Newsgroups: alt.politics.elections,talk.politics.misc
From: mfriedma@uucp (Michael Friedman)
Subject: Re: The Myth of the Spendthrift Democrat
Organization: Oracle Corporation
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 19:03:06 GMT
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by an unauthenticated user
              at Oracle Corporation.  The opinions expressed are those
              of the user and not necessarily those of Oracle.

In article <1992Jul21.142419.2771@ornl.gov> de5@ORNL.GOV (Dave Sill) writes:
>In article <1992Jul19.234758.10260@oracle.us.oracle.com>, mfriedma@uucp (Michael Friedman) writes:

>>Well, the real problem is that regulation makes businesses do stupid
>>costly things and prevents them from doing intelligent thrifty things.

>>Simple example:  Current immigration law says that if Oracle is trying
>>to get someone a green card they can't change their job for the two
>>years plus that it takes for them to get it.  Result?  We have smart,
>>intelligent people who are being underutilized because we have them in
>>the positions they were qualified for two years ago instead of the
>>positions they are qualified for today.

>What solution do you propose?  Throwing out all regulations, or just the ones 
>that have problems?  If the former, you're throwing the baby out with the
>bathwater.  If the latter, why not try to fix them first?

Well, that's what things like Quayle's council are for - to identify
the loony regs and modify or eliminate them.

>>Simple example:  The reluctance to allow pollution trading.  Why not?
>>As long as we cut down the total amount of pollution to the amount
>>the government mandates who cares which particular sources generate
>>it?

>The people living near those sources care!  TVA just bought some credits from
>someplace like Wisconsin or Minnesota so they could pump more pollution into
>the already severely damaged Smokey Mountains.  Jeeze, how naive.

I think the naivite is on the other foot.  For things that have local
effects like PCBs you are right.  But for CO2 or ozone eating
chemicals or SO2?  What about them?

Also, let me give you another...

If the current regs on radiation emissions for nuclear plants applied
to coal power plants as well most coal power plants would have to shut
down.  If current regs on radioactive waste applied to materials that
were never associated with the nuclear or radioactives industry then
many used oil pipelines and equipment would need to be disposed of as
low level radioactive waste.  Doesn't that suggest to you that those
regulations are a bit too strict?  After all, does it really make a
difference whether the U238 in your lungs comes from coal ash or a
nuclear power plant?

>>Simple example:  OSHA regs - they are so damned complicated that you
>>can't understand them without a passel of lawyers.  They are also
>>ridiculously detailed, right down to the number of inches allowed
>>between rungs on a ladder.

>Sounds like a good idea to me.  Without such a regulation, unscrupulous ladder
>makers could opt for wider-than-safe spacing to save the cost of a few rungs. 
>Also, it ensures uniformity, which also improves safety.  And at a negligable
>burden to the manufacturer.

Snicker.

Let me get this straight.  You think that factory owners, etc. are so
penny pinching that they'll put the rungs on ladders further apart to
save a few pennies?

Do you realize just how much accidents cost?  Even if you don't I
guarnatee to you that the people who design plants and factories and
who those OSHA regs apply to do.


-- 
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I am not an official Oracle spokesman.  I speak for myself and no one else.
Organization: Doctoral student, Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA