Saturday, February 11, 2006

Bush Fighting Regulations in the Public Interest

There are many people, particularly conservatives and business interests, who seem to abhor all regulation (but conveniently ignoring regulations that benefit them). Regulations that protect consumers, workers, and the environment are high on the hit lists of businesses and conservative politicians.

Examples are common today. The president suspended, until opposition arose, worker wage protection regulations for the Katrina recovery work on the Gulf coast, as if it would be easier to hire workers if companies paid a lower wage. The administration weakened mine safety enforcement, and recent stories from West Virginia tell of the results.

The Office of Advocacy of the Small Business Administration lobbies Federal agencies on behalf of businesses against consumer and worker interest, using our tax dollars to argue against our interests.

OMB Watch www.ombwatch.org is one non-profit watch dog group that is watching government regulation and how it helps the public.

In future articles on this site I will provide more news on government regulation, how it can help protect workers, consumers, and the public against the actions of businesses.