Here comes more big brother and more state employees

Governor Corzine is expected to sign an executive order today requiring lead paint inspections of all rental homes and requiring that single and double family rental properties be registered with the Department of Community Affairs.

Currently rental properties for three families or more are required to register with DCA and are subject to state inspection.

According to the Star Ledger article, lead paint poisoning has declined 83% in the past decade. A 2003 study showed that 800 children had levels of lead in their blood above the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's threshold.

There is no need for expanding state inspections, or any state inspections for that matter. Corzine should layoff all state housing inspectors as a budget savings. Local code enforcement officers can do this work at a very small incremental cost increase.