Instead of Budgeting, Senate Democrats Look to Regulate

ATR ^ | 2011-07-12 | Mattie Corrao

[92nina]

Faced with increasing unemployment and a stagnating economy, Senate Democrats have refused to pass a budget for over 800 days, content instead to distract with proposals that would throw the country’s fiscal health into further decline. Last week, Senator Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) called on Department of Transportation officials to throw the weight of the federal bureaucracy behind his legislation that would repeal current antitrust law and unfairly burden railroads with new regulatory regimes. By going after one of America’s most productive and oldest industries, the Senator shows aggressive regulatory fiat seems to be a siren song few lawmakers in search of bigger government can resist.

While the current fiscal environment provides little appetite for yet another job-crushing regulation, it’s worth noting how off-base Kohl’s proposal is, especially with several transportation bills waiting in the wings once the debt limit debate expires.

The federal regulatory morass that governs most industries is both convoluted and barely navigable for companies attempting business. As detailed in our discussion of food safety oversight during the FDA Modernization Act debate, conflation amongst and between departments and agencies is common; to Senator Kohl, streamlining oversight of railroads by providing limited antitrust exemption represents a dearth of regulation, not a product of its excess...

Read more: http://www.atr.org/instead-budgeting-senate-democrats-look-regulate-a6333#ixzz1RvejQAgx

[92nina]

Railroads are a strong engine for economic growth - so why are Senate Democrats trying to target them with new regulations?

Take this article and others I found to the fight to the Libs on their own turf; put the Left on the defensive at at Digg and at Reddit and in Stumbleupon and Delicious

[SteelToe]

The freight railroads are the last profitable private railroads in America. This looks like a plan to run them out of business and put them under government control like Amtrak.

Disgusting.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks 92nina.

Senate Democrats have refused to pass a budget for over 800 days, content instead to distract with proposals that would throw the country's fiscal health into further decline. Last week, Senator Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) called on Department of Transportation officials to throw the weight of the federal bureaucracy behind his legislation that would repeal current antitrust law and unfairly burden railroads with new regulatory regimes.