# Kudos to Obama for Regulatory Review **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 18, 2011, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099 "2011-01-18T18:50:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![godix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/278dde/32.png) [@godix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godix)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/21 "2011-01-19T01:07:24Z")
It’s an interesting move for him. Consider that his most notable achievement so far has been vastly expanding regulations on health insurance, both for the companies and it’s customers (AKA, everyone). Clearly, eliminating those are off the table. Then there are financial regulations. Pretty much the only people opposing regulating financial industries are those who’s IQs are so small that the term quantum comes to mind. So that’s a sector that, if anything, should be slapped with more regulations instead of eliminating what’s already there And there are environmental regulations. Some are very good, some are very stupid, but he’ll have environmentalist fighting him every step of the way if he tried eliminating any of them. Consumer protection regulations? I just can’t see Obama trying to gut those. I especially can’t see Congress going along with it. So if this is good news or not depends a lot of specifics. Until it’s announced what exact regulation is being eliminated, I can’t say I support or hate this move. The cynic in me expects in a few months, a few regulations will be cut. They will amount to a few billion here or there. And the multi-trillian dollar government will keep marching on. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/22 "2011-01-19T01:22:15Z")
> [@godix](#): > > The cynic in me expects in a few months, a few regulations will be cut. They will amount to a few billion here or there. And the multi-trillian dollar government will keep marching on. That’s not only cynical but factual. The multi-trillion dollar government does not consist of regulators. The vast majority is spent elsewhere, such as wealth transfers, welfare, military salaries and equipment, and interest on the debt. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/23 "2011-01-19T01:39:24Z")
It’s all about the details…the devil is in them I hear. I will await the details with a hopeful heart and a cynical mind. -XT ---
**Author:** ![gravitycrash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@gravitycrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gravitycrash)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/24 "2011-01-19T01:57:16Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > I’d like us to be able to move forward on nuclear power but I’d probably be against removing most non-nuclear related enviro regulations. It seems that the last 40 years have seen an improvement in the US environment. He can tell the Department of the Interior to tell the enviroweenies to fuck off and stop trying to block most of the Solar projects out in California and the rest of the Southwest. Goddamn desert tortoises and desert hawks need to be protected from the evil Solar panels! ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/25 "2011-01-19T12:51:36Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > That’s not only cynical but factual. The multi-trillion dollar government does not consist of regulators. The vast majority is spent elsewhere, such as wealth transfers, welfare, military salaries and equipment, and interest on the debt. Right. If I understand, this is not so much about eliminating government expenditures, but about lubricating business in order to help the economy. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/26 "2011-01-19T13:34:41Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Yep. Color me cynical, but I’ll wait to applaud until after we see some regulations eliminated that save a significant amount of money. Put me in the cynical camp and I apologize to Mr Mace if I taint his camp. Why did it take two years to do it? Now they can say..“yep we’re looking into that; can I come back and answer that later” when the regulators get called up to the hill to answer questions. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/27 "2011-01-19T13:40:49Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > Why did it take two years to do it? You could say this about any issue not yet addressed. It sounds like you expect everything to be done in two years, else you whine, “What’s taking so long?” Pretty meaningless, actually. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/28 "2011-01-19T14:00:30Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > You could say this about any issue not yet addressed. It sounds like you expect everything to be done in two years, else you whine, “What’s taking so long?” Pretty meaningless, actually. Not meaningless at all… you gotta weigh all the factors and make your own decision. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/29 "2011-01-19T14:23:43Z")
Is it common for sitting Presidents to write op-eds for the WSJ? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/30 "2011-01-19T14:42:58Z")
There seems to be some confusion here over what regulations are in this context. They’re unrelated to statutes passed by Congress\*. It means the rules the various executive branch departments create under their rulemaking authority (under the Administrative Procedure Act). So a deregulation bill isn’t necessary; the executive branch promulgates (and withdraws) the rules on its own. \*Well, not unrelated; in theory, they’re the rules the departments create to fill in the gaps in legislation or to better execute it. ---
**Author:** ![Kiber](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiber/32/317_2.png) [@Kiber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiber)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/31 "2011-01-19T15:03:16Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Is it common for sitting Presidents to write op-eds for the WSJ? [Bush in November 2008](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122670648178429695.html) [Bush in January 2007](http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Pres._Bush_oped_Cites_911_rejects_0103.html) [Bush in January 2005](http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/781539681.html?dids=781539681:781539681&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jan+20%2C+2005&author=President+George+W.+Bush&pub=USA+TODAY&edition=&startpage=A.15&desc=%27I+see+a+bright+day+coming+for+America%27) [Bush in November 2004](http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/728332081.html?dids=728332081:728332081&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Nov+2%2C+2004&author=President+George+W.+Bush&pub=USA+TODAY&edition=&startpage=A.17&desc=Why+you+should+vote+for+me+today+%3B+President+Bush+and+Sen.+John+Kerry+make+their+final+pitch+to+you%2C+the+American+voter.+Each+candidate+explains+why+he+is+the+best+choice+to+lead+this+country+during+the+next+four+years.) [Bush in September 2002](http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E04E5D61731F932A2575AC0A9649C8B63) [Bush in August 2001](http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE5DA133FF931A2575BC0A9679C8B63) ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/32 "2011-01-19T15:54:15Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > Put me in the cynical camp and I apologize to Mr Mace if I taint his camp. > > Why did it take two years to do it? > > Now they can say..“yep we’re looking into that; can I come back and answer that later” when the regulators get called up to the hill to answer questions. Just don’t camp his taint. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/33 "2011-01-19T15:56:59Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > Why did it take two years to do it? Because somebody has to review all these proposals for regulatory reform once they’re done, and the White House obviously had other priorities. I don’t know if you noticed, but there are a couple of wars going on, among other things. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/34 "2011-01-19T16:14:35Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Because somebody has to review all these proposals for regulatory reform once they’re done, and the White House obviously had other priorities. I don’t know if you noticed, but there are a couple of wars going on, among other things. Plus they had alot of regulating to do! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/35 "2011-01-19T17:34:57Z")
I repeat, its a trap. Obama announces this in vague and all-encompassing terms, offering to remove wasteful and useless regulation of business, business comes in their pants. (Suddenly, a bunch of high-end suits are available at Goodwill.) The Pubbies rush to cash in on the political advantage, crying to the skies about all the wasteful and pointless regulations they want removed, hallelujah and hossanah! Then Obama says, with sweet tones of bi-partisan comity, “OK. Which ones?” _Snap!_ ---
**Author:** ![Dick\_Dastardly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@Dick\_Dastardly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dick_Dastardly)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/36 "2011-01-19T17:41:58Z")
It’s just part of Obama tacking to the right after the midterms and wanting middle Americans to read something he’s doing that indicates he isn’t a socialist. There will be regulations that aren’t necessary but scrapping them isn’t going to suddenyl produce vast numbers of jobs. What the people who want regulations scrapped want is to cut costs and be allowed to do things that are profitable for them but turned out to be a bad idea for the country as a whole (and so were regulated) so deregulation is being sold by the right’s footsoldiers and useful idiots as a job creator in much the same way they do with tax cuts. When you consider we got the biggest financial meltdown since the Depression, the biggest enviornmental disaster for years, mining disasters and so on due to deregulation and not enforcing existing regulations it really takes some brass neck for the right to claim that we’re living in some kind of overegulated economy. But there you have it, not only can they do it but they’ve been so successful at selling the “too much regulation” narrative that Obama’s people believe he has to pander to then to get re-elected. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/37 "2011-01-19T17:43:59Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > Just don’t camp his taint. Leave my taint out of this! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/38 "2011-01-19T17:50:42Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > Just don’t camp his taint. Naw, that’s a teabagger thing…IN HALO, folks! I’m talking about the teabaggers in Halo who camp taints! Yeah, that’s it! ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/39 "2011-01-19T22:15:06Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Naw, that’s a teabagger thing…IN HALO, folks! I’m talking about the teabaggers in Halo who camp taints! Yeah, that’s it! Man, if you control the spawn times for that taint, you’re looking at a couple of double kills…easy. ---
**Author:** ![LonghornDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@LonghornDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonghornDave)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099/40 "2011-01-21T23:41:00Z")
[QUOTE=Whack-a-Mole] Financial regulations were eased and we ultimately got a global market crash. [/QUOTE] > [@Dick\_Dastardly](#): > > When you consider we got the biggest financial meltdown since the Depression, the biggest enviornmental disaster for years, mining disasters and so on due to deregulation and not enforcing existing regulations it really takes some brass neck for the right to claim that we’re living in some kind of overegulated economy. There is a fairly big difference between deregulation and lack of regulation being there in the first place. What specifically was deregulated for finance or energy (other than the Gramm Leach Bliley Act, which was not a cause of anything) that caused either the financial meltdown or the environmental issues (BP and mining)? Furthermore, did the administration’s response to either (Financial Regulatory Reform as well as an overhaul to the Interior department) restore regulation that had previously been there and was lost due to de-regulation or did it simply add new regulations? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos-to-obama-for-regulatory-review/568099.md?page=3)