Thursday Thirteen

 

As the country enters a new phase of . . . something, I wanted to take a look back and how things have changed. In particular deregulation has led to a plethora of problems in many different areas of life.

1. Reduced inspections have led to more food-borne illnesses, increased use of harmful pesticides, and antibiotic overuse in livestock. This affects all of us as it reduces food and agriculture safety measures. Expect to hear more about listeria, e-coli, and other food-borne illnesses in the future.

2. Looser environmental protection regulations have resulted in more pollution, deforestation, and harm to wildlife.

3. Weakening unions and safety regulations have led to more injuries and reduced worker protections, reducing workplace safety and creating a dwindling of labor rights.

4. Deregulation contributed to financial crises, predatory lending, and economic instability. The crash in 2008 is a good example of how banking and financial stability is necessary for a strong economy.

5. Reduced oversight of airlines and other transportation services has led to lower air and transportation service quality, more accidents, and hidden (and not so hidden) fees.

6. Fewer regulations have led to soaring drug prices, reduced consumer protections, and healthcare disparities. For example, a drug I used to pay $13 for now costs me $60, and it is an older drug that shouldn't cost that much. It is hard to trust the pharmaceutical industry when I personally know that a generic from one company is not the same as a generic drug from another company.

7. In energy and utilities, price volatility, unreliable service, and market manipulation (e.g., Enron scandal) have become more common. Electricity rates, for example, have climbed significantly in recent years.

8. Because we apparently no longer have a strong Consumer Protection Agency, companies face fewer restrictions on deceptive business practices and data collection.

9. Deregulation led to media consolidation, limiting diverse viewpoints and increasing costs. Did you know there are only 5 major publishing houses for books now?

10. Housing & Infrastructure – Predatory lending practices, housing bubbles, and weakened building safety regulations have led to problems within the housing industry. Remember those apartments/condos that collapsed in Florida?

11. Deregulation has resulted in skyrocketing tuition costs and predatory lending with regards to student loans. Efforts to stop this have been rolled back by the current administration. Deep cuts to the Department of Education (which the administration is trying to kill) have raised concerns about reduced oversight and support for borrowers.

12. Fewer regulations mean higher premiums and fewer consumer protections with regards to insurance. Premiums have no ceiling and climb ever higher. Soon some places, especially those along coastal areas or other places prone to hurricane hits or flooding, will not be able to obtain insurance even if they can afford the high premiums.

13. Deregulation has allowed companies to collect and sell personal data freely. After all, who is going to stop them?

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 902nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.