National Security, Federal Red Tape and Private Government in Florida
1. SECURITY
The Washington Post reports that 854,000 people have top-secret security clearances.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Attorney Hans Bader on how America’s security apparatus is costly, huge and ineffective.
“Politically-correct military officials bent over backwards so far to accommodate Hasan’s ravings and on-the-job religious proselytizing before the shootings that they put up with behavior that would not even have been tolerated in the armies of sensible Muslim counties like Albania and Turkey.”
2. REGULATION
The Federal Register for 2010 now exceeds 40,000 pages.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Journalism Fellow Ryan Young discusses America’s rapidly expanding regulatory code.
“The Federal Register’s page growth has been accelerating as the year has progressed. It is currently on pace for 76,536 pages. That’s about 2,000 pages more than the Bush administration’s average. In January, the projected page count was only 63,187 pages.”
3. POLITICS
Just outside of Florida’s Walt Disney World is the Reedy Creek Improvement District—perhaps the world’s only example of a private government.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Adjunct Fellow Arin Greenwood traveled to Reedy Creek, viewing firsthand the successful management of extensive wetlands.
“As Florida’s legislators look for politically feasible ways to save wetlands, save money, and keep Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and Catastrophe Fund solvent, Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District offers a compelling – though not uncontroversial – example of how private government can help reduce taxpayers’ burden in paying for storm mitigation, while giving flexibility and control to private landowners.”