Compliance with Federal Regulations costs business $1.75 Trillion Annually

As the Fiscal Times reports today, which we already knew but need constant reminding of, Government regulation kills business.

Here’s part of the insanity that I wasn’t aware of:

Case in point:  The Environmental Protection Agency classifies milk as an oil because of its animal fat content. It therefore subjects dairy producers to the same costly rules that are designed to prevent oil spills. As part of the new Obama administration initiative, the EPA is moving to exempt the dairy industry from the federal Spill, Prevention, Control and Countermeasures regulations.

Did you know that spilling milk required “Countermeasures”? Amazingly stupid. The only “countermeasure” you need are thirsty kittens to lick up the spill!

But what this means is that only larger and larger businesses are able to financially comply with increasing loads of such regulatory manure.  While you may be saying “I  don’t care, I don’t run a dairy”, the reality is that rules like this are destroying family farms and the ability of small farmers to make a living.  What takes their place, large corporate “agribusiness”.

Just a few decades ago, a family in my county could operate a small dairy farm, have a small herd of 20 or 30 cows and make at least a plausible livelihood. Regulations like this, on top of everything else going on in farming, have made this impossible.

I’m not a fan of Newt Gingrich’s Presidential candidacy for mancy reasons. But one proposal of replacing the “Environmental Protection Agency” with an “Environmental Solutions Agency” makes sense, especially with idiotic regulations like this!