We're forgetting one thing here: Our entire country wasn't built around 'inspections' and 'permits.' Rather,it was built on the doctrine of accountability, with the right to sue under 'common law' for wrongs.
Let's look at the hotel room in question. Suppose the first victim had died of disease - which the next victim caught. There are no specific 'codes' addressing what the hotel operator must do in cleaning the room; rather, the next victim is free to take his claim to court and let the jury decide.
Introduce code requirements, and you often make things less safe, and lessen the recourse available. "It met all legal requirements, was permitted, and inspected" becomes a positive defense against any claims.
There's an impulse in the inspection community to favor more rules,in greater detail, with more inspections. However well-intentioned, this impulse ignores millennium of history showing that it is the very nature of government to abuse power. Our Constitution was created for the sole purpose of limiting the government.
"My department is perfect and my people all angels." Sure it is. That doesn't account for other departments and their agendas.
Last edited by renosteinke; 06/22/13 10:35 AM.
