2700 emergency regulations

Government and business have always had a relationship based on mistrust. Business wants to make money and government wants to regulate how it makes that money.

But, government needs the tax revenue that business generates, and so it tolerates business practice within regulations it sets forth.

In order to create more tax revenue during these trying economic times, six months ago Governor Chris Gregoire issued an executive order telling all state agencies to cease issuing new regulations on business. But, as all good managers do, she allowed them to issue new regulations in cases of emergency.

In the last six months, state agencies have issued 2700 new regulations, all of them bearing the “emergency” declaration. 2700 new emergency regulations in the last six months seems pretty extreme to me. That’s a lot of emergencies.

Why did state agencies issue 2700 new regulations in the last six months?

Because that’s the nature of the beast.

That’s what regulators do. They issue regulations. If they can’t issue regulations, then they have no reason to exist. And, if they have no reason to exist, why are they still employed?

It’s the old scorpion and frog story. It’s just their nature. But, 2700 new emergency regulations in the past six months. That’s just hard to believe.