Ultra,
Reading that letter tears at my heart how tragic things have become.
The do-gooders who setup the agencies such as from your letter always say they do it for the "greater good." Such as more housing and lower costs.
But what happens, outside their awareness, is another bureaucratic kingdom has been established-- which is now on the launch pad. Now, each year, during budget negotiations, the game they play is to present how much of a "shortfall" they have versus what they need-- all in the quest for endless budget increases. That leads to hiring more staff, promotions up to next level supervisors, and so on. (There is *always* a shortfall compared to claimed need.)
When the budget increase is approved, it leads to even further expansion of regulations for "more good."
With passage of time, the agency is bloated, inefficient, and is unrecognizable compared to the original mission. But it keeps on steamrolling private initiative and private industry. It is impossible to kill. Too many mouths feeding at the trough. Too many self-justifications for why it needs to exist at all.
I've seen the cycle so often-- a politician with highly misleading promises of "free money" for the downtrodden. Fulfilling the campaign promise about "free money" leads to terrible public policy. Terrible public policy penalizes hard work and investment. And chases smart, hard working people and investors from the market.
You can't change one side of the supply/demand equation without a response happening on the other side of the equation. But politicians regularly do that, then claim victory, spike the ball, and move on long before the consequences bite. It is folks like you and me that are on the "teeth" end of those consequences.
