Home Science Under Attack In Massachusetts

"Victor Deeb, a retired chemist who lives in Marlboro, has finally been allowed to return to his Fremont Street home, after Massachusetts authorities spent three days ransacking his basement lab and making off with its contents.

"Deeb is not accused of making methamphetamine or other illegal drugs. He's not accused of aiding terrorists, synthesizing explosives, nor even of making illegal fireworks. Deeb fell afoul of the Massachusetts authorities for... doing experiments...

"Pamela Wilderman, the code enforcement officer for [the Massachusetts town of] Marlboro stated, 'I think Mr. Deeb has crossed a line somewhere. This is not what we would consider to be a customary home occupation.'

"Allow me to translate Ms. Wilderman's words into plain English: 'Mr. Deeb hasn't actually violated any law or regulation that I can find, but I don't like what he's doing because I'm ignorant and irrationally afraid of chemicals, so I'll abuse my power to steal his property and shut him down.'"

The fundamental problem with government nowadays is its growth. It grows because people like the drama queen in the story called the code enforcement officer gets a paying job with authority but no responsibility. She can make all sorts of idiotic mistakes but she is protected by sovereign immunity.

The taxpayers pay for her legal defense. But the taxpayer is protected by the Massachusetts statutory limitation of liability statue of $100,000. The reward for the injured citizen if he wins is small compared to the unlimited liability to which private business are exposed.

Expect more incompetent people like her to find their way into these risk free jobs with great pensions and benefits. This is the demise of capitalism within our national borders.

“Allow me to translate Ms. Wilderman’s words into plain English: ‘Mr. Deeb hasn’t actually violated any law or regulation that I can find, but I don’t like what he’s doing because I’m ignorant and irrationally afraid of chemicals, so I’ll abuse my power to steal his property and shut him down.’”

Exactly correct.

This is also about fire code safety as firmen must know about the chemicals in case they gotta put out a fire.

Really?

How do you propose the firefighters be informed? Warrantless house to house sweeps?

Easy....the State shuts down all illegal basement labs they hear of and mandates one of those red-yelow-blue-white chemical safety signs on the doors of all legal and regulated labs that tell the firefighters the chemical dangers found therein, if any. The signs on every door in my lab are not there so that I know what’s in there....or people I work with. They’re there for the firemen so they can be wearing the proper hazmat equipment in case of fire.

You have unregulated labs in residential basements and firemen don’t know WTF is in there......they die needlessly sucking toxic fumes......or get caught in chemical explosions with nice sprays of harsh acids or highly volatile chemicals.

Something tells me that this guy wasn’t making potato batteries or baking soda and vinegar volcano projects for his kids and either a neighbor dropped a dime on this guy’s activities or he was ordering chemicals on-line and THEY dropped the dime on him.

Yeah....I want warrantless house to house sweeps looking for illegal labs in every basement in the country...kick down every door to every house.....gimme a freakin’ break. I thought strawmen were for the DU.

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