Scavengers strip homes in path of Hwy. 40 work - Elisa Crouch (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 3)
What can we expect when this region does not regulate its antiques dealers or metal recyclers? To curb this theft, we need to curtail market incentives to steal. A good start would be requirements for metal recyclers and antiques dealers to get a copy of a photo ID before buying anything from anyone. Thus, the sale could later be reviewed by the police -- something that both thief and fence would hate.
Obviously, theft is a crime but this article again neglects to point out that the thieves sell the stolen goods to dealers equally unscrupulous. Mentioning the dealers seems the great unspeakable act in all media coverage of architectural theft.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
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6 comments:
the argument has been made that the scrapyards have so much to do to comply with the local, state and fed health, epa, dnr, etc etc that the enormous task of running a photo ID through the copy machine would over burden them!
The problems have more to do with the lack of law enforcement than the regulation of dealers. Selective enforcement is a problem throughout the region in numerous situations.
So much for the theoretical responses. Here's the actual ordinance:
http://www.slpl.lib.mo.us/cco/ords/data/ord7424.htm
PE
^
I did not realize that the mayor had signed this bill into law. Great.
Perhaps we should address the root cause which is that buildings are not being rehabbed while others are owned by slumlords? The Clemens Mansion is a perfect example.
We need to decrease the supply not regulate it.
This is rather silly.
Destruction of neighborhoods for the benefit of those who are auto-dependent is the traditional form of public policy in the St Loius region. Just look what is happening in Richmond Heights if you want to see real destruction. All in the name of progress... clearly leadership in the region needs therapy.
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