I’ve previously reported here (12/6/06) about the appointments of the Bush administration. They have consistently demonstrated an objective of appointing people who are unfit to head regulatory agencies and positions designed to protect the public from harm and which instead favor big business and industry interests. This failure to put the public first, before money interests, has occurred again.

Public Citizen has expressed it’s concern about the White House plan to nominate Susan Dudley as administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) It reports that this agency has enormous power to weaken, delay or eliminate regulations designed to protect the public. It reviews the regulations of other agencies such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency. The appointment is significant because of the power to oversee regulations dealing with auto safety, drugs and standards under the supervision of the EPA. Public Citizen reports that Dudley has had a career of opposing governmental safeguards of all kinds and believes in a “hands off” approach to regulations. She was director of regulatory studies at the Mercatus Center, a front for industry. She advocated elimination of environmental, health and safety regulations. She was against NHTSA’s air bag regulations and the EPA’s attempts to eliminate arsenic from drinking water. She is on record favoring no regulation of the energy industry. She has even been quoted as saying smog doesn’t hurt anyone. Her entire career is at odds with any governmental regulations for health and safety. Public Citizen says “Dudley is unfit to head the country’s top regulatory oversight position.” It surmises that the nomination was timed a week before Senate adjournment because the Bush administration was fully aware of the fact the nomination would be opposed.