Bush's Last Minute Laws

[George W. Bush]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/200811...3ZrlAr_2EazJV4

With just 60 days left in his tenure, you might think that W.'s lame-duck administration was sitting around relieved that another guy was taking over, and Bush was counting the minutes until his flight leaves for Crawford.
Not quite.

Based on the flurry of quiet directives coming from the White House as the end of the term nears, it looks like the Bush goose (or is it turducken?) isn't quite cooked yet.

In what has become a kind of presidential right-of-passage, the president (or really, the federal agencies that answer to him) has been pushing through a series of last-minute regulations that have the force of law. Everything from pollution controls to family-leave standards can be set by these rules.

And you thought your high school government teacher said that Congress made all the laws.

These de-facto laws are called "midnight rules" or "midnight regulations" because they happen at the end -- or midnight period -- of an administration. If the rules are published in the Federal Register by Friday, Nov. 21, they'll be very hard for President-elect Obama to reverse when he gets into office.

And that's the point. Sure, the administration had eight years to get a lot of this stuff accomplished. But according to senior research fellow at George Mason University, Veronique de Rugy, most midnight regulations "cater to special interests" and "that is why they are hurried into effect without the usual checks and balances."

George Bush isn't the first president to push through rules before the next guy can get in. Jimmy Carter gets that award. In fact, the New Yorker's Elizabeth Kolbert says Carter's whirlwind of last-minute activity before Ronald Reagan took office is when the practice got named. "They became known as 'midnight regulations,' after the 'midnight judges' appointed by John Adams in the final hours of his presidency."

George Bush doesn't get the award for the most rules shoved through after the two-minute warning either. That goes to Bill Clinton who, according to de Rugy, set the record for number of last-minute pages published in the Federal Register at "more than 26,000."

So, what rules are the White House and all its federal agencies trying to get through this season?

The Wall Street Journal reports that the new rules, "open the way for commercial development of oil shale on federal land, allow truckers to drive for longer periods, and add certain restrictions on employee time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act."

Those run the gamut, but the ones getting the most press are environmentally focused. The Los Angeles Times says environmentalists are angry by a host of loosened safeguards:

In recent days, the Bush administration announced new rules to speed oil shale development across 2 million rocky acres in the West. It scheduled an auction for drilling rights alongside three national parks. It has also set in motion processes to finalize major changes in endangered species protection, allow more mining waste to flow into rivers and streams, and exempt factory farms from air pollution reporting.
The Chicago Tribune did a special report saying the administration undercut a clean-air rule aimed at curbing childhood lead poisoning:

...the EPA had planned to require lead monitors next to any factory emitting at least a half-ton of lead a year. But after the White House intervened, the agency raised the threshold to a ton of lead or more, according to e-mails and other documents exchanged between the EPA and the Office of Management and Budget.
In an Oct. 31 press briefing, Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto was asked about environmental groups saying the White House was easing limits on pollution. First Fratto responded that the White House is "constrained" about discussing regulations under review, but then said, "I would be highly doubtful that there's any specific increase in environmental-related regulations."
Navigating the rule-making process can be laborious for the non-wonk type, but the non-profit, investigative journalism group ProPublica has tried to make it easy for people who want to investigate for themselves. ProPublica has a master list of Bush's midnight regulations here, and the group posted a guide on "How to Ferret Out Midnight Regs Yourself." If you've got the time and inclination, a lot of this process is public record and online.

What do you think of President Bush's "midnight rules," as these proposed laws are known as? "...they'll be very hard for President-elect Obama to reverse when he gets into office."

[Каие]

The Wall Street Journal reports that the new rules, "open the way for commercial development of oil shale on federal land..... and add certain restrictions on employee time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act."

Just as I thought give greater freedom and 'gifts' to big business, while on the little guy.

[Erik]

He had to pay back all those companies who gave him campaign money in 2004 one day.
Better late than never.

And "Veronique de Rugy"? that sounds French!

[George W. Bush]

Do you think this was a bad move for President Bush to make?

[Каие]

The least he could have done after that pathetic premiership, was to help out those whom he screwed over, instead he gave a handout and eased regulations for big oil, and then crated new restrictions for ordinary workers.

[Justice and Mercy]

The Wall Street Journal reports that the new rules, "open the way for commercial development of oil shale on federal land, allow truckers to drive for longer periods, and add certain restrictions on employee time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act."

Wonderful, looks like Bush is doing something right.

What? The environmentalists are complaining? He's certainly doing something right.

[George W. Bush]

Wonderful, looks like Bush is doing something right.

What? The environmentalists are complaining? He's certainly doing something right.

I actually agree. It's about time that we start to drill more oil in our own homeland, rather than rely mostly on foreign oil. Of course, it's not like we have to have drilling done everywhere.

[Justice and Mercy]

I actually agree. It's about time that we start to drill more oil in our own homeland, rather than rely mostly on foreign oil. Of course, it's not like we have to have drilling done everywhere.

We should drill where it would be productive.

[Stark of Winterfell]

We should drill where it would be productive.

Except for areas which could be used for tourism. Like National Parks, and areas bordering them. I don't want to see oil drilling operations alongside Yellowstone, or whichever parks have oil around them.

And while drilling is fine, some of the other measures just seem to be making it easier for companies to pollute our air and water.

[Justice and Mercy]

We can go round in circles, where does the employer get the money from? The consumer. What does the consumer pay for? The workers result. etc. etc.

The consumer is not paying for the worker's results, because the worker isn't working.

People get paid for the work they do, if you're going to act like some people are entitled to so much paid off-time everywhere why not everyone?

And what makes them entitled to the employer's money? And don't say "the work they do", because they get paid for that on conditions agreed to by both them and the employer (or that's how it should work).

Such as? Any examples you'd like to give us?

Would it matter?

Except for areas which could be used for tourism.

No... we should drill where it would be productive.

It's not the government's duty to keep tourist money flowing through the economy.

[Каие]

What? The environmentalists are complaining? He's certainly doing something right.

Erm....I'm not an environmentalist....

but of course you only saw;
"dig for oil"

open the way for commercial development of oil shale on federal land

Whereas I saw;
"workers pwned"

add certain restrictions on employee time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act."

Oh no, I forgot I must be a commie, because I care about the average worker Joe.

[Justice and Mercy]

Erm....I'm not an environmentalist....

Don't care.

but of course you only saw;
"dig for oil"

No, that's one thing I saw.

add certain restrictions on employee time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act."

Yeah, that's wonderful too. Not as wonderful, but still wonderful.

[Каие]

Don't care.

Hey you're cool.

Yeah, that's wonderful too. Not as wonderful, but still wonderful.

How is pissing on workers 'wonderful'? I genuinely wonder.

[Justice and Mercy]

How is pissing on workers 'wonderful'? I genuinely wonder.

Unlike you I see what it really is.

Read George Orwell's "Politics and the English Language" sometime, good read.

[Marie Louise von Preussen]

The Executive in the US is too strong, IMO. Though this is being done not only to bow down to special interests but also to hamper Obama and whatever his new agenda might be.

[Каие]

Since you've obviously already read 'George Orwell's Politics and the English Language' it shouldn't be too hard for ya to explain it in simple and coherent sentences.

[Justice and Mercy]

Since you've obviously already read 'George Orwell's Politics and the English Language' it shouldn't be too hard for ya to explain it in simple and coherent sentences.

You say what Bush is doing is "pissing on the workers". That doesn't sound wonderful, it sounds disgusting and rude.

I see what it really is, thanks to my clear understanding of the English language. Bush is getting rid of a number of ridiculous ways in which people who are perfectly capable of working aren't working and still getting paid because the government forces the employer to pay people for nothing.

Which is wonderful.

[Каие]

I see what it really is, thanks to my clear understanding of the English language. Bush is getting rid of a number of ridiculous ways in which people who are perfectly capable of working aren't working and still getting paid because the government forces the employer to pay people for nothing.

You might understand the English words, but clearly not the sentence.

Key part of that sentence was;

Family and Medical Leave Act

So putting restrictions on people who are sick or need genuine time off is not, or anywhere near, the same as not paying people who just skive. Therefore this is an attack on an employees basic right. If he's ill and can't work, he still has the ability to pay his bills and feed his family.

Which is wonderful.

Won-der

• Something that causes amazement or awe.

I think you need to read Orwell again....

[Justice and Mercy]

You might understand the English words, but clearly not the sentence.

I understand the sentence perfectly, and that's the name of a bill, not the meaning of anything.

So putting restrictions on people who are sick or need genuine time off is not, or anywhere near, the same as not paying people who just skive.

Have you read the provisions of the bill? http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/regs/stat...VE_REQUIREMENT

It's very vague.

Therefore this is an attack on an employees basic right.

Rights don't exist, and why should the employee have the "right" to be paid for something they're not doing?

If he's ill and can't work, he still has the ability to pay his bills and feed his family.

No, the EMPLOYER is the one paying the bills and feeding the family, which he shouldn't have to do.

EDIT: Oh, cute, you found the definition of "wonder". Congratulations. Except... that's a noun.

Want the definition of "wonderful" now? "Wonderful" is an adjective, after all.

You know what adjectives do, right? They describe things.

[Каие]

I understand the sentence perfectly, and that's the name of a bill, not the meaning of anything.

It was the second most important element of the sentence.

Have you read the provisions of the bill? http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/regs/stat...VE_REQUIREMENT

It's very vague.

Erm...it's quite clear.

IN GENERAL.--

1. ENTITLEMENT TO LEAVE.--Subject to section 103, an eligible employee shall be entitled to a total of 12 workweeks of leave during any 12-month period for one or more of the following:
   
   • Because of the birth of a son or daughter of the employee and in order to care for such son or daughter.
   • Because of the placement of a son or daughter with the employee for adoption or foster care.
   • In order to care for the spouse, or a son, daughter, or parent, of the employee, if such spouse, son, daughter, or parent has a serious health condition.
   • Because of a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of the position of such employee.
   
   

Rights don't exist

What a foolish statement.

and why should the employee have the "right" to be paid for something they're not doing?

Poor logic. By this logic, salaries shouldn't be given, only wages should.

No, the EMPLOYER is the one paying the bills and feeding the family, which he shouldn't have to do.

...what?


-----

you found the definition of "wonder". Congratulations. Except... that's a noun. Want the definition of "wonderful" now? "Wonderful" is an adjective, after all. You know what adjectives do, right? They describe things.

Well the definition of Wonderful is...

Tending to excite wonder

Thus bringing us back to the definition of 'Wonder'.