$, lobbyists, and politicians

[Danzig]

http://news.yahoo.com/homes-burn-fas...110543236.html


yes, indeed. the pols are looking out for their constituents, aren't they?


"When you start mandating a fire sprinkler system, you are going to price a lot of people out of these new homes," said Ned Munoz, vice president of regulatory affairs for the Texas Association of Home Builders, which lobbied heavily for anti-sprinkler legislation.


really? are you sure? because further down, one sees:

A 2008 survey by the Fire Protection Research Foundation found the systems add an average $1.61 per square foot, or $3,864, to the cost of a new 2,400-square-foot home. Some insurance companies offer policy discounts as high as 10 percent for homes with fire sprinklers.

so, a 10% discount...let's say you pay $2000 a year premium. at $200 a year, why, it would pay for itself in no time. and if it prevented a full loss, or more importantly, a death/serious injury-i'd say it's amazingly affordable. and personally, i'd rather spend the money on that than granite countertops!!!


and another question....wouldn't it be cheaper to install the stuff, than to pay scads of dough to fight installing the stuff??? common sense isn't so common, is it?