Ehrlich on Washington column, July 9, 1995

MEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Road, Suite 304 3 1 5 Cannon House Office Building Lutherville, Maryland 21093 Washington, D.C. 205 1 5 EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON Week of July 9, 1995 By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. COMMON SENSE RETURNS TO WASHINGTON One of the missions of the 104th Congress has been to create a smaller, more disciplined federal government-one which allows families, communities, and businesses greater flexibility to spend their own money, create jobs, and invest in their future. From regulatory reform to tax relief, the new Congress has taken concrete steps to limit the power of the federal bureaucracy, whose regulations hurt property owners and small businesses. As part of the reform process, the House of Representatives recently adopted a new, exciting legislative mechanism called “Corrections Day,” through which stupid, outdated, and fundamentally flawed rules and regulations can at last be taken off the books. All of us have heard horror stories about inane regulations. While many of these rules are well- intentioned, the federal government simply cannot foresee how a broad federal regulation will affect the thousands of communities and businesses throughout this country, all with their own special nuances and characteristics. This might be why the idea for “Corrections Day” began first at the local level, where governors and mayors have plenty of experience dealing with this problem. The Environmental Protection Agency, for example, has insisted that San Diego spend $10 billion to build a new waste treatment facility, even though the city already operates a plant which has been praised by leading oceanographers as one of the safest and cleanest in the United States. The $10 billion cost of this new project, as well as the millions of dollars being spent to fight this in court, could