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Still trying to figure out what any of these regulations have to do with defending our borders or keeping our interstate infrastructure going. [EMAIL PROTECTED] White House Identifies Regulations That May Change December 20, 2002 By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 - The Bush administration released a list of more than 300 federal regulations today that it may modify or rescind in the coming year at the request of industries and consumer groups. The proposed changes in a wide swath of regulations - covering issues from the environment to public health and labor - were solicited by the administration and proposed by 1,700 groups or individuals. Businesses portrayed the effort as a useful way to avoid expensive requirements that may have little practical value, while environmental groups portrayed it as a way for industries and Republican donors to rewrite regulations to suit themselves. Among the proposed changes are the following: ¶The Competitive Enterprise Institute, which promotes free enterprise and limited government, proposed that the Environmental Protection Agency reconsider a rule that would ban the public from using pressure-treated wood that contains arsenic. The institute said retooling a plant that makes such wood could cost as much as $200,000. ¶The Heritage Foundation, a conservative research group, and the Competitive Enterprise Institute proposed that wine labels be allowed to include the health benefits of alcohol. They said moderate consumption of alcohol reduces the risk of heart attacks by 30 to 54 percent. ¶The Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association proposed that the Federal Communications Commission let cellphone users keep their same telephone number when changing providers. ¶An individual proposed that the Internal Revenue Service change a rule that allows tax breaks for people who use home offices exclusively for work, contending that this discriminates against people with disabilities or poor people who work at home but use their work space to prepare food. ¶The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen proposed that the Transportation Department and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regulate the manufacture and proliferation of "in-vehicle displays" that can distract drivers, including Global Positioning Systems, in-vehicle fax machines, television sets and computer monitors. ¶The Boeing Company proposed that the Federal Aviation Administration lower the minimum amount of fresh air required in airplane cabins, saying the current minimum is unattainable and does not increase safety. ¶The American Farm Bureau Federation proposed that the Fish and Wildlife Service remove from the endangered species list grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park, gray wolves in the Great Lakes region and bald eagles, saying that they have met their recovery goals. John Graham, administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget, said that the Bush administration wanted to ease the burdens on small business, streamline the regulatory process and evaluate the costs and benefits of proposals. President Bush solicited the ideas in March, saying, "I want to make sure people understand that we're going to do everything we can to clean up the regulatory burdens on small business. "If there are nettlesome regulations which are costly for you to operate your business that you don't think make any sense, I urge you to get on the Internet and wire the O.M.B. your problem so we can analyze it," Mr. Bush said. This is the second year the Bush administration has requested proposals for changes in regulations, though the response has grown sharply. Last year, the White House said it received 71 proposals; this year, it received 316. The administration took action on several of last year's proposals, including lowering the energy-efficiency standards on air conditioners and halting the ban on snowmobiles in Yellowstone. Mr. Graham said today that the Office of Management and Budget was neutral on the measures it received and was simply passing them on to the proper agencies for evaluation. The agencies have until Feb. 28 to conduct cost-benefit analyses and give the White House a status report. "This is a great opportunity for smarter regulation," Mr. Graham said. Environmental groups said the process was not so innocuous, complaining that it was an open invitation to industries to weaken rules safeguard the public health and environment. Wesley Warren, a regulatory expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council, called the procedure a way for the administration "to twist the regulatory process into a knot," and said the report released today was a wish list for industry that would result in a "hit list" for the administration. Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, Democrat of Connecticut and a likely presidential candidate, said: "What the administration should really be spending its time on is identifying weak spots in the regulatory fabric instead of trying to immunize polluters and other wrongdoers from important health, safety and environmental protections." But industry representatives said the effort was a useful way to keep regulations up to date. "The state of knowledge changes drastically," said William L. Kovacs, vice president for environmental, technology and regulatory affairs at the United States Chamber of Commerce, which made 26 proposals. He added that the cost-benefit approach also made sense. "Assuming capital is limited, it's always better to spend it on that which is going to do the most good," he said. "The government cannot protect everyone from risk, but it can prioritize its regulations." http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/20/politics/20REGU.html?ex=1041382715&ei=1&en=a15c5a3a2cce464a HOW TO ADVERTISE --------------------------------- For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters or other creative advertising opportunities with The New York Times on the Web, please contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit our online media kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo For general information about NYTimes.com, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! 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