Rogue One
People should have a say in writing the rules they must obey.
Congress needs to end regulation without representation
There are bills under discussion to re-assert the primacy of Congress over the executive branch (and its red-headed stepchild, the administrative state) in setting laws. Let’s see if they get anywhere.
‘Taxation without representation is the antithesis of freedom and runs counter to the basic principles guiding our nation. So why is regulation without representation not considered an equal threat to freedom?
‘Federal agencies constantly issue regulations that fail to reflect the will of lawmakers who represent the people.’
AI helps companies navigate critical regulatory alerts, policy shifts ahead of 2024 election
Here’s a use case for AI. Staying on top of the mountains of regulations coming from every direction.
‘Companies must navigate a more fragmented and complex regulatory environment, increasing the need for proactive compliance planning and advanced monitoring tools, like AI, according to Caroline Shleifer, CEO and founder of RegASK.’
Biden and Buttigieg Are Reregulating the Airlines
Where’s the legislation for this? Biden seeks to reverse Jimmy Carter’s moves to deregulate the airlines.
‘In 1978, the Airline Deregulation Act gradually broke up this government-imposed cartel, freeing entrepreneurs and investors to create options. Although the initial years were turbulent for airlines and workers, with several carriers seeking bankruptcy, they led to dramatically lower fares and access to air travel for an entirely new class of passengers.
‘The regulatory pendulum in Washington is now swinging in the opposite direction, and airlines are bearing the brunt. President Biden’s public crusade against “junk fees” and demonization of the industry, along with the lobbying efforts of groups like FlyersRights.org and Travelers United, are driving new and unnecessary rules.
‘Thanks to the Transportation Department, airlines face online sales requirements that don’t apply to other retailers. Carriers must disclose fees for bags, flight changes, and cancellations on the first webpage where they quote a fare for a flight. Six airlines are suing to block the rule—“no fees” Southwest Airlines isn’t among them. An appeals court blocked this rule in late July because it exceeds the department’s statutory authority.’
Are bureaucrats really the enemies?
What if Trump figured out how the civil service works in his first four years?
‘It is BS. What stops democratic politicians from delivering on their promises is not an intransigent bureaucracy but their own lack of will or clarity or grip. In Britain, as in other democratic countries, prime ministers who know what they want and do their homework can use the civil service to deliver for them. Since 1945, Brits have had two such prime ministers, Clement Attlee and Margaret Thatcher, and they both turned the supertanker around without needing to replace the state’s experts with their own placemen.’
Congress needs to fight the bureaucracy – and itself
Congress needs to step up. Will they?
‘Sunsetting, as part of the pathway to a restoration of constitutional normalcy, would let Congress regularly reassess regulations and eliminate outdated or counterproductive ones. Congress could and would extend rules that truly protect public health and safety. Legislators need to do so with a skeptical eye regarding whether such functions properly lie with the central government, or instead with state and local bodies. The goal of sunsetting is not undermining necessary protections, but rather to serve a necessary tonic to keep a permanent executive branch bureaucracy from causing more harm.
‘I also addressed the misconception that regulatory expertise resides primarily within federal agencies. The private sector possesses the specialized knowledge needed not only to create new products and services but also vital information from market discipline.’
North Dakota Official Says EPA Bureaucracy Gets in The Way of Protecting Environment
Inter-governmental regulatory conflict rears its head again in North Dakota. There is a “lack of trust” from the top down forcing state regulators to deal with an avalanche of paperwork. It’s tough to stay on top of these regulations, let alone do their jobs.
‘Wildfire smoke wafted over North Dakota on Wednesday. For Jim Semerad of the Department of Environmental Quality, that will mean more work.
‘That’s because the department will have to show the federal Environmental Protection Agency that the smoke is actually coming from wildfires and not some other source of air pollution.
‘“We will go through a great deal of effort to prove something we already know,” said Semerad, who leads the department’s air quality division.’