When I first saw the headline from the liberal New York Daily News, “Vote on scaffolding bills,” we were jumping for joy. https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/02/08/vote-on-the-scaffolding-bills-speaker-adams-must-let-the-city-council-act/?share=feiltnliditdheswlthe Finally, we had a liberal outlet supporting long-introduced legislation that would reform the horrific scaffolding laws in New York State that have driven our insurance rates to the highest in the nation. But, alas, that was too good to be true.
A further reading of the article indicated that it was an entirely different scaffolding issue the liberal Daily News was referring to. This article centered on the complaint that many have about buildings putting in place scaffolding covering the sidewalks of many of Manhattan’s walkways.
They have a legitimate point. A scaffold put in place for a short period of time to ensure safety is certainly warranted, but many of the scaffolds remain in place for what seems to be indefinitely. They’re ugly and cause many logistical problems.
So we’re on board with the Daily News and its quest to get control over these numerous scaffolds that seem to exist in perpetuity. But why would the News ignore the much more important scaffolding issue — and the crazy law that’s been on the books for decades in New York that makes a general contractor and a building owner 100% liable for accidents on a scaffold, even if the accident is incurred by the negligence of the employee?
In other words, an employee can go out for lunch, have four beers, come back drunk, and get involved in an accident. Notwithstanding the employees’ contributory negligence, the building owner and the general contractor would be 100% liable. This means the insurance that they must procure becomes astronomical. It’s been known to increase costs dramatically on these projects.
Government reformers have been crying out for change for years, but the special interests have blocked it in the state Legislature. And just when we thought a liberal outlet such as the Daily News was coming on board, the wind was taken out of our sails once again.
Oh, well. Maybe their article will at least shift the emphasis back on the more important scaffolding bill and for some action from the Legislature on that important matter.