And California wonders why it can't reach a budget agreement, current global economy notwithstanding. I have a link somewhere that enumerates all of the branches of state government here. It is mind-boggling and ever-expanding. The fact that agencies at local and state levels are staffed by people who are not directly accountable to the voters necessarily puts citizen and business owner alike at a disadvantage. Same with USDA/DHS. Not that they should be made directly accountable, but we could use a better system of accountability for cases like this iris farm. Our elected representatives are swamped. It is not like a shoe store where we can move on to the next one if we don't like the service. Therefore they have a special obligation to draw from common sense in applying the laws and regulations. I don't think they get any training in the former. Dylan Hannon