Stop making excuses to derail rule reforms
11:02 PM 1/08/04

Politics is pretty transparent most of the time. For example, anytime a politician howls about the perversion of the political process, that's usually a loser's last desperate attempt to delay or derail worthy legislation. <

Certainly that's the case this week as opponents of economic progress attempt one more time to prevent a much-needed rewrite of state rules protecting air and water. A sweeping bill seeks to streamline air and water permits for businesses and other property owners and rein in Department of Natural Resources power over some types of development. <

The excuse-makers - mostly environmental groups and Democratic leaders - have been joined now by Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager in their chorus demanding delay or inaction on these overdue and urgently needed changes. You'd think the attorney general, despite being a Democrat, would confine her counsel to matters of sound legal principle rather than shrill political rhetoric. <

Opponents lamely complain that bill sponsors should hold more public hearings, as if lawmakers really pay heed to hearing testimony in the first place. Anyway, three hearings already have been held on the kitchen-sink version of this measure. True, the bill has changed since that time: GOP sponsors removed a host of provisions - at the request of the people who now demand hearings on their demanded changes. <

We demand common sense. The Doyle administration, still struggling to communicate effectively with the legislative leaders, was involved in drafting the revised bill. So if the measure still doesn't match administration requirements, whose fault is that? <

Admittedly, Republicans who control the Legislature have been in a rush to capitalize on an accelerating economic recovery. But who can blame them? Who doesn't want to see Wisconsin incomes rise and jobs created? Streamlining a burdensome regulatory bureaucracy is one big step toward these goals. <

As Doyle spokesman Dan Leistikow noted, any complex bill usually includes some technical problems or oversights that must be addressed before it becomes law. But contrary to complaints, the amended bill isn't seriously flawed. <

Remaining adjustments, along with whatever changes critics still want to pursue, still can be debated in detail: Plenty of public lawmaking "process" remains ahead. The bill still must pass both houses of the Legislature and win the governor's signature. <

Wisconsin is overdue for regulatory reform: Let's curb the complaining and start pruning overgrown regulations blocking the path to economic growth. <