Could A Conservative Case be Made for the FDA, OSHA, EPA, etc.?

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

First of all, let me recognize that most of these regulatory bureaus have over-reached any reasonable assumption of power; but that precisely speaks to my desire to change the context in which these agencies are chartered.

Second, let me also say that the power of these agencies should be zealously confined to interstate commerce/intercourse (shut-up, Kev!  ) only.

The mindset I wish to inculcate is this:

If the government mediates a set of standards considered reasonable among various parties--let's say in the case of pharmaceutical companies and patient advocacy groups--establishing a set of standards that would alleviate the company of laibility so long as they were in compliance.

Suppose a small group of people suffered adverse reactions from a drug. Rather than a beatdown vs. pharmaceutical companies the FDA would rather be used to say, "Look, the company went through clinical trials, patient monitoring and production quality as agreed to by FDA standards. Subsequent investigations in the light of patients suffering adverse reactions have determined that FDA standards have been adhered to judiciously in the company's QC. The fact that X patients died as a result cannot be blamed on manufacturer negligience; therefore the lawsuit against the company is dismissed."

Consider a possible OSHA case. An employee loses an eye. The company provided eye protection that was rated sufficient for his work according to mediated OSHA standards and supervisors were on record for reprimanding the employee to wear his protection. On the day of the accident he was not wearing that protection; therefore the company's liability is minimized.

The constitution allows for the setting of weights and measures. As such congress determines what a kilogram weighs. Consequently, if you try to sue a manufactrer for something being under its advertised weight you have no case against the business owner if his scales are found to be in compliance. We need to wein people off of "the government protects me" to "the government IMPARTIALLY RECORDS a set of standards on our behalf buit leaves us to our own devices."

[Crazy Horse]

Congress doesn't set what the kilogram actually weighs. We have an articact, a copy of the kilogram in France, that has been here since the 1880's.

I like your other thoughts, though the FDA is responsible for the deforestation of the planet

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Congress doesn't set what the kilogram actually weighs. We have an articact, a copy of the kilogram in France, that has been here since the 1880's.

I like your other thoughts, though the FDA is responsible for the deforestation of the planet

Yes, I know where the Kg was formulated. The standards for weights and measures pre-existed the US congress, but congress' adoption of those standards is what I meant by "setting" the standard.

The FDA saying what can and cannot be used is what we need to dvorce ourselves from. Obviously lead paint on children's toys is a no-no, but let's be fair: we don't need the FDA to tell us that. If Mattel, Fisher Price, Lego et al got together I'm quite sure they--in conjunction with the Ralph Naders of the world--could amicably come to terms among themselves that lead paint on children's toys is a bad idea. The FDA should do little more than serve as mediator, broker, repository, clearinghouse and on-call surveyor for those standards.

[DixieBelle]

The FDA is completely broken.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/29/washington/29fda.html?_r=2&ref=us&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

[Splashdown]

Call me a bad conservative, but I happen to like the fact that there's an agency that enforces weights and measures and ensures that the milk my kids drink isn't full of anti-freeze. Now whether this is better done on a federal or state level, I think there's room for debate there.