Regulatory Action Center Review - March 22, 2019

Welcome to FreedomWorks Foundation’s sixth regulatory review of 2019! Our Regulatory Action Center proudly updates you with our favorite tidbits from the swamp. We want to smash barriers between bureaucracy and the American people by delivering regulatory news straight to FreedomWorks activists. Check back in two weeks for the next edition.

1) Video of the Week: In this video, Professor Antony Davies of Duquesne University explains the unintended consequences of governments implementing price controls. Prices are not “levers” that set value, but responses to actual market value.

2) Price Controls Disorganize the Market Economy: “Prices are not the sum of the parts of a good or service, although such can definitely influence a price. Prices are information about the entire economy. The amount of information in a price is almost endless. Prices certainly provide clues as to what went into creating a given thing, but they also tell us how much of something is demanded versus supplied. Prices send signals to the market that allow for people and firms to allocate resources to their most efficient uses. Newsflash: we need more plumbers than liberal arts majors.” https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2019/03/19/price_controls_disorganize_the_market_economy_103666.html

3) In the 5G Race, the Trump Administration Goes Wobbly On Free Markets: “Given the actions and rhetoric of those on the U.S. side, though, it would seem they want to let the Chinese telecommunications giant, Huawei, win the race. American policymakers have emphasized security concerns, and pushed for big government solutions. This only signals to the Chinese that we have conceded their alleged centrally planned economic model as more efficient. Sadly missing in this discussion is the free market.” https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2019/03/21/in_the_5g_race_the_trump_administration_goes_wobbly_on_ free_markets_103669.html

4) Environmental Regulations Have Become Impossible to Follow: “Although major federal environmental statutes haven’t changed substantially in decades, their implementation by the administrative agencies that enforce them has become almost whimsical. There is little consistency and predictability in today’s environmental regulation because of a never-ending rewrite of the rules by which Americans must abide.” https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/434144-environmental-regulations-have-become-impossible-to-follow

5) Mississippi Has Over 100,000 Regulations on the Books: “The time that it takes to read Mississippi’s regulations is dwarfed by the three years it’d take to read the 112 million words in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations. Sixty-eight percent of those regulations, Broughel said, have never been amended, which means they’ve never been re-evaluated for relevancy or economic impact.” https://www.mspolicy.org/mississippi-has-over-100000-regulations-on-the-books/

6) Sprint, T-Mobile Merger (and 5G) a ‘Tremendous’ Win for Rural America: “The Sprint, T-Mobile merger further shakes up the wireless industry by challenging the duopoly of Verizon and AT&T with a true third national carrier. It speeds our nation to 5G, strengthens U.S. leadership in technology and innovation, and brings the promise of true connectivity to everyone, from the most densely populated cities to the most sparsely populated counties. Billions of dollars invested in faster and more accessible technology can only benefit rural America, a fact even merger opponents would have difficulty disputing.” https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/sprint-t-mobile-merger-and-5g-a-tremendous-win-for-rural-america

7) Maryland’s Nanny State Targets Foam Cups and Containers: “Maryland consumers may soon be deprived of one of [its] favorite products: plastic foam coffee cups. The Maryland House of Delegates has already passed a bill that would ban all containers made with polystyrene foam, which—if eventually signed by Gov. Larry Hogan—would be the first statewide foam container ban. But that move will likely do more environmental harm than good, despite claims to the contrary.” https://cei.org/blog/marylands-nanny-state-targets-foam-cups-and-containers