Know where your coming from all too well Jack...
Next time I see the local vet I will ask him if he has brushed up on BEE Surgery.. when he looks at me funny I will tell him about this...
The NICE thing about living in a small town, is that All I need to do is call him and he will get my prescription ordered... I agree, anything to make money...
I have BUILT several houses.. I am talking from the poured foundation up.. wiring, plumbing, you name it.. Every one of those houses is still standing, and I expect them to be standing long after my kids are gone... But.. NOW, you have to buy a permit to replace windows, or add a porch, or put in a new septic system.... Are those things not costly enough, without having to pay someone who has NOTHING to do with ANY PART of them for a permit?
Again, thats why I moved from Maine back here to the Midwest.. when I built THIS house.. I went to the code enforcement officer and asked what I needed for permits... What were the regulations on wiring, plumbing, windows in the basement etc, etc... He looked at me funny for a minute, then shook his head... YOUR the one living in it, build it how you want. The only thing you need to do is have the wiring inspected...
The electrician checked grounds, made sure I had GFI outlets near the sinks and signed off...... Building this house was SO NICE and easy in comparison.... AND its built how I want it, not how the Gubmant thinks I need it............. ok... done ranting......