Pride in Craftsmanship

A friend posted one of those HuffPo articles about the Seattle bridge collapse, last night...

So, I asked the question, "Am I the only one who's noticed that there are buildings in Europe that're like.. a thousand years old (give or take) that're Still Standing.. still being used... Meanwhile, here in America, where we have more regulations than people and building codes too numerous to ever actually read, and yet, our structures barely last a couple decades...?"

As tends to happen, I found myself collecting my follow-up thoughts in wordpad, so FB doesn't all of a sudden lock up and I lose everything I just spent 20 minutes three-finger typing... by the time I was done, I decided to post it, not as a comment, but on this Blog I forgot I had...




There’s this notion which irritates me, to no end – and it does not matter where one finds themselves on the political spectrum, it could be left, right, up, down, sideways, statist or anarchist – it does not matter – The notion, itself, exists everywhere by too many people – that either there were No roads or structures BEFORE the Gov’t got involved or that the roads and structures were somehow made ‘better’ by said Gov’t involvement… It is simply just not realistic. Before there was any kind of Gov’t interference. Before there were codes, regulations or inspectors; there were roads, bridges and buildings… Not just in Europe as I alluded to earlier, even in this country – look at our churches.. the Old North Church in Boston, is a perfect example, this was built before the war of insurrection against the British.. And it Still stands today…

Pride in Craftsmanship…

There’s this overwhelming consensus, today that suggests people can not – and therefore never did – have PRIDE in their work, in their workmanship, in their craft.. So many today want to believe this idea that because so much has become about the bottom line, about making a profit; that corners are cut and the evil rich somehow get off on the misfortunes of others caused by those cut corners…

But those same people refuse to see that a change has been caused by the intrusive nature of Gov’t…

Where a bridge builder used to be able to build a bridge and Know that it was built well.. Now they have a mile-long checklist of regulations they have to meet, codes for what specific mixture of concrete they can use, a certain tensile strength of steel or iron – IF they’re even allowed to use steel or iron.. Today there’s a special coating that has to be sprayed on the metal that’s used because it actually causes corrosion – the corrosion seals the bolts.. It used to be the iron was laid out “hot” and the cooling process welded the bolts and rivets into the structure – and those structures lasted Longer.. But you can’t do it that way anymore…

And because of all these changes, the Cost of actually “building” ANYthing has gone UP exponentially…

Now, if you want to build something you have to have a union crew, with so many per shift, a set number of each gender, and ethnicity.. You can’t just take out your best builders, your hardest workers – you have to have all of these other people, even if all they’re doing is standing around, so long as they’re “on site” while the build is happening – and they’re getting paid for it, which adds to the cost. Not to mention all the benefits packages and retirement plans and gawd-forbid worker’s comp.. None of that existed Before Gov’t –ALL of it raised the cost.. To where, now small towns, counties, even states simply can not afford to replace these bridges.. at least not without “borrowing” money from the federal Gov’t – the same federal Gov’t who Made the regulations and codes…,and maybe they wouldn’t even need to “borrow” that money, if the federal Gov’t wasn’t taking it away from the states and the workers to begin with, but that’s a whole other thing…

Builders used to be able to build, Unencumbered by the weight of Gov’t regulations. Each structure, each brick, each project bore their signature.. It was almost a form of art. Maybe it was their art. They had pride. There was a sense of knowing that what they built, would last.. Generations later, it would still be there. That was their mark, they’re legacy. Certain builders gained a reputation and were sought out for newer more elaborate projects, because those who wanted the thing, Knew.. They Knew... This builder has pride, this builder is a master craftsman, and when they are finished, what they build will stand through time.

Now it’s about punch lists and meeting deadlines, pre-approved mixtures and statistical analysis.. and yes, it’s become about the bottom line, coming in at or under budget, because you have to pay the bills. You have to pay your workers, you have to pay for the permits, you have to pay for the inspectors you have to pay for the politicians to get the zoning approved, you have to pay the team of lawyers to read every new regulation (over 300, since 2009, added to the books) and make sure whatever you’re doing is in compliance…


Let me tell you about a bridge in my hometown of East Palestine, Ohio… About a year or so before I was born my Dad was coming home from work and at the last stop sign, where he made his left turn to come down our street, in front of him was a bridge.. This bridge had been there since the 1920’s, however by the early 1970’s, the rail cars which rolled beneath it had gotten a bit taller…my Dad told me this story so many times I often think of it like I was there, none-the-less he’s sitting at the stop sign, hears this loud crashing sound and just like that, the bridge disappeared, it just fell down..

Chrysler took a Huge hit, that year, because they’d lost an entire line of cars when one of the car haulers struck the base of the bridge and brought it down on the rest of them. Of course, my Dad being first on the scene – and never one to miss an opportunity to take pictures (and maybe a souvenir or three) - had a few shots published in the local papers along with the day-after photos…

The rail company had to pay to replace the bridge. Which they did and the new Brookdale Avenue “Modern pony truss bridge” was constructed….. The codes, regulations and other nonsense that were factored in ended with an inspector’s report stating that this was a “20 year bridge”...Twenty.... Meaning that in 1993, that bridge would no longer be deemed “safe”. It would have to be torn down and a new bridge erected in it’s place.

I graduated high school in 1992. Even then I can remember there was one guy in town; we all called him “Crazy Larry”, because he was the only guy willing, to dangle over the side of the bridge with an arc welder, welding patches of steel over the cracks in the bottom of the structure.

It’s 2013 – the SAME bridge is still there. They’ve since put a fence along the sides, so that kids wouldn’t climb over the ledge and walk on the outsides of the side beams, like I did a hundred times when my parents weren’t around.. and so other miscreants wouldn’t throw rocks over at the new cars traveling by at a high rate of speed (which I never did…ever….unless I was double-dog dared, and then ya really have no choice…) But now you can only ‘see’ the sides of the bridge if you’re coming at it from the east or west, which there’s really no good reason why you would be – but if you did, you’d see a patchwork quilt-like array of various shades of metal which have been welded piece to piece over twenty-odd years…and I’m not even certain that any of the original structure Still Exists beneath the patches anymore…

But I still use the bridge...

Ten years ago this June 6th, I, along with my brother and sisters and several other family members followed the procession, led by my Dad, as he made his final pass through his hometown, over that very bridge.

The Federal Gov’t, however has managed to quadruple the number of regulations and building codes, since the bridge was put up in 1973.. It’s now impossible for the once-“City” now-downgraded to “Village” of East Palestine, population somewhere between 4500 and 5000 to pay for a new bridge. Not that they have to, Even though the patches may be all that’s holding it together, it still passes inspections…

BH 35884 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection (as of 08/2011)
Deck condition rating: Excellent (9 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Very Good (8 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Very Good (8 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 65.1 (out of 100)

When I was campaigning, back in 2010, I had the opportunity to sit and talk over a dinner with the County Engineer for Columbiana County, which is where East Palestine is located. He’s the one who told me about the bridge being a “20 year” installation. He’s been the county engineer since the 1950’s and he wasn’t the least bit shy about telling me all the budget problems he has to deal with on a daily basis. As well as what his limitations are, according to the various codes and other red tape ‘hoops’ he has to jump through just to get approved to do the simplest tasks…

We talked at length about the Brookdale Avenue Bridge and the several train derailments that have happened on that particular stretch of track over the years. He may’ve mentioned secretly hoping the next one takes out the old bridge, so someone else will have to pay for it’s replacement, just as it was in ’73… But the bridge just won’t fall down…

It turns out…..

Crazy Larry, one hell of a welder…


Pride in Craftsmanship.