Not to beat a dead horse, but I cannot let irrellevant mis-information stand unanswered.
I've pretty much finished reading "Atlas Shrugged," and I find nothing of the blather that has been attributed to Ayn Rand, the author. Instead, it's a fairly straightforward novel, depicting a world where government power is used to enforce sympathy-driven priorities, and any reference to actual results is taboo. The novel ends with the sympathy-driven society collapsing, and a new one, based upon results, arising.
I cannot speak to anything else the author may have said, elsewhere. Think of L. Ron Hubbard; one can enjoy his science fiction without finding a whit of his (later) religious ramblings. The same also applies to a great number of other authors.
No matter how gloved in velvet the government fist may be, government is all about the use of force. No less than George Washington made this observation. He was surely in a position to know.
Some have averred that 'their' department was reasonable, that the problems came from 'across the hall.' THAT is the problem. The road to permit / inspection hell is paved with sundry bureaus as the stepping stones- much as a tsunami is made up of innocent little raindrops.
When a company fails to serve a useful function, it goes out of business- no matter how noble the founders' intent. The same is not true of governemnt. Even now, in the midst of financial crisis, I do not see anyone in our Federal government talking about eliminating 'optional' departments.
I raise this point because I question whether the growth of governmental involvement in building has really led to any public benefit, including 'safety.' Try this: make a list of the greatest construction achievements- then compare the rules they had to follow to today's list. Yet, somehow, those tall buildings and bridges still manage to function. Look at the engineering marvels being made in places like Bahrain- where the builders face little, if any, regulation. Even in totalitarian places like China, the government pretty much stands aside once the permission has been granted.
Reno's success in essentially eliminating the entire building department puts a spotlight on what is really important to the government- and your safety isn't on the list.
