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notpc

This is driven by expectations of Trump's deregulatory agenda. He says he's going to cut 75% of regulations.

I can't believe this is happening. America is back people.

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I never understood this line of reasoning, as if regulations were some extrinsic property.

"I'll take one quart of regulations, a three feet of rules"

It doesn't work that way. The practice of regulation is non-linear in terms of its formulation and result. Long, complicated regulations could be relatively meaningless, while short rules could be really important.

Saying we are going to cut 75% of regulations is useless. Point to specific rules and regulations.

Since ignorance of the law is no excuse, you still need to read and understand those "long, complicated regulations that are relatively meaningless" to determine if they apply to you, and if so how to comply with them. Removing those regulations would make doing business easier with minimal downside, especially for smaller companies that can't easily afford large armies of lawyers to understand the law.

Depends which 75% of regulations he cuts. If he cuts EPA regulations and there is more pollution as a result of the increase in manufacturing this could result in more deaths in the long run. How about safety regulations get cut so manufacturing gets cheaper but more workers die in manufacturing plants, is that ok?

Fine, but what if there is a chance that the huge heap of regulations supporting entrenched interests is broken up? I'm looking at you Comcast

Let's see which regulations get cut first. So far, it's not the government contracting regulations.

Bonus: when Trump "freezes the size of Federal employment" do you think that will be match by a freeze in contracting, or a boost in crony contracts?

Stuff still needs to get done, so a hiring freeze means needing a workaround, they will find money for contractors because it is seen as a limited time expense, even though it is probably 3x or 4x more expensive over the long term. When they tell you they cut the size of government they won't tell you that government costs went up, or they will tell you government payroll is down and contractors get costed as something other than payroll.

"3x or 4x more expensive over the long term"

And that's where you're wrong. If done right, 3x to 4x more expensive up front and less TCO in the long run.

In software it never works like that. Costs more to build it with contractors and then because you get rid of the contractors support is done by people unfamiliar with the code so support costs more, upgrades cost more because new contractors need time to learn the codebase or the old contractors charge more because they know the codebase.

Fine, but a LOT of the current problems do not revolve around software whatsoever

What I learned reading The Art of The Deal is his MO:

Trump: "I have a problem (e.g. Wollman Ice Rink) but know nothing about this topic. Who is the best company that makes ice rinks?"

Makes a few calls to hockey teams to find this information.

Learns the name of the company.

Calls CEO of the ice rink company.

After 15 mins of conversation, learns that freon-based ice rinks suck the monkey and that brine-based ones last forever.

Total elapsed time: Probably an hour.

Hires ice-rink company to help with Wollman Rink.

Project completed in four months and under budget.

No studies, no meetings, just results.

Government bureaucrats: REEEEEEEEEE!

These critics don't understand what it means to get things done. It's becoming a meme at this point.

Media for the last year and a half: "Donald Trump will NOT be able to build the wall."

Just now, Donald Trump: "We will start IMMEDIATE CONSTRUCTION of a border wall."

He did put in a provision to prohibit federal agencies from hiring contractors. From the order: "Contracting outside the Government to circumvent the intent of this memorandum shall not be permitted."

I haven't seen a single fake news site report that though, they are all pushing the alternative fact that contractors will be hired en mass.

I only see him cutting regulations that hurt the large organizations. He'll keep the stuff in that helps our current monopolies. That's what he's wanted his whole life, why change now?

That's what he's wanted his whole life?

Actually, axing the net-neutrality regulations, which he is sure to do, will help Comcast and AT&T.

Yup his choice for Head of the FCC is actually quite anti net-neutrality.

He will remove only the bad, useless ones. See A theory of regulation in https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-01-24/metrics-f...

Okay, that was a good read.

Also the 2nd very solid Matt Levine article I've read in this thread, I think I detect a pattern.

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