Wednesday, April 21, 2010

America Recruiting "Useful Idiots" For The Political Class


As you know only too well, I am against the choking tangle of government dictates and regulations that hinder the free flow of entrepreneurial blood in this nation, any nation.
At this crucial moment in American history, a moment that may lead to the end of America's monetary hegemony and much worse than that, the nation's leadership should be cutting back the regulatory tangle, and not piling it on as they are.
Which brings me to an initiative out of the EPA that is enough to bring a sane person to their knees: a government-sponsored contest whereby the citizenry are being encouraged to make short videos in favor of federal regulation.
Please don't read this unless you are sitting...
As explained in the EPA press release announcing the contest, the purpose of the videos will be to remind the public that federal regulation touches "almost every aspect" of their lives and to promote how important those regulations are.
"The contest will highlight the significance of federal regulations and help the public understand the rulemaking process. Federal agencies develop and issue hundreds of rules and regulations every year to implement statutes written by Congress. Almost every aspect of an individual's life is touched by federal regulations, but many do not understand how rules are made or how they can get involved in the process."
... "With a short 60 to 90 second video, citizens should capture public imagination and use creativity, artistic expression and innovation to explain why regulations are important to everyone, and motivate others to participate in the rulemaking process."
The videos must both educate viewers on the government's regulatory process and encourage them to become more involved in it. The videos must remind viewers that regulations are laws written by the executive branch.
"Federal agencies write laws called regulations or rules," the contest's information guidelines states. "When Congress writes a statute and the President signs it, it usually doesn't have enough detail for it to be put into effect. So, federal agencies fill in the details by issuing regulations."
The videos must also remind viewers that regulations are the law and that they actually outnumber laws passed by Congress on the order of 10-1.
"Regulations have the power of law. Breaking them can result in fines and even jail time. Regulations outnumber Congressional statutes. For every statute passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, federal agencies create about 10 regulations, each of which have the force of law."
(Source: CNS News) Full article here.David again. You can watch a helpful video from the EPA that explains how you, too, can create your video entry.
I could make a number of comments in response to this latest government initiative, but all would be predictable and rude. As I prefer not to be either predictable or rude, I will leave it by saying that whatever emotive response you had to reading that entry, I probably had as well, which left a horrid stain on the Sound Of Cannons Towers carpet.

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