Cutting Regulations to
Stimulate the Economy –
#DitchTheRule Stewart Truelsen
Billionaires don’t always say the smartest things,
but one of them has a smart idea. At the Forbes
Reinventing America Summit, billionaire real estate
developer Sam Zell said, “If you want to see the
economy go wild just cut all the regulations in half.”
Zell is known for his contrarian views and more
often than not has been a successful investor. Cutting
regulations is certainly contrary to what generally
takes place in Washington. Regulations, especially
environmental regulations, just keep piling up and up.
“We’re in a society where we think all risk can be
regulated out,” said Zell. “There are just unending
interpretations, revisions, legal fees to the sky – when
you’re focused on that, you’re not focused on growing
and getting new customers.”
Farmers know that feeling all too well. When they
should be focused on growing this season’s crops
and tending livestock, their attention is diverted by
the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Waters of
the U.S.” proposed rule. The rule broadens federal
jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act and could extend
permit requirements to ditches, small ponds and even
depressions in fields that are only wet during a heavy
rain. Farms, ranches, businesses and new construction
could be affected.
EPA claims the proposed rule is a clarification of
which waters fall under its jurisdiction. But in tracing
the