Guv'ment Regs (construction) and quakes

[nadinbrzezinski]

speaking of quakes, there was a story last week... and I had the chance to rub the face of a hard core righty on it today.

See we got good buildings in the US... he was gloating. He IS in the bidness you see, or rather retired from it.

So I asked him.. who set all those regulations since it wasn't the market place...

But, but...

No you know better, your business has been trying to cut corners when building structures. Well I guess the guv'ment you hate actually does something right. The damage in both Mexicali and Southern Cal was actually pretty minimal in a quake twice as strong as Haiti, and consistent with Northridge, and it was five times as strong.

Oh it was a thing of beauty... he actually shut up for a solid five minutes.

(Yes it was in another thread, but I think many of you will find this funny)

[Kitty Herder]

1. I hope my brother learned a thing or two from this quake.

He lives in Imperial, CA, about 15-20 miles from Mexicali. He's a right-winger. I hope that he truly and deeply appreciates the fact that government deserves much of the credit for his house sustaining minimal damage in that quake. (There's one small crack in his garage and his stereo fell off a shelf and broke.) I can give personal testimony that it had the potential to do serious damage. I've been visiting him and his family and I was here when the quake hit. It was scary as hell. But not all that life-threatening, thanks to building codes and regulations.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. We lost a turret from a model tank

books came down off shelf, and had freaked birds...

Now living in Imperial he is also painfully aware that the El Centro Regional Medical Center got something like 20+ million in damage, and they got damage to the water system. So if he didn't, he'll use those as examples, sadly.

Oh and I must say, total there were four people killed, and 165 injured on BOTH sides. That was the TOTAL. Oh and yes there are 35K that were left anywhere from affected (did not want to sleep in home) all the way to lost all, in Mexico.

[Kitty Herder]

3. Four deaths? I only knew of three.

I haven't been keeping up with the news very well, to be honest. I'm too busy chasing my nephews around, keeping them out of trouble. But their mom will be back tomorrow and I will be on my way home to Utah. I may never come back. Last time I was here, there was a 5.8. I think I'm cursed. :shrug:

Oh, and when I said that this quake wasn't all that life-threatening, I didn't mean to imply that there had been no deaths or injuries. It was a poor choice of words. I meant that it wasn't life-threatening on the scale of the one in Haiti because these buildings were built to code.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. I knew exactly what you meant

and the only reason why I knew the totals was... the Mexican Press. Not like CNN cared for it. They could NOT cross the border, and there wasn't too much death and destruction... ergo no story.

GRRRR

Oh and let me know next time you come. That way I will get the full quake kit and the birds out.

:-)

[Kitty Herder]

7. LOL

Will do. :hi:

[underpants]

4. Insurance

the reason that building codes are in place are because of insurance

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. And who enforces them? State Farm?

no, Government Employees.