Regulation

There is a growing recognition that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is more of a threat to human safety than a protector of it.

There is good news this Earth Day, but somehow we expect that many people will grumble at the good news rather than celebrate.

Energy experts believe that the Obama administration slows or prevents drilling on federal lands by delaying and denying permits. Consequently, production on federal lands fell 23 percent since 2007. According to the Institute for Policy Innovation, the federal government owns 28 percent of U.S. land, 62 percent in Alaska and 47 percent in 11 western states.

The federal government sells fast lane access and higher qualities of service. It shouldn’t forbid broadband companies from doing the same thing.

"Even if the current minimum wage increase proposals don't affect your company, it sets a bad precedent," said Merrill Matthews. "A government that feels justified in raising the minimum wage high enough to hurt some companies may soon feel justified in raising it high enough to affect your company."

The EPA overstepped its bounds when it attempted to override Oklahoma’s air quality compliance plan. Merrill Matthews says the case is symptomatic of the federal government’s addiction to regulatory overreach.

Those who believe in free markets believe that companies should be free to merge as they see fit, and that the only role for antitrust should be to address clear evidence of consumer harm, writes Tom Giovanetti in RealClearTechnology. 

The Comcast\Time Warner Cable merger won’t harm consumers, but it will provide regulators with an opportunity to make policy under duress rather than through the normal rulemaking or legislative processes. 

With the FTC and the Justice Department in place and well-funded, it is needlessly duplicative for the FCC to engage in network neutrality rules and enforcement.