The biggest sin *rant*

I could probably count the times I have called the sin card on one hand and still play the guitar with what was left. I'm just not that big on sin, I guess.

There is one sin that I can't stand, though. The name of the sin is waste. There is no excuse for 99.9999999991 % of it. When I think what terrible misery and poverty exists right in our own neighbourhoods and towns, and see perfectly good houses and buildings go to ruin, land go rank and weedy for lack of cultivation, or trash cans full of food that nobody could be bothered to eat it makes my blood boil. When I see our natural resources wasted and landfills filled because of consumer greed and envy, instead of wearing out or using up what we already have it really makes me want to slap some sense into people.

I understand the some waste is unavoidable, and it's going to have to happen. I may not like it, but I can understand it, and even accept it as the cost of life.

What I can't understand is how a building that is full of good timbers, mill work, and brick must all be destroyed because bureaucracy and ignorance out-rule common sense.

Our town tore down two old houses this last month. Never mind the fact that both were salvageable, if not in toto at least good portions of them were. I tried for two years to gain salvage from one of them to work on my own house, as they were the same vintage and had many of the same components. You know what stopped the whole thing? One miserable insurance agent. I offered them an absolute release of liability. Nope. I offered to hire a professional firm to get it, at my expense. Nadda. I called the demolition company. They wouldn't even call me back. Hell, I even offered to pay the city for all I took out of it.

I watched them tear this place down, and there were two by eights twenty feet long. Broken to slivers.
Fancy newel post and stairwell. Totaled.
Claw foot tub and matching fixtures. Smashed.
five year old 200 amp meter base and disconnect. Deliberately destroyed.

Sad thing is, if the town had sold and donated what was any good off of those two houses, it would have paid for twenty to fifty per cent of the demolition costs. It would also have dropped the bulk dump fees by that much at least, and brought them in some liquid cash at the same time!

I know this will sound mean, and maybe it is, but I am glad it did cost them.....this is one case where there is a tangible show of what waste costs.

*End of rant*