We had a wood stove the first eight years of my life, and I was twelve when we got our first TV, so I am a fellow older person.
My two favorite utter lack of common sense stories, both involving the City of Tucson:
Commercial business west of a minor shopping center wanted to put a little sign in the corner of the shopping center directing clients to their site. That required an ALTA survey of both the commercial business and the entire shopping center. It could, and should, have been handled with a five minute conference at the site with all parties involved.
Popular restaurant in a minor shopping center wanted to expand into the adjoining bay when it became vacant. It was just a matter of cutting a hole in the common wall, but somehow required an ALTA survey of the entire shopping center. Once again, it could, and should, have been handled with a five minute conference at the site with all parties involved.
Sigh. And the City of Tucson claims they are working hard to be business friendly. Everyone who actually owns a business knows what a joke that it.
There's regulation and then there's OVER regulation.
I live where there is far too much over regulation. Mostly due to clueless people in authoritative roles that want to assert themselves more than they actually want to have a clue and use common sense to certain issues.
There is no way people selling a 16 Sq. Ft. Square of land from one neighbor to another should have to go through a full subdivision process, planning board, health department all needing to approve. As long as setback requirements and lot sizes arent an issue it should be a simple swap with a survey etc. Around here you got the full enchilada. Why? Because to the people in the assessors office and others all think that any line being moved is a subdivision.
We even had one building department official that decided one day he felt DRIVEWAYS and WALKWAYS had to adhere to the setback requirements.... it wasn't until someone talked sense into him and questioned how their walk would look stopping 15' short of the sidewalk or how their driveway would connect to the street that he realized he had to give up that effort. He was a genuine genius.
A few years back, a nearby county was attempting to make some pretty sweeping changes in their regulations.... I don't remember the exact breadth, but it was of concern. Anyway, I was out in the field down there and ran into a "fellow registrant" for lack of a genteel term. I asked him his views on the proposals and he was pretty stoked about the changes because he'd be able to charge more for projects without a lot of additional field work ... (not his favorite part of surveying).... anyway, I didn't throat punch him.....
Nate The Surveyor, post: 407988, member: 291 wrote: Well, I am all worked up. "As arrows in the hands of the mighty". I'm scheduled to be a grandpa!!!
I'm awestruck.
YEAH!N
My grandson is the greatest thing ever! He has is a bonehead just like me.
"He has is a bonehead just like me."
They'res nuttin two ad too maik it more funnier.
Holy Cow, post: 408014, member: 50 wrote: "He has is a bonehead just like me."
They'res nuttin two ad too maik it more funnier.
I blame the extra word on iOS, an operating system written by evil trolls down in Cupertino.
The bottom line......................the caged lion, born in captivity, knows not of the jungle.
Holy Cow, post: 407940, member: 50 wrote: Thus, we, as surveyors, are viewed as part of the evil, expensive, roadblocks to progress instead of as helpful providers of important information.
Yup, either a lender or government agency requires a survey, other than that don't do many.
For the last 160+ years in my area, most folks have gotten along fine without surveyors, chaos without regulation seems to work just fine.
Mandated surveys are my very least favorite survey work. I prefer doing work that my clients want and will (hopefully) appreciate.
I get emails from NSPS that champion new legislative efforts that will produce more survey work. Turns my stomach. If it's needful work, I'm okay with it. I'm not opposed to all government regulation or government projects. It shouldn't be a cash cow though.
Every new law or regulation is a restriction on freedom of some sort. Every one.
Shawn Billings, post: 408031, member: 6521 wrote: Every new law or regulation is a restriction on freedom of some sort. Every one.
Shawn I've often lamented that somewhere we got sidetracked as a society. Use to be if there wasn't a law against it, anything was legal. Nowadays it seems as though there exists a "social consensus" of everything is illegal unless a law has specifically been written to legalize it..and regulate it.
Once upon a time we had only 10 laws and it seemed to work. Then they invented attorneys....
Attorneys should be barred from serving in legislatures.
Funny you should mention attorneys and legislatures in the same sentence. For the first time in many decades there are no attorneys (practicing or otherwise) currently serving as State senators here. That means there are none to serve on the Judiciary Committee. There have been a few news articles about this terrible situation. They don't know how to fix it.
Lobbying must pay better than legislating in KS. Maybe the Senate doesn't need a judiciary committee!
MathTeacher, post: 408045, member: 7674 wrote: Attorneys should be barred from serving in legislatures.
Attorneys should be barred from respirating...at birth.
The three state senators in my area are a major construction company owner, a rancher, and a mechanical engineer.
1 male and two females.
Attorneys aspire to judgeships and higher state offices (governor, Secretary of State, DA, state treasurer not senators or representatives.
Same on local level, no attornies
except for DA position.
Instead of growing a little bit sad maybe
You should grow a pair.
Same old same old here
I've spent my share of time doing surveys to show the client's point of view and to relay what land he believed was what he paid for.
Some of it was way different from fact and some of it was due to what he was shown that was different than what his deed said.
Thing was that was what he wanted and that is what I did, be the interpreter between him and the rest of the world to bring out the fact that not every sale is up front and according to lawful practice.
Most every time I was forced to represent a client that I knew was in the wrong and given instruction for me to tell a "story" simply because that was what the client wanted and it was my job to do so usually did not turn out well.
I'm not lying for the sake of a client in the wrong when he knows he is wrong and/or doing something that is unlawful.
I am also not going to crusade for somebody when I do not believe in their cause.
People that take a clear and understood rule and turn it inside out to mean something completely insane for it to align with their wants, well I simply ignore them until their actions step on my toes.
Then I sign the petition against them.
:manhole:
I have mixed feelings about surveying and government regs. 20 years of private surveyor and last 10 years as a city surveyor. We should remember that regs were always tied to surveying. Such as, one could not get a patent for public land until the surveyors were done and the govmt deemed the survey worthy. Same with donation land claims here in Oregon, and what about Spanish Land Grants in Cal., many of those were tied up in court for years before the govmt deemed them worthy. Many times bankrupting the land rich claimant.
I would have to say that if one thing surveyors are terrible at is communicating, both written and orally. We are the most knowledgeable about land issues in my opinion but the least vocal and active in keeping the laws and regs commonsensical. We go along to get along instead of taking the lead and making land use policy and questioning the authority and in my opinion it is because we are generaly introverts by nature and not communicators opposed to land planners and lawyers who are many times less knowledgeable but are better communicators. Great subject, thanks for bringing it up. Jp
I'm one of those people who attempt to work with those who create this foolish to get it trimmed back as much as possible and a great deal more fair. That's a part of the reason I attend the County Commission meeting almost every week. That's why I'm on a first name basis with the upper level of the DOT employees serving our sixth of the state. That's why several newspaper reporters talk with me somewhat frequently while looking for stories. That's why I serve on eight different boards. And, it just so happens that our local state representative and I have a business relationship going back over 20 years. I have "gone to the Hill" and walked those halls in Topeka attempting to guide the semi-blind in specific technical areas.
The day I stop protesting will be about three days prior to my funeral. The same day I retire.
Brad Ott, post: 407947, member: 197 wrote: This reminds me of an old story.
There is a movie of this story
