Mountain man verses Big Brother

http://news.yahoo.com/reality-real-world-mountain-man-style-195030107.html

A man by the name of Eustace Conway is a mountain man in the Appalachian mountains and he recently did a stent on the show "Mountain Men" on the history channel. However, he may now be regretting that decision. Apparently the state payed him a visit after his appearance on the show and declared about 12 structures in the mountains that he had built with his own hands were unsafe. The state then gave him 3 options. He needed to bring them up to code, have an expert certify that they were up to code, or tear them down.

Conway said, "Human beings have built their own houses for millions of years. And now we can't even build our own house with our own material that comes from our own land? That's not some regulation that's a county problem. That is a human rights issue."

Ironically, Conway sees the huge cookie cutter mansions going up around him as destroying the wilderness, yet the state is demanding that he be like them.

I wondered if he was intentionally exaggerating for effect when he said "millions" of years.

Originally posted by whodey
http://news.yahoo.com/reality-real-world-mountain-man-style-195030107.html

A man by the name of Eustace Conway is a mountain man in the Appalachian mountains and he recently did a stent on the show "Mountain Men" on the history channel. However, he may now be regretting that decision. Apparently the state payed him a visit after his appearance on the sh ...[text shortened]... around him as destroying the wilderness, yet the state is demanding that he be like them.

wow you really do have a problem with government

Originally posted by whodey
Conway said, "Human beings have built their own houses for millions of years. And now we can't even build our own house with our own material that comes from our own land? That's not some regulation that's a county problem. That is a human rights issue."

OK, so we know what the mountain man thinks (he wants to keep his houses to hell say anything), what do you think?
Do you think we should abandon building codes? Or only for buildings in the mountains?
Do you realize that the tragedy in Haiti was partly due to poor building code standards or failure to enforce them?

Originally posted by twhitehead
OK, so we know what the mountain man thinks (he wants to keep his houses to hell say anything), what do you think?
Do you think we should abandon building codes? Or only for buildings in the mountains?
Do you realize that the tragedy in Haiti was partly due to poor building code standards or failure to enforce them?

Building certification should be privatised, people could chose to erect their buildings to a number of competing codes, people might refuse to enter uncoded buildings, that would be their choice. Millions of people live in hand built structures enforce a code and make a few more million homeless why don't ya?

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
wow you really do have a problem with government

No, it seems to be the other way round.

Originally posted by whodey
No, it seems to be the other way round.

on the contrary I am glad of the government, it provides an environment in which I can live with relative peace, education for my kids, facilities that we can use at a public level for enjoyment at a relatively low cost, an environment in which business can flourish, some form of justice, infrastructure and safety measures, while you seem to be on a permanent rant, you rebelled against the British when we had your best interests at heart and you have not stopped rebelling since!

Originally posted by Wajoma
Building certification should be privatised, people could chose to erect their buildings to a number of competing codes, people might refuse to enter uncoded buildings, that would be their choice. Millions of people live in hand built structures enforce a code and make a few more million homeless why don't ya?

no this is a mistake, surveyors are private firms and it resulted in households having to do multiple surveys on prospective buildings they wished to purchase, local authority having no vested financial interest are impartial and thus in a much better position to carry out the work taking into consideration local architectural features, soon as you start introducing money as an incentive, standards start to drop. A private firm has practically no jurisdiction to stop dodgy building practices whereas local authority does. Epic fail of a proposal.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
on the contrary I am glad of the government, it provides an environment in which I can live with relative peace, education for my kids, facilities that we can use at a public level for enjoyment at a relatively low cost, an environment in which business can flourish, some form of justice, infrastructure and safety measures, while you seem to be on a ...[text shortened]... t the British when we had your best interests at heart and you have not stopped rebelling since!

Just goes to show you that some people are at home on the Manor, while others are at home doing for themselves.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
no this is a mistake, surveyors are private firms and it resulted in households having to do multiple surveys on prospective buildings they wished to purchase, local authority having no vested financial interest are impartial and thus in a much better position to carry out the work taking into consideration local architectural features, soon as you s ...[text shortened]... diction to stop dodgy building practices whereas local authority does. Epic fail of a proposal.

The guvamints' not interested in your money? Oh boy the naivety of some people knows no bounds haw haw.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
on the contrary I am glad of the government, it provides an environment in which I can live with relative peace, education for my kids, facilities that we can use at a public level for enjoyment at a relatively low cost, an environment in which business can flourish, some form of justice, infrastructure and safety measures, while you seem to be on a ...[text shortened]... t the British when we had your best interests at heart and you have not stopped rebelling since!

Agreed. The government-haters like whodey have no clue.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
on the contrary I am glad of the government, it provides an environment in which I can live with relative peace, education for my kids, facilities that we can use at a public level for enjoyment at a relatively low cost, an environment in which business can flourish, some form of justice, infrastructure and safety measures, while you seem to be on a ...[text shortened]... t the British when we had your best interests at heart and you have not stopped rebelling since!

How does a guy living in a hand built structure harm anything you mentioned?

Originally posted by whodey
http://news.yahoo.com/reality-real-world-mountain-man-style-195030107.html

A man by the name of Eustace Conway is a mountain man in the Appalachian mountains and he recently did a stent on the show "Mountain Men" on the history channel. However, he may now be regretting that decision. Apparently the state payed him a visit after his appearance on the sh ...[text shortened]... around him as destroying the wilderness, yet the state is demanding that he be like them.

Falsehoods in the analysis.

My brother built his house in the woods on the Santa Fe river using timber from the property. It was built to code. Of course, he was a licensed electrician and electrical contractor who understood all the trades involved.

The state did not demand a cookie cutter mansion.

The state, that is, other taxpayers, have a legitimate interest here.

Originally posted by Wajoma
Building certification should be privatised, people could chose to erect their buildings to a number of competing codes, people might refuse to enter uncoded buildings, that would be their choice. Millions of people live in hand built structures enforce a code and make a few more million homeless why don't ya?

Children of the builder have a choice whether to enter?

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
no this is a mistake, surveyors are private firms and it resulted in households having to do multiple surveys on prospective buildings they wished to purchase, local authority having no vested financial interest are impartial and thus in a much better position to carry out the work taking into consideration local architectural features, soon as you s ...[text shortened]... diction to stop dodgy building practices whereas local authority does. Epic fail of a proposal.

Give you a local example from Michigan. In 2008 building code changed from R13 to R49 reflecting the increasing cost of energy.

When the old code was written, energy was cheap compared to insulation, and air conditioning was rare. Who was happy about this change? Not builders, although it came at a time when the housing bubble and liar loans made construction costs almost a non consideration. Insulation venders and their lobby were ecstatic.

Owners of older homes got rebates that helped out at taxpayer expense, and good thing because their homes were not salable until brought up to this code.

As in all cases of government force, some tend to be winners, and others are losers, all to help the hapless consumer, and all this done while the government promoted the helter-skelter inflation of home prices, which harmed almost everyone.