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One Cheer for Government
It’s fashionable to sneer at government regulation these days. But the recent tragedy in Chicago, where 13 people were killed when a three-story porch collapsed, points to one of government’s oldest and most important duties: to protect public health. Before local governments took on the role of protecting the public’s wellbeing in the early 19th century, cities were fetid, noisy, dangerous, disease-ridden places. Cholera was a particular danger, caused by water contaminated by human or animal wastes, and remained so until cities took responsibility for providing clean water and disposing of sewage. Which brings us to the Chicago tragedy. Anyone who has renovated or expanded an old house knows the hassles of dealing with building inspectors, who mandate everything from the wiring and plumbing to the installation of smoke detectors. And it crosses nearly everyone’s mind: Why does the government care how you build your house? Answer: Because you may invite someone to visit you, and they deserve to be protected from your foolishness. The several dozen young people who were standing on the porch in Chicago didn’t know the structure had been built without city permits or that it wouldn’t have passed a building inspection (the joists were undersized and the decking too wide). All they knew was that they were talking with friends one moment and lying dazed and injured the next Ñ struck down as surely as if they’d been drinking diseased water two centuries ago. Footnote: City building inspectors fanned out across the city’s Lincoln Park area, where the building was located, checking for other dangerous porches. They found 38 with “possible design flaws.” Seven were referred to the city’s Law Department for immediate action because they were considered “dangerous and hazardous.”