Regulation is getting the “too many pages” treatment in
Wisconsin now by Republicans. Never mind the reason a regulation came to exist in the first place, there's just too many “pages.”
And thanks to the Wisconsin Reporter we can see the lunacy of the “too many
pages” argument coming into sharp focus. There are two excellent examples getting the attention of the Assembly’s Review of Administrative Rules Committee:
Holes in Swiss cheese holes must be of a certain size. No kidding.
Looks like a bunch of partisan Republican bureaucrats are about to micro manage an industry they have no familiarity with; cheese making, Here’s why “cheese holes must be a
certain size.”
In general, the larger the eyes in a Swiss cheese, the more pronounced its flavor. Cheese with large eyes doesn't slice well, and is one reason why US manufacturers usually produce a product less aged and flavorful than imported cheeses of the same style. Baby Swiss has smaller holes and a milder flavor. Lacy Swiss is a small hole Swiss cheese made with low fat milk.
Another words, hole size is related to the kind of cheese
you’re interested in buying, a strong flavorful Swiss or mild. Here's another example from the article:
Nursing homes, for instance, can be fined if the orange juice is off by a degree, according to a specified range.
“A degree” probably refers to the actual top limit a food can
still be stored safely. After that, there’s a chance of bacterial
formation. Outrageous and unnecessary? I didn't think so.
So with these two examples in mind, our Republican authority, with little
or no oversight and debate, is about to make us all rugged individuals who will
have to suffer the consequences of our choices in our now deregulated society.
Hell, it might even make you think twice about buying something, and that’s
always good for our economy.
Or you could think of it in the way Rep. Dan LeMahieu does,
completely upside down yet ideologically principled:
“Regulations take money from the pockets of citizens and business every day,” said Rep. Dan LeMahieu, R-Cascade, who co-chairs the Assembly’s Review of Administrative Rules Committee. “We should be confident that these rules actually protect individuals, rather than just putting a burden on businesses.”
With that in mind, lawmakers are taking on a seemingly monumental task — reviewing and updating the entire administrative code. Line by line … All 1,768 chapters … All 11,764 pages.
And when it’s finally whittled down to 10,150 pages, will that be small enough?
“Hopefully by the end of the day, we won’t just be making cosmetic changes,” LeMahieu said.For a look at the Walker outline, check out the Wisconsin Regulatory Review Report.
