Regulatory regime change.

Over the past week, both NYT and WaPo have put out some excellent articles dealing with the current Bush Administration's means of rolling back regulation on many fronts not much noticed by the citizenry. This program in many ways marks a continuation of Reaganism by other means. The articles are highly worth your time to read and respond.

"Out of Spotlight, Bush Overhauls U.S. Regulations"
Joel Brinkley | | August 14, 2004

Allies and critics of the Bush administration agree that the Sept. 11 attacks, the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq have preoccupied the public, overshadowing an important element of the president's agenda: new regulatory initiatives. Health rules, environmental regulations, energy initiatives, worker-safety standards and product-safety disclosure policies have been modified in ways that often please business and industry leaders while dismaying interest groups representing consumers, workers, drivers, medical patients, the elderly and many others.

"Bush Forces a Shift In Regulatory Thrust"
The Fine Print: An Agency Takes a Turn
Amy Goldstein and Sarah Cohen | | August 15, 2004

Under President Bush, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has made sometimes subtle changes in regulations that carry large consequences for workers and employers. Across the government, the Bush administration has started fewer regulations and killed more of the proposals Bush inherited than his two predecessors. (First of three articles.)

"'Data Quality' Law Is Nemesis Of Regulation"
The Fine Print: A Policy Puts Science on Trial
Rick Weiss | | August 16, 2004

A last-minute addition to an unrelated piece of legislation has created a tool for attacking the science used by federal agencies as a basis for new regulations. Industry has embraced the Data Quality Act to challenge 32 major proposals, including a successful assault on efforts to restrict the use of the herbicide atrazine. (Second of three articles.)

"Appalachia Is Paying Price for White House Rule Change"
The Fine Print: A Word Accelerates Mountaintop Mining
Joby Warrick | | August 17, 2004

By changing the word "waste" to "fill" in a regulation covering coal mining, Bush appointees have allowed an increase in the destruction of mountaintops in Appalachia. (Last of three articles.)