Have you ever watched a late night show host or a comedian conduct a “man on the street” interview?  It’s always great for laughs as the interviewer asks the person questions about current events or politics.  Sure, it can be hilarious but it can also be troubling.

With as much information we are exposed to on a daily basis, you would think society would be better informed.  The truth is, unless you are a political junkie, if the issue doesn’t directly impact you or harm you economically, it’s just part of the incredible loud “breaking news” background noise we are all exposed to, and we tend to ignore it.  That spells trouble for all of us.

The reason it spells trouble for us is that we begin to “tune out” a lot of information that can eventually impact us in a negative way.  Take our nation’s capital.  We all get wrapped up in what happens in Washington, D.C.  There are endless reports, exposés and articles about this bill or another.  The bill at issue always causes great anxiety between the major political parties.

Here’s an ugly truth about politics…it’s rarely the bill itself (regardless of its content) that is the real danger.  It’s the agencies that promulgate the rules that implement the bill that are the real danger.  Each year, the agencies of government churn out thousands of pages of rules and administrative regulations that all have the force of law.

The real danger is not the actual law, but is more often the unelected agencies and bureaucracies that enforce the ever increasing rules and regulations they churn out at astonishing rates.   But that’s not the really scary part.  It’s happening at all levels of government.  If Washington doesn’t get you, the state might.  If you don’t believe me, just take a look at what our counties and municipalities are doing in areas like wages, labor and paid leave.

The biggest threat to you and your business is tuning out the “political stuff” because it’s what you don’t know that can hurt you and that’s why being involved in FRLA is worth the price of admission.

– Richard E. Turner

General Counsel and Vice President of Government Relations