Opinion: Of course bureaucrats think Trump’s 2-for-1 regulation rule is bad — they’re the regulators

To the editor: When President Trump promised to repeal business-killing regulatory red tape, he was cheered by the electorate. The only dissenters were bureaucrats, lawyers and the left-wing media. (“Former officials deride Trump’s ‘mindless’ 2-for-1 deregulation plan,” Jan. 30)

Unsurprisingly, David Lazarus opposes Trump’s order to federal agencies that they scrap two regulations for every new one they create. Does he interview the small businesses and consumers who are burdened by this endless regulatory morass? No; he goes instead to several former bureaucrats who created the regulations and, shockingly, do not name a single unneeded rule.

Small business owners could probably reel off a dozen rules before Lazarus could finish his question. I’d suggest he start a lemonade stand, but that would require a permit.

Craig A. Nelson, Solana Beach

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To the editor: It is certainly easy to overlook what else Trump has been doing this week, but fortunately Lazarus has explained why the executive order on federal regulations is also ridiculous. In short, Trump has by fiat ordered the elimination of two federal regulations for every one to be enacted.

Please note federal regulations are not enacted in a helter-skelter manner, not even the elimination of one. By law there is a significant process for rule-making by an agency.

Like most of Trump’s executive orders, this one was pure political theater. Does he even believe he has all this power?

Erica Hahn, Monrovia

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