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Subject: Government Regulation
Posted by: Frick
- [14082314] Thu, May 31, 2012, 09:04
The Economist
DEBATES over the burdensome nature of regulation in America typically focus on national-level rules, on the overactive Environmental Protection Agency or the hopeless Food and Drug Administration or that oh-so-many-pages-long Dodd-Frank financial reform act. In practice, the red tape that grows like kudzu at state and local levels is ofetn felt more keenly by would-be entrepreneurs. Take, for instance, the case of some Louisiana monks trying to earn their way out of financial trouble by selling handmade cypress coffins:
Brown, a soft-spoken man who is only the fifth leader of a monastery that dates to 1889, said he had not known that in Louisiana only licensed funeral directors are allowed to sell “funeral merchandise.”That means that St. Joseph Abbey must either give up the casket-selling business or become a licensed funeral establishment, which would require a layout parlor for 30 people, a display area for the coffins, the employment of a licensed funeral director and an embalming room.“Really,” Brown said. “It’s just a big box.”
The Institute for Justice, which has been doing (ahem) the lord's work with respect to occupational licensing, recently released a paper on the scourge, which estimated that one in three workers need some sort of government permission to do their job. Rules are often sold on the basis of safety but all too often serve as nothing more than a barrier to entry to the profession, raising prices to consumers and eroding competition—and standing between willing buyers and the monk-made cypress caskets they'd like to purchase.
I agree that many of the regulations are designed not so much for public safety, but to reduce competition for existing suppliers. The benefit of having the regulation at a lower level is it makes it easier for individuals to vote against representatives who passed this type of legislation.
There does need to be some federal legislation as the impact is often not felt in the immediate area. |
| 1 | Perm Dude
ID: 3210201915
Thu, Jun 21, 2012, 12:24
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Local zoning officers gone wild.
The militarization of our local and county law enforcement has led directly to this kind of stuff, IMO.
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| 2 | sarge33rd
ID: 12554167
Thu, Jun 21, 2012, 12:34
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In my personal experience, I have seen FAR greater examples of "thuggery", out of localized officials than I have ever seen out of federal ones.
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| 3 | Frick
ID: 14082314
Thu, Jun 21, 2012, 12:46
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Sarge, how often do you interact with local officials versus federal ones?
I'm guessing that you deal with local officials significantly more often so it isn't surprising that you have seen more examples.
Are zoning officers being militarized? I know that police officers are, but I hadn't realized that it was trickling down into areas like code enforcement.
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| 4 | sarge33rd
ID: 12554167
Thu, Jun 21, 2012, 12:47
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actually Frick, most of my personal interactions, have been with the Feds vs local authorities.
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| 5 | Frick
ID: 14082314
Thu, Jun 21, 2012, 12:50
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Just out of curiousity, what are your dealing with Federal authorities? I've been pulled over cops and harassed by code enforcement officers, but I don't think I've ever dealt with Federal authorities.
Actually, I take that back. My wife worked in a day care that was in a federal building for awhile. I had to go through their security to get into the building, but it was the same as the local government building when I worked there.
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| 6 | sarge33rd
ID: 12554167
Thu, Jun 21, 2012, 13:09
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I've worked with on a daily basis for year long stretches, the FBI, DEA, CIA, BATF. Then of course there are the normal dealings with VA, DOD, DOA that almost any vet would have.
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| 7 | Boldwin
ID: 49521221
Fri, Jun 22, 2012, 02:41
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Sarge is also the board's leading defender of big government so take that with a grain of salt.
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| 8 | sarge33rd
ID: 12554167
Fri, Jun 22, 2012, 11:56
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No B. I just REALLY want govt interference in YOUR life, to the greatest possible extent. (and you were worried, that maybe your paranoia was not justified)
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| 9 | Tree
ID: 245592211
Fri, Jun 22, 2012, 13:01
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Sarge is also the board's leading defender of big government so take that with a grain of salt.
well, aside from you and issues you consider "pet".
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