Federal agencies free to write their own rules

In case you haven't noticed, federal agencies (such as the Internal Revenue Service, the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and a host of others) have become little kingdoms that answer to no one.

They write their own rules, enforce whatever pleases them, throw away billions of taxpayer dollars and feather their own nests with impunity. Every once in a while, they appear at some congressional hearing and flood the place with bureaucratic non-answers to questions raised. The result: Nothing changes. The congressmen can say “There see! We have done our oversight duties!”

This also is a good photo-op when C-SPAN covers the hearing. Our lords and masters are now free to keep on pouring out thousands of new regulations. The kingdoms are intact and all is well.

Gary Sargent

Cedar Rapids