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Our president has commented a number of times that he is going to focus like a laser on improving the economy and creating new jobs. Some prominent economists and various political hacks declare that is ridiculous. After all, they say there is little or nothing a president can do to affect the economy. I disagree.
Let’s discuss just a few things the president could do now to not only jump start the economy but greatly assist this country in the long run.
First, rein in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Their proposed new rule to be effective November 16 on maximum available control technology for utilities would increase our costs for energy dramatically. It would affect about 1,350 coal and oil fired power plants in the U.S. According to Carmie Henry, writing in Rural Arkansas Living, it will be the most expensive rulemaking in United States history.
The EPA admits that mercury emissions from electric generating plants, due to existing technology and improved scrubbers, are causing a decline in emissions which began in 2005 and continues each year. Nevertheless our president has never wavered in his belief that the price of electricity generated by burning coal must be driven up so that it becomes uneconomic. This follows a pattern that exists in health care and other industries where the federal government is directly increasing costs in almost every aspect of consumerism. Later on our electric bills both individual and business will skyrocket and some will say, “This is ridiculous – what happened?”
Next is something that is being instigated by the queen of health care, Secretary Sebelius. This month she announced that under Obamacare health insurance plans must cover birth control as well as preventive care with no co-payments and no increase in premiums. This includes abortion pills, as well as mandates for breast pumps for nursing mothers, annual physicals, checking on diabetes, counseling on domestic violence and other services.
Sebelius and her gang will give no estimate on this horrendous cost, but if you consider these services being offered to millions of women and teenage girls, the costs must be staggering. When asked why even modest co-payments weren’t considered, Sebelius’ office says research shows even a small payment can discourage use. Well hallelujah! They have discovered that if services and products are free, lots of patrons will participate.
Another example of disgusting and unbelievable federal administrative action concerns the agriculture sector. The Department of Transportation, by reclassifying all farm vehicles and implements as commercial vehicles, is proposing the federal government claim regulatory control over some 800,000 farm workers in America.
This would require all farmers and any operators of farm equipment to obtain a commercial drivers license. This proposed change means farmers and their families or hirees would be forced to pass the same vigorous tests and fill out the same detailed forms and diaries required of semi-tractor trailer drivers. This reclassification would bury small farms and family farms in regulation and paperwork.
Can’t you just imagine dad and his teenage son arguing over recording the time and mileage on the discing of the forty acres on the old Peterson place? The costs of training and insurance would be prohibitive. When individual farmers and farming organizations began to protest rather vehemently, here is the comment from the feds, “we hope this comment period is the start of a new and productive relationship. We may not ultimately agree on every issue, but we will always listen and do our best to help America’s farmers succeed.” What hogwash! They have no conception what agribusiness is all about.
Remember the squabble going on regarding Boeing Airplane Company? They are building a new two billion dollar plant in South Carolina. President Obama’s boys working through the National Labor Relations Board are trying to stop this and insist they build the plant in the state of Washington where the unions have control over plant workers. Sixty percent of the members of the National Association of Manufacturers stated that this action of the NLRB already has or could affect their decision on more hiring. The NLRB’s assault on Boeing has been especially damaging because it violates what most Americans consider to be a core tenet of U.S. capitalism – the ability to move capital or businesses where you think it has the best chance of success. Through executive action, the president could take quick action on this nonsense and instruct the NLRB to shape up.
These are only four examples of what Obama could do overnight if he was serious about improving business conditions and create a climate for more hiring. There are many other opportunities. This potential action by the president could be accomplished without any legislation or congressional action.
So remember all this when the president claims he is business friendly and that he is working night and day to put all our unemployed back to work.
*********************************
After writing this column, it is my understanding the Department of Transportation has told us to forget about these proposed regulations for farmers. Maybe there is a limit to the foolishness of the feds. The reneging on these proposed regulations would not have occurred without common sense protests from all of us. Just think of the money we are expending to have these government robots come up with this garbage.
(Jerry Jackson of Heber Springs writes his “conservative viewpoint” column each Wednesday)
Our president has commented a number of times that he is going to focus like a laser on improving the economy and creating new jobs. Some prominent economists and various political hacks declare that is ridiculous. After all, they say there is little or nothing a president can do to affect the economy. I disagree.
Let’s discuss just a few things the president could do now to not only jump start the economy but greatly assist this country in the long run.
First, rein in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Their proposed new rule to be effective November 16 on maximum available control technology for utilities would increase our costs for energy dramatically. It would affect about 1,350 coal and oil fired power plants in the U.S. According to Carmie Henry, writing in Rural Arkansas Living, it will be the most expensive rulemaking in United States history.
The EPA admits that mercury emissions from electric generating plants, due to existing technology and improved scrubbers, are causing a decline in emissions which began in 2005 and continues each year. Nevertheless our president has never wavered in his belief that the price of electricity generated by burning coal must be driven up so that it becomes uneconomic. This follows a pattern that exists in health care and other industries where the federal government is directly increasing costs in almost every aspect of consumerism. Later on our electric bills both individual and business will skyrocket and some will say, “This is ridiculous – what happened?”
Next is something that is being instigated by the queen of health care, Secretary Sebelius. This month she announced that under Obamacare health insurance plans must cover birth control as well as preventive care with no co-payments and no increase in premiums. This includes abortion pills, as well as mandates for breast pumps for nursing mothers, annual physicals, checking on diabetes, counseling on domestic violence and other services.
Sebelius and her gang will give no estimate on this horrendous cost, but if you consider these services being offered to millions of women and teenage girls, the costs must be staggering. When asked why even modest co-payments weren’t considered, Sebelius’ office says research shows even a small payment can discourage use. Well hallelujah! They have discovered that if services and products are free, lots of patrons will participate.
Another example of disgusting and unbelievable federal administrative action concerns the agriculture sector. The Department of Transportation, by reclassifying all farm vehicles and implements as commercial vehicles, is proposing the federal government claim regulatory control over some 800,000 farm workers in America.
This would require all farmers and any operators of farm equipment to obtain a commercial drivers license. This proposed change means farmers and their families or hirees would be forced to pass the same vigorous tests and fill out the same detailed forms and diaries required of semi-tractor trailer drivers. This reclassification would bury small farms and family farms in regulation and paperwork.
Can’t you just imagine dad and his teenage son arguing over recording the time and mileage on the discing of the forty acres on the old Peterson place? The costs of training and insurance would be prohibitive. When individual farmers and farming organizations began to protest rather vehemently, here is the comment from the feds, “we hope this comment period is the start of a new and productive relationship. We may not ultimately agree on every issue, but we will always listen and do our best to help America’s farmers succeed.” What hogwash! They have no conception what agribusiness is all about.
Remember the squabble going on regarding Boeing Airplane Company? They are building a new two billion dollar plant in South Carolina. President Obama’s boys working through the National Labor Relations Board are trying to stop this and insist they build the plant in the state of Washington where the unions have control over plant workers. Sixty percent of the members of the National Association of Manufacturers stated that this action of the NLRB already has or could affect their decision on more hiring. The NLRB’s assault on Boeing has been especially damaging because it violates what most Americans consider to be a core tenet of U.S. capitalism – the ability to move capital or businesses where you think it has the best chance of success. Through executive action, the president could take quick action on this nonsense and instruct the NLRB to shape up.
These are only four examples of what Obama could do overnight if he was serious about improving business conditions and create a climate for more hiring. There are many other opportunities. This potential action by the president could be accomplished without any legislation or congressional action.
So remember all this when the president claims he is business friendly and that he is working night and day to put all our unemployed back to work.
*********************************
After writing this column, it is my understanding the Department of Transportation has told us to forget about these proposed regulations for farmers. Maybe there is a limit to the foolishness of the feds. The reneging on these proposed regulations would not have occurred without common sense protests from all of us. Just think of the money we are expending to have these government robots come up with this garbage.
(Jerry Jackson of Heber Springs writes his “conservative viewpoint” column each Wednesday)
