Too often, the only security regulators provide is a false one
If you haven’t read the investigative piece about day-care safety reports hidden from the public, printed in Sunday’s AJC and available online, you really should do so. Among other things, it’s a reminder that government oversight of an industry often creates nothing more than a false sense of security for that industry’s customers.
Day cares in Georgia (and most other states, I’d be willing to bet) must have a state-issued license in order to operate. It has to be renewed annually. A parents might inspect the day care personally before enrolling Junior there. But it would be typical, and reasonable, for a parent to assume the day care meets certain minimum standards if its license was granted and later renewed.
Instead, the AJC investigation found, more than a third of the day cares in Georgia had been deemed — by state regulators — out of compliance with state health and safety standards at least once in the past four years. The vast majority of them, even those with multiple years of non-compliance, were allowed to stay open.
Yet, the state did not publicly release the reports detailing these businesses’ shortcomings. (The AJC obtained them through an open records request.)
While some of these failures might be on minor points, some of them seem pretty major to this parent, including failure by some day cares to run background checks on people before hiring them. That’s a pretty basic thing: Even my relatively small church runs background checks before letting parents volunteer in the children’s ministry.
So, the state requires a license for a day care to operate and checks up on day cares to make sure they are complying with state laws — but then doesn’t close down the worst offenders and doesn’t tell parents about the problems so that they can decide for themselves.
That’s the same kind of false security that played out in the recent financial meltdown. One doesn’t have to get into the merits of repealing Glass-Steagall restrictions or passing the Community Reinvestment Act to recognize that banks’ risk was artificially and irresonsibly heightened because of faulty ratings of the mortgage-backed securities and a flawed international regulatory regime (Basel II), which not only allowed but incentivized banks to load up on these riskier-than-believed investments.
The old line still applies: Caveat emptor. And you’ll be more likely to follow it if you also heed the warning against believing government can regulate and monitor the risks or problems out of life.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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209 comments Add your comment
Inside Out
January 23rd, 2012
2:10 pm
LOL…UGA…looks like HDB has you in a pickle…. let me see you beat that….:)
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
2:16 pm
Inside out…Ok your turn….show me where unemployment under Bush ever reached 8%.
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
2:25 pm
Didnt think you could!
HDB
January 23rd, 2012
2:26 pm
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
2:09 pm
http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000
This graph shows that the unemployment rate during Bush’s last month in office (01/09) reached 8%.
Inside Out
January 23rd, 2012
2:27 pm
UGA…Well there you go…… LOL
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
2:30 pm
Actually nope….That was Obama’s month….try again…that is when he took office. Try Again!
Dusty
January 23rd, 2012
2:31 pm
Well,the weather outside looks worse but some things look better here. NIcer discussion.
MarkV asks Kyle about the “risks of life”. Kyle will give you a better answer but I think the risks of life involve things for which no one can be held responsible. The tornado that demolishes, the wreck when a driver has a seizure, an isolated icy road, a forgetful failure in duties by a daycare employee after inspection, the fresh vegatable for sale that carries a deadly microbe from the soil, an approved piece of equipment that breaks a mile under water, lightning strikes a tree with people underneath, a plague (ebola) that sweeps though, the list goes on. There may be preventive measure for some of these, but not for most. Regulations cannot cover the “risks of life” as Kyle has said.
The more regulations you have the less freedom and the less money you have. When everything is regulated, there is no freedom. Decisions are made for you. Therefore the Republican sides always with freedom in an environment of self regulation as far as possible. Being responsible for yourself comes first!
(Mark V, I still love my generalaties, the salt that savors.)
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
2:32 pm
Under Bush…..Unemployment averaged between 4-5%
Under Obama….Unemployment averages between 8-10%
HE DOUBLED IT!
Inside Out
January 23rd, 2012
2:35 pm
UGA, according to the chart that was just posted, the unemployment rate rose more than 3 full points during the last two years of the Bush presidency…. How do you explain that?
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
2:38 pm
Inside Out….EASY….FRANK/DODD
Obama rose it to over 10%….explain that.
Inside Out
January 23rd, 2012
2:39 pm
“Therefore the Republican sides always with freedom”
Except when it comes to things like who to marry ,reproductive choice, and what a person chooses to do in his or her own bedroom…….. ( except for Newton, and he wants to have a couple of women expressing that choice in his bedroom)
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
2:42 pm
Inside Out…..reproductive choice….So is that what they are calling murder these days?
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
2:46 pm
This is great. I wonder how the 8% of American public that are out of work will respond.
Elect Obama and stay out of work
Elect Newt (possible adulterer) and go back to work.
What do you think?
HDB
January 23rd, 2012
2:48 pm
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
2:42 pm
Obana took office on January 20, 2009; the BLS statistics count that as the LAST month of the Bush Administration………
Unemployment had gove to over 7.9% in the final months of the Bush Administration….and unemployment figures are a LAGGING indicator. That means that the effects of Bush policies can last anywhere from 6 to 36 months after an Administration change……….The aftermath of Bush policies made unemployment go to over 10%. When Obama’s policies took full effect, the unemplotyment rate began to DECLINE……..
Inside Out
January 23rd, 2012
2:48 pm
Reproductive choice is what the law says it is….Don’t you righties always whine and moan about the rule of law? The case law has been heard and settled… But when has that ever stopped you from attempting to stick your nose in another persons life???
HDB
January 23rd, 2012
2:50 pm
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
2:46 pm
Remember what happened the LAST time Republicans were in the White House??
Elect Newt (possible adulterer) and you won’t go back to work.
Elect Obama and go back to work
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
2:50 pm
HDB…and it also hit over 10% under Obama.
Also military unemployment is over 25%
Some states currently have over 12%
What is your point?
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
2:51 pm
Inside Out…Ok what about the babies life?
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
2:52 pm
HDB…..tell that to the 8.2% that are currently out of work. How do you think they will vote.
Obama = Experiment FAILED!
whatajoke
January 23rd, 2012
2:57 pm
UGA1899~ how much Boortz compensates you to be his blog mouthpiece??
Dam dude, use your own brain sometime.
Dusty
January 23rd, 2012
2:58 pm
Inside Out,
I have been a conservative US citizen all my life. No one told me I could not marry the one I love legally. No one told me when or never to have children. No one was evet interested in what went on in my bedroom.
Some conservatives do have a problem with your accusations. mainly on religious beliefs. But your judgments apply only to a very small minority of US citizens. Your complaints are being aired for discussion and action in many places. The USA lets everyone speak their piece. If the majority wishes to take issue, then it is done. But the convincing moment usually comes when most Americans feel that there is an injustice that needs to be corrected..
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
2:59 pm
Obama’s Record….
Unemployed Americans – LOST 2 Million
Unemployment Rate – UP 17%
Gas Prices UP 101%
Federal Debt – UP 35%
Debt Per Person – UP $11,385
Food Stamp Recipients – UP 39%
Health Insurance Premiums – UP 19%
Home Values – DOWN 12%
Yep that is a record he will be able to win with! hahahaha JOKE!
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
3:00 pm
whatajoke….sometime or sometimes? We speak English here NOT ebonics!
HDB
January 23rd, 2012
3:00 pm
Dusty
January 23rd, 2012
2:31 pm
“The more regulations you have the less freedom and the less money you have. When everything is regulated, there is no freedom. Decisions are made for you. Therefore the Republican sides always with freedom in an environment of self regulation as far as possible.”
The more a market is regulated, the GREATER the consumer protection…..which allows a better determination as to how YOUR money is spent…thereby greater CONTROL!! The market WILL NOT self-police itself. Effective regulation is needed to keep the markets viable for ALL!! In an unregulated market, only those of means will be able to purchase the necessary protections; the masses would be open to corporate largesse…..
The examples you stated show that regulation IS necessary: the fresh vegatable for sale that carries a deadly microbe from the soil (can be discovered and minimized by food inspection(regulation and enforcement)); a forgetful failure in duties by a daycare employee after inspection (closure of said facility – enforcement of regulatory practives); an approved piece of equipment that breaks a mile under water (materials testing to ensure adequate safeguards — regulation…)
For as many reasons as you state regulations are unnecessary, there are just as many — if not MORE — to show that a regulated market is NEEDED!!
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
3:01 pm
I wonder if HItler would be for regulations?
whatajoke
January 23rd, 2012
3:03 pm
Ebonic is a code word for what?
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
3:06 pm
whatajoke….WOW!
HDB
January 23rd, 2012
3:09 pm
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
2:50 pm
Here’s the counterargument……
Home Values – DOWN 12%: Home values began their decline under BUSH…..remember Lehman Brothers FOLDED because of declining real estate values……..
Health Insurance Premiums – UP 19% — Actually, insurance rates are growing at a SMALLER rate than under Bush. In many cases, insurers are holding BACK. (http://www.telegram.com/article/20120121/NEWS/120129915/1052/newsrewind)
Food Stamp Recipients – UP 39% – 424,000 LESS than under Bush
Unemployed Americans – LOST 2 Million: Actually 2M jobs have been CREATED in the Obama Administration
Unemployment Rate – UP 17%: Declining from a high of 10.2% to 8%. Lagging indicator of the Bush policies……..
Military unemployment is over 25% – result of the GOP’s refusal to negotiate during the debt-ceiling issue….and the MANDATORY CUTS kicked in as agreed to by both Democrats and Republicans. Note: Leon Panetta, SecDef, warned to GOP that this would happen……
There’s more to this than just the GOP’s talking points……………..
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
3:13 pm
HDB…so it is ALL Bush’s fault…..got it.
Do you think Obama will say the same things during the debates?
Dusty
January 23rd, 2012
3:15 pm
NO .. HDB,
My post explained that all things in life cannot be regulated. Even things that are regulated will still fail for (as Kyle put it) the risks of life, the inevitable, the unavoidable, the impossible to detect.
As to the financial world, there is no way to get rid of risks in certain areas. You may cut some disparities but you cannot totally control by regulations. Madoff proved that. So asking for more instead of demanding integrity is stifling to business and human freedom. Adding a heavy burden to the yoke does not make the oxen move better, just slows him down. (Excuse the metaphor! I just had to throw in one.).
Somewhere over there
January 23rd, 2012
3:16 pm
“Unemployment had gove to over 7.9% in the final months of the Bush Administration”
Which is a lot lower than what it has been for the last 3 years.
When will the economy get fixed like Obama said it would 3 years ago?
Somewhere over there
January 23rd, 2012
3:17 pm
“Dam dude, use your own brain sometime.”
Love it when people tell other people to use their brain and at the same time they can’t even spell correctly.
td
January 23rd, 2012
3:21 pm
HDB
January 23rd, 2012
3:09 pm
Good Lord dude. Can you tell any bigger untruths?
You numbers are a total farce.
” Food Stamp Recipients – UP 39% – 424,000 LESS than under Bush”
Go out in front of a dang welfare office and see how long the lines are today. The most uneducated person in the country does not believe that welfare has decreased in the last three years.
“Unemployed Americans – LOST 2 Million: Actually 2M jobs have been CREATED in the Obama Administration”
If we measured unemployment today the same as it was measured in the 30’s then the number would be close to 20%. This is another common sense debunking.
Trying to blame Bush for the mess Obama currently has is a more viable argument (untrue but at least it is arguable) then the one you are attempting to spin. Everyone with an ounce of common sense knows not one thing about the economy is better today then the day Obama took office.
HDB
January 23rd, 2012
3:24 pm
Dusty
January 23rd, 2012
3:15 pm
Agree that ALL things can’t be regulated…..but allowing laissez-faire economics would DESTROY the market.Look what happened when the financials were left to their own devices. In order to PROMOTE integrity, the regulations are put in place and ENFORCED!!
Adding a burden to the ox means you replace him with a tractor!! The market can adjust to regulations via innovation!!
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
3:13 pm
What Obama SHOULD do is to bring forth the history of his Administration, note what he inherited…and what he’s done to fix it!! You don’t assign blame…..but you can give responsibility (as you conservatives always claim to desire!!)……..
Givw thw HISTORICAL concept rather than the personal one………
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
3:24 pm
td….AMEN!
Inside Out
January 23rd, 2012
3:25 pm
TD…the Dow had fallen to 6500 Before Obama took office…It is over 12,700 now….Is that not “one thing about the economy” thats better???
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
3:28 pm
HDB…>WHAT HAS HE DONE TO FIX IT???? HE HAS MADE EVERYTHING WORSE!!! That is our point. No matter what he “inherited” had continues to make much bigger mistakes to make them worse!
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
3:28 pm
Inside Out….SO now you are in favor of Wall Street?
HDB
January 23rd, 2012
3:30 pm
td
January 23rd, 2012
3:21 pm
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/765981/for_the_record:_george_w._bush_is_the_real_%25u2018food_stamp_president%25u2019
We asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition service for month-by-month figures going back to January 2001. And they show that under President George W. Bush the number of recipients rose by nearly 14.7 million. Nothing before comes close to that.
And under Obama, the increase so far has been 14.2 million. To be exact, the program has so far grown by 444,574 fewer recipients during Obama’s time in office than during Bush’s.
Didn’t make up the numbers………
Inside Out
January 23rd, 2012
3:31 pm
Ask that 2 million or so Americans that work in and around tha auto industry if things are worse??? Ask them how that would be getting along had Obama not took the steps needed to save the last viable segment of manufacturing in this country….
whatajoke
January 23rd, 2012
3:33 pm
Unfortunately or fortunately, with the continued improvement of technology, the 4% unemployment days are probably history. How do you explain that companies’ profits are at record levels? Do you think with the change of a president, companies are just going to start hiring people that they don’t need? So if you believe that the man who occupies the white house has control over this revolution, John Smoltz will get the asking price for his mansion.
Dusty
January 23rd, 2012
3:34 pm
What is “military unemployment”? If you are in the military, you are employed. If you are out of the military, you are a veteran civilian.
Is this a political outreach to somehow stir the military against Republicans?
I don’t think the military have any doubts about which political party supports them the most. They probably know about the antiwar protests and the white flags raised by liberals while our soldiers are at war. They haven’t forgotten and neither have I.
HDB
January 23rd, 2012
3:35 pm
UGA 1999
January 23rd, 2012
3:28 pm
He’s done more than you give him credit for!
1) Health Care Reform — by attempting to slow the growth of health care costs, that ’s more $$ for the economy
2) Stimulus packages: When the economy declines and private industry does not step up, the only entity that can RAPIDLY inject capital into the economic system IS the GOVERNMENT!!
The national infrastructure needs attention; if the government would stimulate that rebuilding effort, how many MORE people would get back to work….and WHO’S holding up that effort!! One pipeline won’t put as many people back to work as rebuilding the interstate highway system!!!
Somewhere over there
January 23rd, 2012
3:36 pm
“Ask that 2 million or so Americans that work in and around tha auto industry if things are worse???”
GM sales are waaaaaaaaaaay down. If you’re lumping Ford in with your question, Ford didn’t take the bailout money from Obama.
Somewhere over there
January 23rd, 2012
3:37 pm
“2) Stimulus packages: When the economy declines and private industry does not step up, the only entity that can RAPIDLY inject capital into the economic system IS the GOVERNMENT!!”
Ok, you’re a liar in my book, HDB. Everyone knows the stimulus packages failed.
Linda
January 23rd, 2012
3:38 pm
HDB@1:27, The EPA is trying to rid the US of our entire coal industry, for starters. You don’t think that will stymie growth? The new CFPA does nothing to prevent another financial meltdown. Obama & the Dems. did not even wait for the findings of the Obama-appointed Financial Inquiry Commission before passing the Dodd/Frank Act, which did not even address Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac.
@1:41, Fannie & Freddie also bundled MBSs, directed to do so by the fed. govt.
@2:03, A graph from Nancy Pelosi. Really?
@2:04, Propaganda from the blog for Arizona. Really again?
@2:26, The box below the graph specifically states that the unemployment rate in 1/09 was 7.8%, not 8%.
@2:48, Unemployment had NOT gone over 7.9% in the final mts. of Bush. That same box in your cited site @2:26 lists the unemployment rates monthly during 2008 from Jan. thru Dec. as 5%, 4.9%, 5.1%, 5%, 5.4%, 5.6%, 5.8%, 6.1%, 6.1%, 6.5%, 6.8% & 7.3%. Did you look at your own site?
No, unemployment still has not begun to decline. Look at that same box in YOUR site & share with us just one month, just ONE MONTH, in which the unemployment rate has been lower in the last THREE YEARS under Obama than it was during the entire EIGHT YEARS under Bush.
HDB
January 23rd, 2012
3:39 pm
Dusty
January 23rd, 2012
3:34 pm
“I don’t think the military have any doubts about which political party supports them the most.”
The neo-cons didn’t SERVE in the military……..how many sent their children to Iraq or Afghanistan??
Both sides support the military….the officer corps is primarily GOP…but much of the enlisted is Democrat (from personal experience!)……..
Dusty
January 23rd, 2012
3:40 pm
HDB,
Good comeback on the “tractor”. But the tractor aint no regulation and it aint cheap, my friend.
Regulations are a heavy, costly burden. Smaller, precise and less expensive are the key words.
Inside Out
January 23rd, 2012
3:43 pm
UGA..I do not now, nor have I ever had a problem with Wall Street. I have a multiple investments that are market based and love to see them do well.. That being said I can freely admit that there is an inherent flaw in the system that favors the haves over the have nots….Our society will never survive if all of the advantages and as a results the money is pulled out of the system and feed back to those at the top of the food chain. At some point everyone else has to have a bite at the apple as well….
HDB
January 23rd, 2012
3:45 pm
Somewhere over there
January 23rd, 2012
3:37 pm
The stimulus wasn’t ENOUGH…that was the problem!!
Linda
January 23rd, 2012
3:38 pm
From a high of 10.2 to its present of 8%: if that’s not a decline, please indicate what is!! Many fail to realize that the unemployment figures are LAGGING INDICATORS…..so what is reported in one month is indicative of what occured 3-36 months EARLIER!! Because of the lag in time, what occurred in March-October 2009 can be attributed to policies enacted up to 36 moths PRIOR!! That makes it a Bush employment indicator……….