They contend that better enforcement is the answer, not more regulation. Danger's opponents have not been shy in their attempts to oust him from his job or, at least limit the authority of his office. A 1996 county task force report recommended just that, proposing to revoke the code enforcement office's power to overrule municipal building officials and to order repairs or halt construction. While Danger dodged that bullet, his office was less successful this year in opposing a legislative end-run around local building codes that rolled back a requirement that construction sites have at least one journeyman plumber or electrician for every three unlicensed workers. Construction is booming, land is becoming scarce, so the code has not been a deterrent.
People have to understand that they just have to build better buildings and better homes.
It is still unclear whether the state's powerful homebuilding lobby ultimately will swallow Danger's bitter medicine. Its concerns have sparked a wide-ranging review by a gubernatorial commission, with the goal of devising a uniform statewide code. The panel's report will go a long way toward deciding whether Danger's vision is ultimately accepted. We have only done what we are supposed to do. And that is to make sure buildings have a good chance of withstanding another hurricane.