Re: Members of Congress push for E15 education (issue Jan. 25-Feb. 7)
Tell E-15 blends to take a hike!
15% ethanol ruins all marine engines and voids all marine engine manufacturers’ warranty. Say no to E-15!
Kenneth Flerx
Re: A Done Deal: Developers and Orange County Sign Lease for Dana Point Harbor Revitalization (issue...
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Shutdown points out the flaws of government
Several articles of late have called out the problems that arose after the government shutdown. Abstracts left in wait, commercial documentation unable to be processed, and an emergency-only coast guard. But what seems to be missing is anyone noticing that the lack of bureaucracy led to problems sorting through, you guessed it, bureaucracy. Why do we call this “The Land of the Free” when we are so inundated with licenses and permits that we cannot legally continue living our lives when non-essential government is put on hiatus? If anything, we should be asking why government reaches so far into our lives. What is license if not a right taken away and then sold back to us? Furthermore, what other business can function when it carries 800,000 employees deemed “non-essential” on the payroll?
Many of the services put on hold we benefit from. But if there is a demand for these services, the only thing preventing an entrepreneur from filling the market is a monopoly held by the government. If it’s important, people will pay for it voluntarily.
What did we lose in the shutdown? Capt. Nicole Larson expressed her frustration with seeing a moored Coast Guard vessel limited to emergencies and unable to carry out its draconian search and seizure missions (The Log Feb 8-21, 2019). She cites their drug enforcement role, but as Portugal showed us when they legalized all drugs in 2001, (yes, even that one), the best way to win the war on drugs is to not make it a war. She defends their role in keeping charter operations properly trained and inspected. But why the Coast Guard? Why couldn’t a private entity assume this role? Take UL certification for example. UL is a private company and is completely voluntary, but good luck finding an appliance in the US without their testing label. Is government forcing us to pay for and then deal with their agencies, which are rank with ineptitude and inefficiency, rather than letting market demand give us better, and voluntary, options?