They’re having a contest over at HotAir.com, for videos explaining how existing Government regulation has affected you or someone you know.
Here’s my submission:
A somewhat of a transcript, it was an e-mail to Ed Morrissey and I decided to film it:
Ed,
I am sending this as an e-mail, but I might send this as a video submission.
This short story about Federal Regulation. You may or may not know this; but, I have a Commercial Drivers License, Class A. I took advantage of a “Socialist” program here in Michigan, offered to people who have disabilities, such as mine. I have A.D.H.D. (I was diagnosed at age 5.) I got my CDL-A. I also have Doubles and Tanker endorsements. I did have Hazmat, until Michigan got this stupid idea to charge an ungodly sum for an idiotic background check to get the stupid endorsement.
Anyhow, I have this license; and you want to know what it is worth? Absolutely nothing. Why? Because I do not happen to have at least two years of experience of driving a class A vehicle.
A little background… Back in the 1970’s and the Early 1980’s there were a rash of accidents, involving Semi-trailers. Many of accidents were due to negligent business owners, who did not properly maintain their trucks. The State of Michigan, with it’s liberal enlightened intelligence; instead of fining the businesses, who did not maintain their trucks; instead the state of Michigan and also the Federal Government, passed all sorts of insane regulations for Trucking Company Owners and also insurance companies.
One of more brilliant laws passed, basically forces Insurance companies to REQUIRE ALL DRIVERS to have AT LEAST TWO FULL years of experience in order to be hired.
What’s so horrible about this? Well, let me explain.
Most trucking companies in Michigan, and also Country-wide, REQUIRE at least two and sometimes 3 years of experience. Which is fine, if you are like 21 years old, and have no disabilities and can live on no sleep and drive all over the Country. But, what about someone, like me, who, because the medication that I take, and just because I happen to be a little older and need at least 4-6 hours to function? Basically, because of over-reaching federal and State regulation — I am left in the cold, and as a result, my license, which I happened to have to work a little harder for, because I have A.D.H.D. — is basically useless.
Welcome to Michigan Liberalism.
-Patrick
I really do not expect to win. As it is not entertaining as some might be. But, I did try.