EPA Messing With Texas

February 10, 2012
Phil Hoppman

EPA Messing With Texas:

Here in Texas we produce a variety of products and services, notably energy, agricultural, and technology related, but also across many sectors (including my own construction industry). We also create and produce jobs. In fact, we do it as well if not better than any other state.

Part of the right formula for job creation here in Texas has been lower taxes and less regulations. We have no state income tax and our legislature meets infrequently, denying them opportunity to do much meddling. These simple principles has led many companies to set up in this State, and in return many job seekers fleeing their over regulated states to seek out some economic freedom.

But not content to just let job creators do our specialty and bring the economy back, the Federal government seems hellbent on putting the regulatory hurt not only nationwide, but especially here in Texas.

A new report issued this week by the Texas Public Policy Foundation details the looming job killers the Feds have in store for businesses everywhere. The report, titled The EPA's Approaching Regulatory Avalanche, finds that specifically there are ten new rules currently in the pipeline from the EPA alone that could potentially cost the U.S. economy hundreds of billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of jobs. Further, they are calling it "A Regulatory Spree Unprecedented in U.S. History."

The Foundation states that:

"The 10 rules highlighted in the report cover topics from cross-state air pollution to control technologies for industrial boilers and Portland cement kilns, from ambient air quality standards for ozone and particular matter to greenhouse gas regulation for both stationary and mobile sources. All have effective dates between 2013 and 2016, with the highest impacts in 2015."

EPA is just part of the problem. The National Labor Relations Board-where three individuals have been illegally installed by the Obama administration as part of a plan to continue pushing through an unpopular agenda by Big Labor Bosses-is making life uncertain and unpleasant for honest employers. Even the long-quiet OSHA juggernaut is making rumbles again.

It's the regulatory avalanche that is starting to awaken small business owners. A recent Gallup poll said contending with federal rules was the top concern for entrepreneurs. That is just plain wrong. Is this what we want? Business owners more worried about regulations than they are about findings ways to start or grow their businesses and adding new jobs as a result of that entrepreneurial activity?

Every American, and especially every American business owner or would be business owner, should read through the report to see what is in the works and to understand how every regulation that keeps springing forth has far reaching economic impacts.

The vast majority of small business owners are honest, hard working people who understand the need for reasonable, well thought out regulation. When regulations are implemented to serve a political agenda or pursue goals that can not be economically justified, all Americans feel the pain of lower growth and fewer jobs.

Phil Hoppman is President of Big D Metalworks in Dallas, Texas and a spokesman for the Halt The Assault campaign