05-10-2017, 09:21 AM
clasher, SammyOES2 is right that, economically, the costs may outweigh the cost of the risk of a worker's life. Emphasis on cost of risk, which can (and routinely is) quantified economically.
But, Sammy, really Clasher illustrates the fact that most of our decisions are entirely (or even mostly) based in economic calculations. Politically, you can not "sell" that you're going to put a worker's life at risk to avoid the impact on the environment and other people's time, even if those costs are clearly higher than the cost of that risk. Even if the risk of a child being struck and killed on that residential street is remote and therefore low cost, the township can not balance it against the costs of the added detour, because it's an emotional and not purely economic issue.
But, Sammy, really Clasher illustrates the fact that most of our decisions are entirely (or even mostly) based in economic calculations. Politically, you can not "sell" that you're going to put a worker's life at risk to avoid the impact on the environment and other people's time, even if those costs are clearly higher than the cost of that risk. Even if the risk of a child being struck and killed on that residential street is remote and therefore low cost, the township can not balance it against the costs of the added detour, because it's an emotional and not purely economic issue.