Fema Employment

Why does the Federal Government, in addition to State Governments, regulate employment and the environment?

Please give serious feed back. :)

Public Comments

1. The environmental regulations I will never understand. I can see making laws against blatantly dumping oil in the ocean and things like that, but these regulations are ridiculous. Employment needs to be regulated so they can make sure everyone pays their taxes. Both measures are simply about control. I don't think the government needs to regulate them at all. Government has the been at the root of all the problems this country has ever faced.
2. At one time, neither did either. Employment regulation came about in the late 1800 and early 1900 as labor unions became stronger and there were numerous examples of violence and the labor movement. Neither management or labor had clean hands but the situation needed regulation to protect people and their rights. The environment regulations really started in the late 1960s and early 1970. With the creation of the EPA, national control was provided. Again, improvement was thoroughly needed as many rivers, lakes, streams were polluted with waste, as was the air in major industrial cities. Even septic systems weren't required in many states.
3. I guess it depends on what you mean by "regulate". Why does government regulate anything? Laws are passed generally regulate behavior, both good & bad. Each level of government regulates a different aspect of the topic in question.
4. Well, one easy answer would be that the federal government has the authority, under our constitution, to regulate interstate commerce. Employment issues (both individual issues like discrimination as well as collective action issues affecting labor unions) and environmental issues at the local level often have a profound affect on interstate commerce. One of the places where the current Supreme Court has acted to invalidate or limit some federal employment discrimination laws has been in the area of actions by state governments. One explanation has been that the regulation of the employment relationship between a state and its employees is not a matter that affects interstate commerce.
5. The root of all evil would be to let private enterprise have a free hand. That will eventually result in a small upper class of extremely wealthy, no middle class and a vast poor class. History has proven that with revolutions in Russia, Cuba, China and France to name a few, all the result of unregulated capitalism. Regulations were put in place to assure a vast middle class. Deregulation do not have the assumed benefit of increased competition and lower prices in some cases, such as our communications system and banking, it has resulted in higher fees and a far more difficult system to navigate through. All systems that have a capitalistic economic system has controls in place to assure the rich do not get out of control. One of the area's I think needs controls is at the wholesale level, where we need to level the playing field. Huge box stores should not be able to sell at low prices always, but only on convenience. That will assure the little guy thrives by no longer allowing wholesalers to give the big guy huge buying power. Really, think about it, would you rather have a Home Depot and next to it a small ma and pa hardware store selling the same products, with less choice, as the big guy? Well, it works and living proof is where I live, as a transplanted American, China, where the little guy thrives next to the big guy. It is time to get America back to work and that is but one of many ways that will not cost the taxpayer a dime. It will only pissss off the stock holders of the big guys and of course the Walton family which has WalMarts in China that are thriving next to the little guy. Peace Jim .
6. The root of all evil would be to turn control over to the Federal Government. Societies that have done so, were suffering high unemployment and high taxation long before this economic slow down. The reason is that only Free Enterprise is an actual Wealth Generator. Socialist systems, on the other hand, can only ration what already exists. At one time, there was no regulation of any sort and Capitalists ran wild. Now there is too much regulation and Capitalism is far too hindered. As a wise man once said, the trouble with Socialism is Socialism; the trouble with Capitalism is Capitalists. Sure, a bit of control of the behavior is in order but the less the better. *