Was interviewed for a spot on Chicago’s ABC affiliate station, Channel 7. The sweeps week narrative is done every year, a slam of the City of Chicago’s Building Dept and code inspectors. Sure, they have a history of corruption and pay-offs and the like, but they are tremendously underfunded and undermanned (only 14 inspectors of a city of this size).
A couple of months ago, a woman was killed by a masonry gargoyle head that fell off a church (story here: http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/09/08/family-of-woman-killed-by-falling-gargoyle-statue-files-lawsuit/ ) and the local news people found multiple cases of similar building dept violations that are on the books but have not been fixed. The story attempts to put all the blame on the building dept, but my opinion is that the bigger culprits are the building owners, failing to do regular maintenance, and on the low level of compitence shown by many masonry contractors in the city. Remember, in Illinois, only two building trades (roofers and plumbers) are state licensed and most trades require no testing or other proof of training for licensure, only money and proof of a G/L insurance policy.
I think that the primary responsibility is the building owner, both to do regular maintenance (and setting aside the necessary money) and the responsibility to hire professional tradesmen to do the maintenance and repair.
The spot will air on ABC Channel 7 on the 10:00 PM news on Thursday night, Nov. 13th. I also made them plug the Certified Master Inspector designation. I see home inspectors (NACHI inspectors, specifically, because of our great education programs) as a stand-in-the-gap measure to help in these kind of problems.
And look for some large, landmark buildings in the downtown area to get slammed.
Bob. CMI is and will be what WE (the CMI’s out there) make it. Like every serious professional designation, it is up to those who hold it to make it better, stronger, educate the public about it and make it shine.
And, since you are at it, pick a color and buy some shirts and make a distinctive trademark for yourself. Marketing NACHI, and its high education standards and this board (NACHI’s most important asset, in my opinion) makes you, and all NACHI members shine.
Yep as you already know my trademark is black.
As far as pushing NACHI goes Nick will even tell you that the ideal is NACHI promotes the Inspector and not the other way around.
Ironically you once pointed out that in public speaking using the association as a third party perspective from which to draw authority and confidence is helpful is a wise philosophy.
See you think I don’t listen …
I can talk and hear at the same time have two ears } {One mouth]
CMI is simply a money maker but less of a guarantee to the consumer of a quality inspection as NACHI has the best education in the business and CMI has zero…let me repeat that…ZERO.
If longevity or number of jobs counted when a Contractor says been doing it this way for years] we should defer and bow…LOL
I’m not familiar with these issues so forgive me for asking this.
Why are’nt the building owners required to hire Structural Engineers etc.
on a yearly basis?
It seems too much of a burden on a municipal govt. to go around looking at every cornice in Chicago in this case.
That would be a good thing, but around here the building dept is run by the Unions. They have very little in the way of expertise but a lot in the way of clout and they don’t want to loose that. The city is going through a transition, with the Unions pricing themselves out of the market and the city trying to move the burden of inspections onto Architects. Meanwhile, the normal, day-to-day crap gets ignored. Also understand that Illinois, and Chicago is completely broke, yet they still have to provide the sweets to the voters. In this area, one does not just leave political office, one gets indited.
Hey old man you been around so long anything anyone says has already been spoken by you.
Last night went out just for fun to drive around town.
Even with all the problems nothing beats a night o the town in Chicago.
Last night bored so Drove over to the Planetarium and looked back at the lights over lake Michigan,drove down Michigan ave watching all the shoppers,walked through a dance club,watched the Christmas displays going up,stopped in a 24 hour Starbucks ,grabbed a late night taco,etc.So many things to do here if you open your eyes and it would be hard to leave.
Notice Will lives here to and stays.
Talk crud as we do it is still the best city to live in.