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To: Carry_Okie

No, I was merely pointing out what happens when you don't have uniform standards. But it is an issue of interstate commerce and that's why you need national rules.


25 posted on 03/18/2006 8:24:38 PM PST by misterrob (Islam is a hate crime)
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To: misterrob
No, I was merely pointing out what happens when you don't have uniform standards.

Uniform government standards are the bane of many a supposedly good intention. They hamper innovation and preclude customization for local conditions.

For example, let's say a particular city in a critical air basin was hampered from development because air quality standards from local sources were constrained to Federal norms. Think that a fantasy? It isn't. Such are precisely the conditions in Los Angeles. Another similar condition is that the Central Valley of California is hampered from developing because of air that is trapped from the Bay Area. The Bay Area could thumb its nose at the Central Valley because it passes Federal standards.

OTOH, Carol Browner was able to hand out a serious political payoff because she could specify 94% particulate reduction in diesel instead of the 90% the rest of the industry could accomplish without paying royalties. In that regard, we got a fuel that, while uniform, was MORE expensive nationwide, which is the model of which both hedgetrimmer and I are concerned. Uniform standards represent one stop shopping for corruption. At least the States have natural law competition to moderate their behavior.

All of this points out that government is the wrong tool by which to manage the risk associated with goods sold in the free market. Here is my alternative; I'm sure there are others.

36 posted on 03/18/2006 8:39:04 PM PST by Carry_Okie (There are people in power who are truly evil.)
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