Bum's Bluff

Green's re-Fuse-al to deal with reality

One of the challenges of living in an older home is trying to run all my electronic gizmos with a 40 Amp Fuse Box. To keep the antique wiring from overloading, I know that I should be using 20 Amp fuses at the most. But the temptation is always there to push my luck with a 30 Amp fuse so that I can have the TV, Computer, Printer, Shredder, and Window Air Conditioner all on the same circuit. The danger of course is that instead of overloading the fuse (which is what you want to happen if you are overloading the system), I overload the wires instead and risk a fire.

Some folks just aren't comfortable with this kind of set up. They don't trust it because you have to understand the process and pay attention to make sure the system isn't being abused. They bemoan the fact that rewiring and upgrading to a 100 Amp Circuit Box is too complex, so they find ways to over-protect the system instead. They choose to use 15 Amp Fuses instead of 20 Amp -- thus ensuring that the system is never abused or overloaded. Problem is, as time goes forward, the demand for more juice keeps on growing. You are stuck with at system that while "safe" no longer serves its primary purpose -- to service the home.

Now apply this logic to property taxes, and you can see the wisdom (or lack thereof) of TABOR, TPA, and Mark Green's latest election promise. Sure it's "safe" -- but how does local government decide which vital "appliances" for the community simply need to be unplugged? The easiest campaign pledge for a state office seeker to make is to freeze local taxes -- they don't have to worry about the cuts.

posted by Walton @ 3:06 PM