How National is the National Electrical Code?

While I support the federalist principle and the individual state's rights, I think the piece meal approval of the National Electrical Code (NEC) - www.nfpa.org  - at the state and municipality level subjects a large number of people to a lesser level of safety and creates costs that considerably slow down our progress as a nation.  While the NEC 2008 has been approved by NFPA we still have jurisdictions hanging on the 1999 version!  Moreover, many of them approve the document but, in my judgment, with exceptions seldom technologically or even economically justified.  Especially since the NEC deals primarily with safety concerns I find hard to buy the argument that one state or municipality has conditions different than those that prompted NFPA members to amend the document in the first place.  From what I've seen, most often than not the rationale found in backing up the exceptions have to do with local politics rather than sound safety, economical or technical reasoning.  Something need to change here and soon!