Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Protecting public not a 'liberal' scheme


Regulations to protect public safety and health are being treated by Idaho's Republican lawmakers as if they were skunks crashing a Sunday prayer meeting.

That's dangerous for the public. A sizeable body of Idaho legislators still believe that business and industry can police themselves and act responsibly.

What? Have they forgotten the nation's economic catastrophe was triggered by Wall Street titans who were left to regulate themselves but ran amok with crazy money schemes ignored by regulators?

The Idaho Board of Environmental Quality made a questionable decision when it rejected a proposal to merely ask industry to voluntarily install systems to remove mercury emissions. How meek can government be with polluters—just asking for voluntary action?

Idaho's largest single mercury source is in southeastern Idaho's Caribou County. Monsanto's phosphate plant is the suspected source. But that hasn't been proven to the satisfaction of the environmental board. However, the board seems indifferent to any action while the mercury continues to flow.

Then there's the renewed effort to regulate day care operations statewide to require safety and health inspections, and background checks on employees.

As for that proposal, state Sen. Denton Darrington, R-Delco, dragged out the predictable rightwing bogeyman to denounce the bill. Enforcement, he said, would create "a big liberal bureaucracy." But what of the children's safety, Sen. Darrington?

Idaho lawmakers need this reminder: Lack of regulatory inspections allowed imported Chinese food, lead-paint toys and pet foods to cause sickness and death among U.S. consumers.




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