According to the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), the Federal Register (daily publication of the federal government’s rules, regulations, proposed rules and notices), totaled 81,611 pages as of Wednesday (December 30, 2015), higher than last year's 77,687 pages and higher than the record of 81,405 pages in 2010. This, according to the CEI, makes 2015 a record year for federal regulations.
It occurred to me that I should put this mass of paper in perspective. A ream of paper is 500 pages, is 2 inches high and weighs 20 pounds. Each carton or box of paper contains 10 reams of paper. The 81,611 pages of regulations translates into this:
- 163 reams of paper
- 16.3 cartons or boxes of paper
- 4,080.6 pounds or 2.04 tons
- If stacked, it would go 326.4 inches or 27.2 ft. high.
After running these calculations, I asked a few questions:
- Is the level of services provided by the federal government better or worse?
- Are you satisfied with the customer service you received from federal employees?
- Are federal government laws more or less clear with all these regulations?
Of course reading and understanding these rules and regulations is a skill in it self. This is not the easiest reading. In fact, we must rely on professionals to help guide us through the two tons of regulations issued each year. Consider the professional assistance required by a company, it can include accountants, lawyers, engineers, health care specialists, etc. The list goes on. This is what it takes to navigate the maze of living in the U.S. and doing business in the U.S.
Article from The Hill
- http://thehill.com/regulation/administration/264456-2015-was-record-year-for-federal-regulation-group-says
Competitive Enterprise Institute Press Release
- https://cei.org/blog/bureaucracy-unbound-2015-another-record-year-federal-register
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