Scofflaw Contractors and Developers Thumb Nose at DOB

To those who want "more teeth" (In other words - pass more laws and spend more taxpayer funded dollars to enforce them.)
This plays right into the hands of those who are the most well equipped (financially or otherwise - IE. well connected) to "work the system".

No matter how many laws are passed or how much money is spent to enforce them - nothings will change as long as those with the responsibility to enforce them are:

1 - Not qualified (or incompetent) to match wits with the assortment of lawyers and other professionals that are hired by the real criminals, to find ways to "work the system".

and

2 - Told by their superiors (who are told by there well connected - or financed - friends) how to interpret and enforce the laws.

A few years back "more teeth" were given to DOB
More money was spent. More people were hired. More OT was handed out.

The results - Not much has changed.

Just look at this quote from the article:

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City sends in the big guns

In May 2008, the Buildings Department sicced its Special Enforcement Team on Grasso. The unit was formed in 2007 to "disrupt the business models of those who intentionally or carelessly put the public and workers at risk," the department says.

Some disruption. The team issued Grasso just one $12,000 violation for unsafe work at a tear-down on Staten Island. She then went on to wreak havoc at 11 more building sites, including one on Manhattan Ave. in Morningside Heights where her penalties total a whopping $113,000.

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In fact one of the points that was not made in the article (and I challenge Mr. Kates - or anyone- to look into this) is that the amount of money spent on enforcement and collections is disproportionate to the actual intent of the law and it's biggest (and most serious) offenders.

In other words:

More time and money is spent (proportionally) going after and penalizing those less likely to purposefully (and more catastrophically), violate the laws than those who the laws were intended to curtail.

No, we don't need any "more teeth" (laws and wasted money).

That's like saying:

The building (Dept.) is on fire so lets throw some more money into it.

NOT.

We need those that are paid (Handsomely) by our tax dollars to enforce the laws, that are already on the books. To stop wasting our time and money and start to enforce the laws in their true intent.

They have the “Teeth”.

They need to use them on the right piece of meat. Not the little fish.

Be careful what you ask (wish) for.
If we do as they want (give them “more teeth”), the only people who will suffer are those who have been suffering.

Posted by: sowhat at May 18, 2009 7:34 PM