please gouge me

Last week, a gullywasher worked its way through the roof of our building, flooding two units. Since Katrina and especially Wilma, roofs all over the city have been covered in blue tarps and/or springing leaks during some of South Florida's notorious thunderstorms. We got off much easier than the Gulf Coast, but we are still limping back to normalcy. Part of that reason is government regulation. (Duh!)

Today's Miami Herald carries an article on a contractor sting that nabbed a number of unlicensed contractors hoping to do repairs on a home. The reason?

"Police and building officials say they are trying to stop shady contractors before the hurricane season rolls around in less than three months. They also wanted to use the sting as a way of warning consumers that making home repairs with unlicensed workers could result in disasters."

Not having enough contractors and materials in the area is the single greatest threat to homeowners now, long before June 1, the start of hurricane season. Some contractors might be shady, but we're willing to take the chance on them as opposed to hoping that a hurricane doesn't arrive before a licensed man can do the job. I can only hope that officials in Mississippi and Louisiana are shady enough to accept bribes and let those roofs get fixed. I seriously hope so.