.

Right. The tremendous threat of the evil unions overrunning us here in
Florida - what is it, 5% union membership, third lowest of all states? -
will kill our spirit of entrepreneurship.
That's what killed Frogwatch's outfit.
Right.

This goes beyond the unions but they would be a factor. You also have
all of the other government roadblocks.

If this was a federal project, the unions would be lobbying the hell
out of it and pretty soon it would be so expensive it would fail.
That is the problem with federal solutions.

You still need the feds to shortcut the approval process by creating a
special NRTL just for these projects.

Without federal involvement creating a "Nationally Recognized Testing
Laboratory" to certify these systems you can't install them (virtually
every building department requires listed equipment) and it is OSHA
that certifies a NRTL. That would run you up against U/L et al,
another big lobby.
If you actually did have to submit them to U/L, ETL,TUV (or one of
the few other recognized labs) the process would take years and cost
way up in six figures for each design.
That is not going to help people who need something now and it puts a
chilling pall over innovation.
It also insures only the big boys can play.

When you look at this simple idea you start to see how regulation has
killed innovation.
You can find some great ideas for solar water heaters on Mother Earth
News but it is illegal to install one of them unless you live in an
unincorporated area in Idaho where they don't have a building
department.
I guarantee you there is no place in Florida where an unlisted water
heater is legal. Your mileage will vary on how long it would take code
enforcement to hang a red tag on your door.

So, you are also against needed regulation of potentially dangerous
equipment, and against workers making a decent living. What's your
response to, say, a few hundred sloppily engineered and installed water
heaters leaking, or the roofs collapsing?

"Well, regulation would just add to the cost."

Hey, let's get rid of drug testing, car safety testing, electrical
appliance testing, et cetera... :)

--
I'm the real Harry, and I post from a Mac, as virtually everyone knows.
If a post is attributed to me, and it isn't from a Mac, it's from an ID
spoofer who hasn't the balls to post with his own ID.