Today there is more news on the deaths of construction workers in New York City. Apparently, our mayor–who never saw a nice, shiny building project he didn’t like no matter if most residents in the city can never afford to live in those nice, shiny buildings–has noticed that a bunch of construction workers are, in fact, dying on the job in uncomfortable numbers. And he may want the head of his buildings commissioner:

A deadly spike in construction accidents may cost Buildings Commissioner Patricia Lancaster her job, Mayor Bloomberg signaled Monday….

Lancaster surprised and angered the mayor last week when she admitted to the City Council that the E. 51st St. tower where a crane collapse killed seven people last month did not comply with zoning regulations and should not have received permits, a source with ties to City Hall said.

Her startling confession came soon after another damning revelation: The inspector who signed off on the crane allegedly never looked at it.

Bloomberg’s tough love came as a surprise to City Hall observers, who said he has defended Lancaster for more than a year.

    Well, sure, dump a commissioner. But, let’s not forget who creates those unsafe conditions–the people who run the building sites. Nothing is going to change, and workers’ lives will continue to be a cost of doing business, until some of these execs of construction companies and developers start spending time in jail. Not fines, which they write off as a business expenses. But, jail time where some guy named Bubba makes them remember their time in jail–now that would leave a lasting impression. How long do you think it would take for some imprisoned exec’s story to get around before construction workers would start getting a safer workplace?