There is a huge divide between the mindset in the east and the mindset out here. Out east you guys have just come to believe and accept that it is the place of government to be involved in everything.
Lots of people move out this way because there is a lot less regulation.
People moved here from California and, lo and behold, now we have to have islands all over every parking lot to make it "pretty". Nevermind the fact that this is the freaking desert and it takes a lot of money to keep water running to all those stupid islands! And how are the drunks going to make it to the street without popping a tire on one of those things?
Because of immigrants coming from other states we now have beautiful rocks lining our interstates similar to the grass you have out east. They only cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
What did these beautiful rocks replace?
Rocks. It's the freaking desert!
These people who come here and bring regulations from their home state because they miss the nanny state don't realize that they are simply pawns.
Example
A smart, wealthy, and immoral landscaper puts the word out that our state is ugly because we don't have all the pretty landscaping around our streets and parking lots. (Nothing wrong with that) But the immoral part is when he gets everyone (pawns) up in a tizzy about it with the local news reporting on it etc, he then starts donating money to the city council members (and sometimes straight into their pockets) to get them the make it a REQUIREMENT instead of a suggestion. That's where the line is crossed.
It doesn't matter how anyone tries to justify it, this type of activity is immoral. One may think it's smart business. And maybe it is. As long as the goal of your business is to trample everyone else underfoot and take the spoils.
There's plenty of room in this world for honest business based on work that is superior and a work ethic that is high. There's no reason to drag this industry through the mud of corruption.
That is why I am against involvement in city governments in any way short of defending our work and not defining what our work is an how we do it.
That's all I've been trying to say in this thread. If we want to hold power as a national group we should be defending the industry instead of strangling it.
For example, when a water restriction based on false assumptions about our industry crops up like it has in SC or NC, (I don't remember) our industry should make a b-line for there like white cells to an injury and DEFEND our industry! (BTW I know the UAMCC is doing this - and this should be an integral part of what the UAMCC does if it plans to succeed as an advocate for the industry)
This is not the time nor the political atmosphere to get together with our heads held low in submission to ask "can we PLEASE still work!"
Politics are on our side right now. Global warming has proven to be another fraud perpetrated on us to suck more money out of us as a nation. We are in a hard recession. Governments are broke. Now is the time to entrench ourselves and defend our industry on record so local governments will leave us alone.
We need to present ourselves as knowledgeable and professional and NOT go to city councils complaining about HACKS. It looks like little children telling on each other and just give the entire industry a bad name.
Disclaimer: The above reflects the "out West" way of thinking and in no way represents the opinions of this board, the staff or pressure washers as a whole:clap: