Washington Metro Objectivism Discussion (WMOD)


                      January 20, 1999

                    "Death by Regulation"

                	By Sam Kazman

     Advocates of limited government frequently attack regulations
on the ground that they restrict individual liberty or impose
excessive costs.  In a significant number of cases, however,
regulations also have directly lethal effects.  These are the
focus of the Competitive Enterprise Institute's Death by Regulation
Project.  

     This project attempts to demonstrate the literally deadly
consequences of a series of regulatory programs.  The Food and Drug
Administration's pre-approval requirements for new drugs, for
example, delay the availability of new therapies.  Federal fuel
economy standards for cars lead to vehicle downsizing, which result
in less crashworthy cars and higher traffic fatalities.  The Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms restricts alcoholic beverage
advertising, denying many people access to potentially life-saving
information about the relationship between moderate consumption
and longevity.  Wider appreciation of these generally unrecognized
effects can greatly broaden the appeal of free-market approaches.

     CEI is a non-profit free-market advocacy group, headquartered
in Washington, DC.  Sam Kazman is general counsel for the
organization.  Mr. Kazman has been extensively involved in public
interest litigation and policy analysis, especially in areas of
safety regulation.  In 1992 he won a federal appeals court ruling
that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had
illegally concealed the lethal effects of CAFE (the federal auto
fuel economy program) on highway safety.  This marked the first
judicial overturning of a CAFE standard in the program's history.
His writings include "Deadly Overcaution: FDA's Drug Approval
Process" (Jrnl. of Regulation and Social Costs, Sept. 1990),
"Death By Regulation" (Regulation Magazine, Fall 1991), "Saying
Yes To Drugs" (Jrnl. of Regulation and Social Costs, June 1992),
and "Purer Politics, Greasier Pigs and Other Wonders of Campaign
Reform" (Regulation Magazine, Summer 1992).  He has been a guest
on such shows as The Larry King Show, Crossfire, McNeil-Lehrer and
Good Morning, America, and was a script consultant on CEI's recently
produced documentary, "Science Under Siege," an examination of
politicized science and toxic scare stories.  For more information,
browse the CEI Website (http://www.cei.org) or contact Sam Kazman
at Kazman@CEI.org.

                          November WMOD Meeting

     Thanks again to David Kelley for his November 18, 1998, talk
"How to Fight the Welfare State."  The attendance was about 60,
making this one of the best attended WMOD meetings.  There was no
December WMOD meeting.
                   
                When and Where is the WMOD Meeting?

     Join us on Wednesday, January 20.  Anyone who is
interested in rational discussion of Ayn Rand's ideas is welcome.
Note that our meeting location is Metro accessible.  You can
either join us for drinks at 6:30 with dinner at 7 PM and/or for
the talk (free) at 8:15 PM at the Hunan Palace in Rosslyn, VA
just across the Key Bridge from Georgetown.  The street address is
1812 North Moore Street.  If you come by Metro, get off at the
Rosslyn Metro Exit and the Hunan Palace is only a few feet away.
Take the street exit on N. Moore Street (across street from Roy
Rogers/Burger King), go out of Metro and take a left, and the
Palace is a few feet down N. Moore Street.  If you drive, there is
a parking garage (Allstate) next door to the Palace that is free after
6:00 PM if you get your ticket validated at the Palace.  There will be
a $15 fixed price dinner (including tax and tip), or you can order
from the menu.  Please RSVP to WMOD at (703) 820-7696 before
noon on Wednesday 1/20 so that we can tell the restaurant how
many tables to set up and how many to expect for dinner.  For more
information, call the Hunan Palace at (703) 528-8188, or call 
David Saum at (703) 820-7696 (W) or (703) 671-5119 (H).  
     
               Future Meetings

     WMOD meetings are generally held on the third Wednesday of each
month.  We are always looking for new stimulating meeting topics
related to Objectivism.  Please contact WMOD if you have suggestions
for meeting topics and locations, or if you can volunteer some time to
arrange meetings.

                 DC Metro Calendar

        Cato Institute Events
http://www.cato.org/events/calendar.html

        Free-Market.Net Calendar
http://www.free-market.org/directory/events/

       Future of Freedom Foundation Events
http://www.fff.org/events/events.htm
         
       Institute for Humane Studies
http://www.theIHS.org/
   
(please let WMOD know about other events that we should list) 
                
               WMOD Contact Information

The WMOD newsletter is $10/yr, this email newsletter is free.

Contact:
  Dave Saum
  WMOD
  PO Box 8007
  Falls Church, VA 22041
    Email: DSaum at infiltec.com
    Phone: (703) 820-7696
    Fax: (703) 671-9350
    Web: http://www.infiltec.com/wmod.htm

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