-Workplace safety (mainly manufacturing)
Many of the greatest strides in workplace safety came about as a result of the early unions (not that they are without problems). Since the government has taken over the oversight of workplace safety the have over-regulated it, as they have most other things. Or, as someone once said, whenever you hear of a new chumra, someone just invented a new product.
Yes, unions had a lot to do with labor laws. This isn’t disagreeing with my point that this is an area where government regulation has been beneficial. If your point is that laws may not have been passed without union pressure, I may have to agree with that (at least to a certain extent).
-Child labor (all industry)
The government did succeed in taking children out of many dangerous occupations, and has instead placed them in big institutions of indoctrination. While it is certainly good to keep children out of the mines, government schools are not the best place for children.
Child labor and mandatory education are two separate subjects. I don’t share your view of education.
-Minimum wage (low-skilled jobs)
Minimum wage in the US is a joke. Do you really think people can afford to live on $7.25/hour? That’s less than $300/week. If the government were serious about a minimum wage that people can actually live on, it would be more in the $20 range.
That sounds like a great idea. Actually, to pay several tuitions and a mortgage, minimum wage would need to be in the $60 + range. Unfortunately, that would be unsustainable. Most businesses that pay low wages couldn’t afford a minimum wage of $20 an hour and would shut down. For a full-time breadwinner it isn’t enough, but for teenagers, as a second job, or just to help the primary wage earner it’s a lot better than nothing. For someone who is between good-paying jobs it can be a welcome supplement to food stamps and other social programs.
-Anti-trust (all industry)
Unfortunately, I don’t have my library at hand to do the research needed on anti-trust legislation and how the FTC has overstepped their authority. We’ll have to save that for another day.
If your point is that some monopolies that the govt. broke up were relatively benign, you’re probably right. I assume you’re not in favor of legalizing price fixing and collusion.
-Insider trading (brokerage)
I’m not quite sure what is wrong with using inside information to your benefit. Nobody has ever explained that to me. Perhaps you can.
The stock market would cease to exist if people had no way of knowing if they were being played for patsies by insiders who had information they were not privy to. Can you imagine the killing the investigators who busted Enron could’ve made if they legally could have shorted the stock before the scandal broke?
This isn’t even touching on the issues of fairness, a level playing field, and a broker having within his power the ability to enrich one client and make another a pauper at a whim.
-Discrimination (all industry)
1) What’s wrong with discrimination? 2) As a business-owner, shouldn’t you have the right to hire and fire whoever you choose? For whatever reason? 3) Why should you be forced to work with people you do not want to work with?
1) It’s reprehensible. It’s un-American. It’s a violation of civil rights law. 2) Yes, unless they’re in a protected class. 3) You’re not forced to work with them. You can quit or sell your business.
-Reasonable accommodation for handicapped / special needs (all industry)
Would you really like a list of every accommodation made for one handicap that adversely affected someone with a different handicap? Not sure I have the time for all that.
If a major convenience for one group can be done while creating a minor inconvenience to another, it probably should be done. If there is no overall gain, it probably shouldn’t be done. In the case of your friend: a) without the wide outward-swinging door mandated by law, she couldn’t get into the stall anyway. b) if the majority of wheelchair bound people require a low-slung fixture, that’s probably how the rules would require it. c) if the company wanted to be really “mentchlich” they could’ve added a second handicapped stall with a low fixture for your friend.
Just keep in mind what a regulation is. It’s someone’s way of saying, “I want you to behave in a certain manner. And if you choose not to behave in that manner, we will have someone with a badge, a uniform and a gun make sure you DO behave in the desired manner.”
Yes, laws are meant to be enforced. Otherwise, someone might violate one with impunity and say something about “There is no controlling legal authority that says this was in violation of law.”