"If the federal government's regulatory operation were a business, it would be one of the 50 biggest in the country in terms of revenues, and the third largest in terms of employees, with more people working for it than McDonald's, Ford, Disney and Boeing combined."
But that's only the beginning, the rest is even worse, as it details the growth in regulatory jobs, and hiring to fill them at a rate greater than any other segment of the US economy.
Good grief. This is so ridiculous! These regulators create nothing, and they're multiplying like cockroaches. Obama is going to announce a "plan" next month, and I'm sure it will include even more worthless bureaucrats.
ReplyDeleteCan we survive another year and a half of this crap?
This makes my blood boil. I'm reminding of Ari's point elsewhere of the ratio of grunts to crunchers. It's not really a valid compassion of course but nonetheless another example of dead-weight.
ReplyDeleteActually, if you think about it, this is far worse than mere dead weight.
ReplyDeleteDead weight would be like trying to pull an unconscious person from a burning building, while this is more like a drowning man who pulls you under as well.
Today I returned the local library copy of Edmond Morris' history "Theodore Rex". It is an exhaustive seemingly almost day-to-day study of his terms as President.
I did not finish it, because it just got to be too much to hold my interest, PLUS I was deeply into the part where he'd embraced the 'Progressive' philosophy and was pushing hard at Congress to create the FDA and greatly strengthen the ICC (and doing them both under the commerce clause).
While I must admit that the things described about the adulterated food and drugs of the era were frightening, I have to wonder how many of the Senators & Congressmen of 1905 & '06 would reverse their votes if they could see how those 'good intentions' agencies have metastasized into the freedom & country killing growths we have today?
Bloggie just lost my comment. Not long, was it, but I did give effort to it.
ReplyDeleteI'm not so together that I can duplicate it.
DWT, agree in principal with you. I was only attempting, in my lost comment, to highlight the differences between the USA, despite our faults, and what the world would be like without us having been born.
Luther, I wasn't disagreeing with you, just saying that while most gov't employess may be economic dead weight, that regulatory employees are worse in their economic effects.
ReplyDeleteDances, just to clarify. I didn't think you were disagreeing with me. I just allowed myself to be carried off in some sort of flag waving paradox.
ReplyDeleteUnrelated.
I seem to, unintentionally, have made my nest. I'll sleep in it, comfortably.
Well, if you two aren't going to disagree, then I'll have to. :)
ReplyDeleteActually, just a bit of nuance on TR.
My view is along the lines of ecclesiastes here - there is a season for all things. A time to regulate, and a time to de-regulate.
If I were TR or a senator in 1905, and I were given a crystal ball to see the future, would I still vote to regulate?
You bet I would.
That was the problem of their age. This is the problem of ours. From the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made. Etc. No institution lasts forever, they all become corrupt, bureaucracies multiply, rules get gamed. Doesn't mean nothing is worth doing - or even that nothing is worth regulating.
I like it that I can read the list of ingredients in the food I buy. I like it that I can read the financial documents filed by a company under the '40 act. I believe most people do.
The Left would like nothing more than to make the GOP run against all regulation, everywhere, and I don't think that's a wise move.
There's no inconsistency in being against regulations which allow the corporate/government combine to run over small businesses, and for regulations which keep said combine in check.
I am certainly not against ALL regulation, but just against those that go so far as to specify the size of the dot used over an 'i' (gee, I hope that one is correct) carrying the force of law after having been written by a bureaucrat whose livelihood is dependant upon making the regulations convoluted enough to insure his future employment.
ReplyDelete