Clark Howard Speaks Out on Food Regulation

I used to live in the Atlanta area and have listened to the Clark Howard radio show for many years. He gives great consumer advice and I generally agree with him about the role of government. Today, he posted show notes about the recent problems with horse meat ending up in food where it is not supposed to be.

Clark observes:

"But the thing is, we need government oversight too. Government has a role to play in health and safety. The reality is normal capitalist rules don't work when it comes to health, safety, or the environment because that would bean lower profits."

In my personal opinion, one of the legitimate roles of government is to keep us safe from these ne'er do wells who will not honestly label their products. I believe that if you want horse meat, that it is a source of meat that should be allowed. I also believe that you should know what you are getting and be able to make the choice for yourself and your family.

Unfortunately, until the potential punishments are strong enough to make people decide the reward is not worth the risk, then people will continue to do things like this in lots of different ways in different industries. Also, as long as the consumer only looks at price, producers will feel the pressure to produce cheaper and inferior products.

Right now in Washington, D.C., our congresscritters are avoiding making a budget and bringing on the threat of the dreaded sequester. You can also find many examples of overzealous regulators or agencies going too far. But there will always be a need for protection for the consumer. Unfortunately, in our human world, some people have to be made to do the right thing.

And that's one of the reasons why, as Clark says, "...it's reasonable to expect government to play the role of referee."

Preach on, preacher.