Government and free enterprise can collaborate on nation’s problems

Friday, November 25, 2011

To the Editor:

For over 30 years I’ve listened to conservative politicians complain about government rules and regulations. And now all the GOP presidential candidates are bashing Obama and government. Since Reagan was in the White House, the mantra has been to get government off our backs and unleash the free enterprise, and then all of our problems, like new jobs, will be resolved.

Well, I ask how much more very painful and costly evidence do we need that unbridled capitalism does not work. Deregulation is at the core of all of our recent scandals from Enron to Wall Street. Much wealth has been lost. Many jobs and people have been killed. And the environment has been trashed. Tell me, Mr. Oil-soaked Seagull, what do you think of BP so far?

Imagine for the sake of business efficiency, we eliminated various regulations and enforcement of our motor vehicle laws. Routes like 101A between Milford and Nashua quickly would be chaos without speed limits and traffic lights. The recent snow storm gave drivers a taste of no stoplights. With or without rules, certain drivers (and business owners) will act responsibly. However, without regulations, many honest people may act dishonestly. And the irresponsible folks would go wild.

Government rules and regulations, be they motor vehicle or business law, have evolved in large part because some people are selfish, stupid, irresponsible, and/or dishonest. While many people don’t drink and drive, some do, and often with tragic results. So tough DWI laws have evolved to address this reality.

As a business owner for over 45 years, I have found some government rules a costly hassle. Certainly, ineffective government regulations need to be overhauled periodically. However, I realize that shoddy business practices have created the very need for OSHA, EPA, FDA, DOT, etc. Clear rules, reasonably enforced, make for a level playing field in all the various games of life.

Rather than just bash government, we all need to work cooperatively. There are many examples such as the interstate highway system or the Apollo moon mission, where government and free enterprise joined forces to solve complex problems.

MIKE BEEBE

Lyndeborough