@Bender: Most reactors today actually don't use conrol rods to control the reaction. Most reactors on U.S. soil are pressurized water reators, which use a "chemical shim" to control the reaction (basically boric acid). The boron absorbs neutrons to keep the reation in check and allow the fuel to "burn" evenly (at least as evenly as possible). The control rods are for emergencies and keeping the reactor subcritical (read: shutdown).

In regard to the "safety violations", it's true that reactors are regularly cited for issues by the NRC, but a only a small percentage of these are considered to be safety-related. If the NRC finds something wrong that jeapordizes the safety of the plant, it's shut down until it gets fixed. One problem is that nearly every reactor is different from every other reactor, so finding issues is an ongoing process at each individual site. Also, the methods for analyzing systems in the reactors are always being updated. This is a good thing, but it does occasionally mean that the safety margin for components/systems isn't always as good as we first predicted. With the new information, some systems might not meet the goals they were designed for so the plant is cited and the piece or pieces are fixed.

The system is FAR from perfect, but I think we're going a pretty good job with what we've got. As a part of the nuclear energy community, I'm glad the US is going towards standardized designs for this reason. And a reactor in my basement? Sign me up! Yay for a peek at the future and some rational dialog on the subject of nuclear power.