OSHA Leaves Worker Safety in Hands of Industry

Since George W. Bush became president, OSHA has issued the fewest significant standards in its history, public health experts say. It has imposed only one major safety rule. The only significant health standard it issued was ordered by a federal court.

Government serves a purpose. But it can only work if we elect people who are going to see that each government agency serves its purpose.

Happy horseshit about small government doesn't get the job done. Putting hacks and cronies in charge of the agencies doesn't get the job done.

The teevee won't show you any of this, because there is no entertainment value in policy and policy enactment. The papers go for the easy stories, who has raised more money and who is leading in the polls. Politics as niche entertainment.

This stuff matters. The FDA is fucking up. The Justice Department is serving the Republican party.

We can laugh about government, about bureaucracy, about government employees. Fine. Whatever. But if government doesn't do its job, people die, people get sick, people get hurt.

It matters.