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An argument for big government.
About a week ago, there was a horrific accident in Colusa, a town in the central valley. A bus loaded with mostly Laotian senior citizens drifted off the pavement and flipped, killing nine of the people aboard and injuring the rest.
At first, this just seemed to be another tragedy on our numerous state highways, until the details started coming out.
So, what happened? The California Public Utilities Commission (the PUC) is the one that regulates and registers companies like this. Several years ago, in a round of Republican-led cutbacks, their enforcement division was slashed to the bone. Instead of being proactive, they were forced to be only reactive, investigating only when a complaint had been filed or there has been an incident. The Highway Patrol? They barely have the manpower to perform their primary duties. They do have inspection facilities at most of the 40-odd scales in the state, but those only catch the vehicles that pass through the scales! Taking secondary highways, or just knowing what roads to exit and re-enter on can easily get you around the scales. (For example, want to get around the northbound scales on 880 in Fremont? Easy. With a little effort, you can keep driving for years without ever dealing with the CHP.
So, where does big government come in? A properly funded PUC could check up on who is advertising charters to Indian casinos. They could have inspectors out looking for violators, checking drivers, looking for things like logs and actual buildings where the work is done. They might have caught this owner (who died in the crash, sadly enough) and put him out of business.
Here in the Western World, we've grown accustomed to a relatively safe existence. So accustomed, that we don't really understand the source of that safety. Trust me, we don't have clean food and water, relatively safe cars, and buildings that won't collapse in a minor quake or storm because the business world is a bunch of softies. No, time and time again it has been shown that the people making money on a product or service, from orange juice to charter bus rides, will cut corners to maximize their profit. Hell, they'll cut the main supporting frames if it means a bigger check at the end of the year. Which is why deregulation makes me scream. We need food inspectors, and customs agents, and forensic accountants, and yes, bus inspectors to insure that you and I can continue to live the safe lives we want for ourselves and our children. That takes money, and it means that the government has to be big.
Trust me, I swear a blue streak every time I see that damned red light and hear "Loaded lane, pull around to door n for inspection." at the scales. But my being annoyed for ten minutes means that you can be assured that when you see a Lord & Sons truck barreling through the Livermore Valley, that truck is safe, the driver is properly licensed, and the company that owns it has followed the rules.
There are many places where I want out government to shrink. But regulating those business that have a direct effect on our well-being; financial, bodily, or otherwise, is not one of them.
At first, this just seemed to be another tragedy on our numerous state highways, until the details started coming out.
- The driver of the bus was arrested on suspicion of DUI
- The driver did not have a valid passenger endorsement on his CDL.
- The driver has numerous traffic violations on his record.
- The bus was showing Greyhound colors, but did not belong to Greyhound.
- The bus' Texas license plates were invalid.
- The PUC and DOT registration numbers were fictional.
- The bus had been registered as non-operational with the DMV.
- The bus company had no yard, no maintenance records. In fact, it operated under four fictitious business names and didn't have a current license!
So, what happened? The California Public Utilities Commission (the PUC) is the one that regulates and registers companies like this. Several years ago, in a round of Republican-led cutbacks, their enforcement division was slashed to the bone. Instead of being proactive, they were forced to be only reactive, investigating only when a complaint had been filed or there has been an incident. The Highway Patrol? They barely have the manpower to perform their primary duties. They do have inspection facilities at most of the 40-odd scales in the state, but those only catch the vehicles that pass through the scales! Taking secondary highways, or just knowing what roads to exit and re-enter on can easily get you around the scales. (For example, want to get around the northbound scales on 880 in Fremont? Easy. With a little effort, you can keep driving for years without ever dealing with the CHP.
So, where does big government come in? A properly funded PUC could check up on who is advertising charters to Indian casinos. They could have inspectors out looking for violators, checking drivers, looking for things like logs and actual buildings where the work is done. They might have caught this owner (who died in the crash, sadly enough) and put him out of business.
Here in the Western World, we've grown accustomed to a relatively safe existence. So accustomed, that we don't really understand the source of that safety. Trust me, we don't have clean food and water, relatively safe cars, and buildings that won't collapse in a minor quake or storm because the business world is a bunch of softies. No, time and time again it has been shown that the people making money on a product or service, from orange juice to charter bus rides, will cut corners to maximize their profit. Hell, they'll cut the main supporting frames if it means a bigger check at the end of the year. Which is why deregulation makes me scream. We need food inspectors, and customs agents, and forensic accountants, and yes, bus inspectors to insure that you and I can continue to live the safe lives we want for ourselves and our children. That takes money, and it means that the government has to be big.
Trust me, I swear a blue streak every time I see that damned red light and hear "Loaded lane, pull around to door n for inspection." at the scales. But my being annoyed for ten minutes means that you can be assured that when you see a Lord & Sons truck barreling through the Livermore Valley, that truck is safe, the driver is properly licensed, and the company that owns it has followed the rules.
There are many places where I want out government to shrink. But regulating those business that have a direct effect on our well-being; financial, bodily, or otherwise, is not one of them.
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When people are, clearly, being stupid and evil and harming others, government becomes necessary, proportionately. Perhaps if we outlawed republicans we could accomplish something.
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But, since it's the politicians who are in power because of the system ....
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the owner died in the crash?
as for government cutbacks, you should be less than thrilled to know that the Board of Pharmacy staff, the folks that oversee the 20+K pharmacists, 60+K technicians, and the thousands of licensed facilities in state and out, were cut 30% just recently. they went from 30 office staff to 21, and this happened with your Democrats in charge of the budget. at least they didn't cut the 35 inspectors any, but since that's no where near enough to cover complaints, let alone routine inspections, it's hardly reason to cheer.
who you going to blame for this one? better yet, why don't you list some state budget items you'd be willing to cut to fund these others you think are more important? i know i have a few.
Re: the owner died in the crash?
I'd also support gutting the hell out of the penal system so that non-violent offenders weren't taking up bed space, but instead were subject to house arrest with GPS anklets to monitor their movements.
Finally kill any program designed to move more water to SoCal. Y'all live in a desert, learn to accept that. We could save billions that way.
Which prompts a question
If the industry survives, then we can cut subsidies to other products (dairy, & hog farming being fairly high on that list). If it doesn't, then there will be no great loss to the world & we can put that land to use growing more food.
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(These were the same chappies who saved us $200,000 by cutting the unit monitoring infectious diseases, just before the SARS outbreak. Yes, that SARS outbreak, the one that cost our economy $2,000,000,000. Some savings.)
Have you read Jane Jacobs' book Systems of Survival? If not, I strongly suggest reading it. A clear discussion of the intrinsic differences between commerce and government, and why what works for one often doesn't work for the other.
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Dunno what things are like in California, but up here the take-home message from this story would likely be, "It's the Indians' fault!" ;(
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You're broke...