[SpamCop-Social] Re: Obituary

[HeyBub]

Spamvireslayer wrote:
> Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Mr. Common
> Sense.  Mr. Sense had been with us for many years.  No one knows
> for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in
> bureaucratic red tape.

[...]

(Shortened story)

In about 1980, the city fathers of Brookly decided to have a 100th birthday 
party for the Brooklyn Bridge in 1983.

The bridge needed a paint-job to spiffy it up. Based on past experience, 
writing the specifications, taking bids, evaluating same, awarding the 
contract, fighting the lawsuits from all the losing bidders, re-advertising 
for bids, etc., would have taken approximately eight years.

The mayor asked the public works supervisor if he knew of a reputable local 
company with whom the city had done business in the past who had the 
capability to paint the bridge. Well, yes, as it turned out.

The mayor called the company and asked them if they wanted to paint the 
bridge at cost plus a small percent. "Sure," said the company. The contract 
was issued within a week and work began within the month.

Of course every body who owned a paintbrush in three states went nuts 
because they didn't get a chance to bid! "Sue us," said the mayor. And 
several companies did. By the time the case(s) got to court, the bridge was 
painted, the celebration held, and the venerable Brooklyn Bridge was well 
into its SECOND century.

Here's a case where common sense worked. Want another?

Some years ago, a city of San Francisco public works supervisor discovered 
it cost the city about $40,000 per year to take down and cart away dead 
trees on city propery.

He made some calls.

Turns out there was a company that would PAY the city $40,000 per year to 
salvage the wood in the city's dead trees.

Problem was, to change the system would take several years (write 
specifications, put out for bids, get enviornmental sign-offs, etc.) plus 
cost several hundred thousand for the paperwork, insurance, litigation, and 
so on. Common sense, here, was thwarted.

Both of the above are from the book "Death of Common Sense - How Law is 
Suffocating America" by Philip Howard.