A Needed Overhaul
Richmond Times-Dispatch editorial, pg. E-2
August 13, 2006Attorney General Bob McDonnell has set up a task force to rid state government of outdated regulations. He brings a long-overdue and welcome comb to a tangled administrative system.
As an example of why Virginia needs to retire outmoded regulatory rules, McDonnell explained: "If a college president wants to put up a tent over 900 square feet on campus," the president first must complete a request, send it to Richmond - along with a $50 fee - then state bureaucrats will decide whether to grant permission. Such ludicrous governmental Kabuki costs taxpayers too much money and decreases the efficiency of Virginia's public sector. When making his announcement, McDonnell noted, "Regulations are a hidden tax." He is right.
The system needs an overhaul, and McDonnell deserves plaudits for launching a crusade that will do more good for the state than for his own political résumé.
The Republican attorney general also has earned praise for not turning this effort into a partisan hack job - which ultimately would have doomed its success. McDonnell included members of the Kaine administration on the task force, in addition to lawmakers from both political parties. Business and industry also have seats at the table.
Eliminating antiquated regulations might not make for much of an applause line at Rotarian dinners in Chatham, but it needs doing. McDonnell will not get an ovation for starting this process, but he deserves one.======