Is our water safe? is our food safe? Is our medicine safe? is my work environment safe? Are my children’s clothes or toys safe?
Regulations are in essence tools to “protect” the general public, workers, consumers and the environment. Greedy corporations strive to achieve more profits no matter the dire consequences is the reason for the establishment of regulations.
1. Republicans have deregulation as their highest priority because their main constituent Corporate America demand it. Clearly, greedy corporations would see significantly more profits if they can deregulate and downsize our government.
2. Regulations have saved consumers and workers tens of billions/per year in a wide assortment of protections from health care to workers to consumers. Many involved fraudulent activity in selling defective/dangerous products. Money has been saved, lives have been saved via safer drugs, saver highways, lower banking fees, eliminating entertainment ticket fees, protect workers … etc.
3. When corporations save money via deregulation who pays for such savings? Consumers and workers and the environment. Consumers pay a higher price for most products and services if the business community is allowed to offer unsafe products or selling useless/dangerous products. In essence deregulation is a Tax on working class consumers as they pay a higher price for problematic products of greedy corporations.
4. One of the main goals of downsizing government is to radically reducing the number of regulations/protections in America. A smaller government is easier to manipulate by big money and would be unable to offer the essential protections needed in an increasingly complex and dangerous world. Is our water safe? is our food safe? Is our medicine safe? is my work environment safe? are the questions that must be addressed by government.
5. If all businesses were moral and ethical we would not need regulations. Growing abuse in an increasingly complex society necessitates the need for regulations/protections. Sure, there are some regulations that are misguided and wrong but the vast majority are essential and critical for any civilized society.