By Thomas R. Cuba, Ph.D.
The following essay was originally published in 2015: February of the last year of President Obama’s presidency, before the effort to Make America Great Again, and before the Pandemic.
Through all of that, contrary to the admonition in the closing paragraph, the power of the bureaucracy continues to increase, and that of Congress to wane.
Yesterday, February 26th, the Federal Communications Commission voted to approve a plan to regulate the internet delivery service providers (cable and satellite companies) as a public utility.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms announced yesterday that it will declare .223 calibre rifle ammunition to be armor-piercing and as such it becomes illegal. (Note: the promise was not fulfilled, but the intent remains.) The move was also announced yesterday.
In a procedurally similar action, the Department of Homeland Security recently issued a memo changing the very structure of how America treats illegal immigrants and the FAA told private drone operators that they were to wait until new regulations were adopted before commencing operations.
In some of these cases, members of Congress have written strongly worded letters objecting to the new regulations.
And that, my friends, is the problem. This article is not about communications, utilities, ammunition, immigrants, and drones. This article has been prepared to highlight that Congress no longer makes the rules. The regulators do. Boards of people appointed as political favors now seem to carry more weight in how our nation is run than those whom we elect.
This writer would hope that someone in Congress would read the Constitution and learn that any or all of the above regulations could, and perhaps should be, reversed by act of Congress. Perhaps were that to happen, we would once again be blessed with a representative form of government.
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About The Author: Thomas R. Cuba, Ph.D.
Raised a simple Missouri farm boy, Tom managed to attend a British Prep School before commencing a college career that would culminate in a Doctorate Degree in Marine Ecology. He also served as an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Navy, and as a scoutmaster, SCUBA instructor, Wilderness Survival Instructor, and Firearms Instructor.
Tom has worked as an ecologist in both government and private practice, as well as a freelance nature photographer and computer programmer.
Now, a father and grandfather, Tom offers life lessons in the form of stories about the challenges people face and conquer as well as socio-political essays. To that end, his first lesson is always his favorite quote. “Failure is the whetstone of success.” ~ T. Leith Rettie, 1884.
You can read more from Tom on his site by clicking here