It is a safety measure that should have been added, and the valve put in, when your furnace was installed three years ago. It was also added to give work to the plumbing union members. Remember it requires a plumber and a permit in Minneapolis. The real question is why you do not simply change it yourself. Any idiot can do the job. Buy the parts and a MAPS gas torch, and do it yourself, since it is not "rental" property. I would volunteer to come over and help you, but it would be against the "Law".
One reason for graft and buying political favors being so common in Minneapolis is the requirement that State Licensed Plumbers and Heating people also be licensed in the City of Minneapolis. General Contractors are State Licensed and the state law prohibits a City from requiring a different License. I am sure if General Contractors had to be also City Licensed that prices would go up dramatically. City Licensed plumbers and heating contractors get paid considerably more than State Licensed people. This is another unfair tax on the poorest communities. The State Legislature needs to pass a bill, similar to the General Contractors License, which would prohibit Cities from this practice. Such practices promote graft and unfairly penalize the poorest of neighborhoods. If a State Licensed Plumber or Heating Contractor does the work to "Code", and a City of Minneapolis Inspector inspects it, then why would you need an additional City License? Unless the City does not have faith in the City Inspectors? I happen to believe the City Plumbing, Electrical, Building and all Mechanical Inspectors do a good job, no matter who does the work, so I think a State License is adequate for any job. Licensure is to protect the consumer, not to provide graft, and "Contributions" for City politicians. I also think any person should be able to do work on a building, which they own, as long as it is properly permitted and inspected. The building owner is the consumer, and the license requirement is "supposedly" to protect that consumer. A building owner being able to pull his or her own permits would prevent a lot of work from being done and not inspected. If the purpose of inspections were to protect the public, such a provision would go much further in so protecting the public. The permit fees are low enough that there is no reason to not have work inspected, if you do not have to hire the work to be done. Again, we have good qualified inspectors to protect the public, lets make it easier to do their job and have all work inspected. It will probably take a State Law to accomplish this, as City Politicians are too accustomed to the "Contributions" to really address the issue. An example is what changes if any occured due to the Biernat affair. There was a bunch of empty rhetoric, but no real changes. The City kept its licensure powers where the State does not forbid it. In the interest of less corrupt City Government the State needs to control all licensure. Can you imagine if the City got to require additional Licensure to practice Law, or be a Doctor, to be a Teacher, or even cut hair or be a Beautician. NO, the Unions and City corruption has kept this situation from being addressed by the City so I guess we need the State to correct it. So David, when you pay a lot more for your plumbing than you would anywhere else in the State of Minnesota, call your City Council person and thank them for the privilege. The same permit will be pulled, the same work will be done, and the same quality inspection will be done. The only difference is that you will pay more. But David, you are politically active, so think of it as a political contribution. After all some percentage of your extra payment will go to Minneapolis politics. Jim Graham, Ventura Village _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
