Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Turkey’s earthquakes show the deadly extent of construction scams

economist.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 320 posts

Re: Turkey’s earthquakes show the deadly extent of construction scams

#51

Post by moonchrome »

Waterluvian wrote: post #22
conanbatt wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It cuts both ways. What about the homeless person dying in the cold because he can't afford shelter due to sky high building requirements - is that included in the building code enforcement rules?

I don't think I've seen a case where the local government wants to build more housing but, gosh, they're just too expensive. It's usually NIMBYism or just general disinterest in a "non-sexy" political issue.

This is entirely a "rich parts of the west" kind of a thing - and has nothing to do with Turkey

Re: Turkey’s earthquakes show the deadly extent of construction scams

#52

Post by notch898a »

ColonelBlimp wrote: post #43
notch898a wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

I'd be interested to know more about the direct correlation between increased cost of housing due to enforcing building codes and homelesness. Can you share links to studies or articles about that? Thanks.

Here's an example

https://www.ktnv.com/13-investigates/officials-in-nevada-dem...

You're welcome!

Re: Turkey’s earthquakes show the deadly extent of construction scams

#53

Post by toast0 »

dmd wrote: post #38
mschuster91 wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Like workplace safety rules, they are written in the blood of the dead. Or fire codes. Related off-topic reminder, in the hope it may save one life one day: please use this comment as a reminder to check upon the status of your smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms and fire extinguisher. At the very least every room where people sleep in should have a smoke alarm and every room with a furnace (boiler, oven, kitchen,…

> Fire extinguishers should be inspected by a licensed professional every two years I (in an affluent US east coast suburb) called my fire dept's non-emergency line to ask about this once a few years ago, and they told me this isn't something they do. So who does it?

Go to any commercial building and find their fire extinguishers. They'll have a tag on them indicating when they were inspected and who did it. Or look up 'fire extinguisher servicing [your metro area name]' or check with your local commercial occupancy inspectors department.

Re: Turkey’s earthquakes show the deadly extent of construction scams

#54

Post by phkahler »

notch898a wrote: post #29
mabbo wrote: post #10

My wife has worked in the 'enforcing building codes' sector of engineering for her entire career. And it's so frustrating to watch. Everyone - everyone - is certain that the codes are all overzealous and their little thing needs an exception. Politicians get elected promising to 'get rid of the red tape'. And then an event occurs and we learn why these building codes exist. Like workplace safety rules, they are writt…

[flagged]

There are a lot of things driving up housing costs. Some of those are also driving wage disparity.

Re: Turkey’s earthquakes show the deadly extent of construction scams

#56

Post by ethanbond »

shadowpho wrote: post #45
mschuster91 wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Like workplace safety rules, they are written in the blood of the dead. Or fire codes. Related off-topic reminder, in the hope it may save one life one day: please use this comment as a reminder to check upon the status of your smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms and fire extinguisher. At the very least every room where people sleep in should have a smoke alarm and every room with a furnace (boiler, oven, kitchen,…

> Fire extinguishers should be inspected by a licensed professional every two years Really? Do you know _anyone_ who does that? What will the professional do that we don't -- take a look at the charge level, take a look at manufacturer date?

You should call a professional and ask them what else they’d do.

Re: Turkey’s earthquakes show the deadly extent of construction scams

#57

Post by Oarch »

andoma wrote: post #25

> In nearby Erzin county, however, not a single building collapsed. The local mayor and his predecessor told local media that they did not allow any illegal construction. Both used the same phrase: “My conscience is clear.” That mayor, Ökkeş Elmasoğlu, should perhaps run for president.

Take a look at what happened to Ekrem Imamoglu recently.

Re: Turkey’s earthquakes show the deadly extent of construction scams

#58

Post by tremon »

pearjuice wrote: post #6

Construction scams? More like government approved construction scams. In recent years, the Turkish government issued many exemptions for projects that were built or expanded in violation of the official buidling rules. For a small fine (which yielded the treasury almost three billion euros) they could do whatever they wanted, going against all requirements and obligations for safe building which is nature-disaster re…

For a small fine

We have a word for those "fines": they're called indulgences.

Re: Turkey’s earthquakes show the deadly extent of construction scams

#59

Post by r_hoods_ghost »

conanbatt wrote: post #13
mabbo wrote: post #10

My wife has worked in the 'enforcing building codes' sector of engineering for her entire career. And it's so frustrating to watch. Everyone - everyone - is certain that the codes are all overzealous and their little thing needs an exception. Politicians get elected promising to 'get rid of the red tape'. And then an event occurs and we learn why these building codes exist. Like workplace safety rules, they are writt…

It cuts both ways. What about the homeless person dying in the cold because he can't afford shelter due to sky high building requirements - is that included in the building code enforcement rules?

That's not because of building codes. That's because of people who don't believe in helping their fellow man through, oh I don't know, paying taxes, supporting the welfare state, paying living wages etc.

Re: Turkey’s earthquakes show the deadly extent of construction scams

#60

Post by managerclass »

notch898a wrote: post #29
mabbo wrote: post #10

My wife has worked in the 'enforcing building codes' sector of engineering for her entire career. And it's so frustrating to watch. Everyone - everyone - is certain that the codes are all overzealous and their little thing needs an exception. Politicians get elected promising to 'get rid of the red tape'. And then an event occurs and we learn why these building codes exist. Like workplace safety rules, they are writt…

[flagged]

I think that's more of a problem with zoning codes and environmental impact regulations than building codes.
Post reply on HN