Dear Council Members Victor Petersen, Jared Taylor, and Eddie Cook,
Thank you for acknowledging the 65 citizens who, on Nov. 7, 2013, spoke out, sent emails, or put their names on a list objecting to the passage of the 2012 ICC building codes. Thank you for voting No. I’m sorry that your 4 colleagues passed the codes, against Gilbert families, self-employed builders, and the Free Market. To them, Liberty is a quaint philosophy, nothing more.
Thank you for understanding the issues that many of these citizens have brought to your attention for the last several months about the damage that a proliferation of building codes has done to those who must adhere to them, and to those who must pay for them.
Thank you for seeing that, no matter how much taxpayer money you spend to “train the bureaucracy to be consistent,” you are only adding an ineffective government fix to a government-induced problem. There will never be consistency within Gilbert, and there will never be consistency among jurisdictions. Yet, the myth prevails. Thanks for not believing it.
Thank you for realizing that the SBA, Chamber of Commerce, and SRP do not speak for Gilbert families. The SBA has been right on many issues, but unfortunately, not on this one. I doubt if most SBA and Chamber of Commerce members could tell you what ICC stands for, let alone be able to offer an educated opinion about it. Those who profit financially from higher priced products might like them, however. Money and power does strange things to people with loosely held “principles.”
Thank you for honestly appreciating the time, effort, research, and meetings that the unpaid citizens have spent for months doing their best to educate the rest of the Council members. These citizens have invested their own personal, private time, which they have taken away from their businesses and families. I’m sure it has been a sacrifice to their families, who have supported them as they have exerted their Civic Authority. These citizens remind me of something I read once. It’s obvious that you are familiar with this sentence: –And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
Thank you for understanding that some people in the construction industry are delighted with the code mandates because it means more profit for them. I know this is true, because, as the previous owners of a swimming pool service and repair business, my husband and I stood to make 5 and 6 times more commission by selling energy efficient variable speed motors. I fought against that legislation, at my own expense, because our customers trusted us to provide the best product for the best price. The variable speeds are a sham. We refused to “fleece” our customers and cowardly hide behind “It’s not our fault. It’s those darned regulations.” Our customers didn’t even know about our fight, nor did they care. But we knew, we cared, and so did our God.
Thank you for understanding that the Free Market responds to an ever changing building/construction environment in an instant, and it adjusts quickly. The ICC’s codes take years to catch up. A mandated code can be faulty, worthless, or even dangerous, but “it’s code,” so the law prevails anyway.
Mostly, thank you for recognizing the Truth. This fight hasn’t been about the newest, best, safest, most energy efficient and greenest building materials. It has been a fight between Centralized Governance versus Individual Self Governance. The building/construction experts throughout this battle have been fighting for Liberty and Individual Self Governance.
In the name of God, Family, and Civic Duty
Anita Christy
Gilbert Watch
For More Information:
Full Testimony – Corruption of ICC Building Codes
Gilbert Town Council Votes AGAINST Gilbert Families, Homeowners, Free Market – ICC Codes Pass
Gilbert Builders and Citizens Speak Out Against New 2012 ICC Building Code
Maricopa County Supervisor Denny Barney: Statement Regarding the Vote on 2012 ICC Codes
Gilbert Town Council Member Jared Taylor’s Opinion about Adopting the 2012 ICC Building Codes
"It’s the Law, Because I Say So." Code Enforcement, Gilbert, AZ
Gilbert Town Council to discuss 2012 International Codes: July 30
President Obama Declares May 2013 as Building Safety Month
Gilbert Sticks a Branding Iron in our Eye
Building Codes Could Restrict Freedom
ICC 2012 International Building Codes 5/1/2013 Meeting Review
You Don’t Own Me. Theme Song of the Free Market
Out of Control EPA and Arizona Code Enforcers
Quest for Excellence – Best Done Through Mandates or Personal Choice?