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Federal
Register Watch by Mike Powers March
17 - 21, 2003
The Federal
Register is the official daily publication for Rules, Proposed Rules,
and Notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as Executive
Orders and other Presidential Documents.
This column attempts to summarize the highlights (or lowlights)
of the Federal Register during the preceding week. Instructions
for subscribing to the Federal Register can be found at the end of the
column. MARCH
17, 2003: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION - This
notice by the Centers for Disease Control announces the intent to award $500,000
for the expansion of HIV/AIDS, STD, and tuberculosis laboratory
activities in the Republic of South Africa. A
noble cause, no doubt. But the
ends do not justify the means. And
the means are half-a-million taxpayer dollars taken by force or threat
of force. http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/03-6264.htm
DEFENSE
DEPARTMENT - FAR
requirements dictate the conditions upon which the federal government
buys goods and services from the private sector.
These conditions are not based upon which company has the best
price or provides superior service.
Instead, government
procurements are largely dependent upon race and class designations. This
example refers to information collection requirements for the Small
Business Procurement Credit Program that gives "small
disadvantaged businesses" (minority-owned businesses, in
government doublespeak) preferences for government contracts. http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/03-6252.htm
LAND MANAGEMENT BUREAU - That's
right. The federal
government has a Wild Horse and
Burro Advisory Board. Their
purpose is to "manage and protect wild, free-roaming horses and on
the Nation's public lands." Is
there anything that the federal busybodies don't want to control and
regulate? http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/03-6238.htm
PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS - This
program is authorized by the Farm
Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, the super-subsidied bill
that moved us closer to Soviet-style central planning of the nation's
agricultural industry. http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/03-6455.htm
MARCH
18, 2003: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY - This
announcement concerns the disposal of high-level
radioactive waste produced by the federal government at the Savannah
River Site during the production of nuclear weapons. http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/03-6462.htm
FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE - The
FWS announces its designation of critical habitat for two species of
larkspur, the yellow larkspur and the Baker's larkspur.
The larkspur is a perennial herb in the buttercup family. The
critical habitat designation for these two plants totals approximately 4,353
acres in Marin and Sonoma counties, California. According
to the FWS, "critical habitat designation and Federal listing of
species do not impose on a private landowner any additional costs if
future land uses are not changed by the designation and
listing." This
analysis assumes that no future development will occur in the designated
critical habitat area due to existing county land use restrictions.
Otherwise, private landowners will face the wrath of the
environazis if land use restrictions are lifted and they dare do with
their property as they please. http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/03-6133.htm MARCH
19, 2003: AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE -
RAISINS
GROWN IN CALIFORNIA; REDUCTION IN PRODUCTION CAPS This
rule reduces the production cap for the 2003 diversion program for
natural seedless raisins from 2.75 to 2.0 tons per acre.
The cap is specified (mandated) under the Federal marketing order
for California raisins. Under
the raisin diversion program (RDP), producers
receive certificates from the Raisin Administrative Committee (RAC) for
curtailing their production to "reduce burdensome supplies." The
certificates represent diverted tonnage. Producers sell the certificates
to handlers who, in turn, redeem the certificates with the RAC for
raisins from the prior year's reserve pool. Sounds
like raisin producers are getting paid by the government for NON-PRODUCTION
of raisins. Only
government could be this inefficient and get away with it. http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/03-6663.htm
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE - $700,000
in taxpayer-funded competitive grants to be awarded to Tribal, Urban and
non-profit Indian organizations for the support of American
Indian/Alaskan Native health promotion, wellness, and recreation. Any
program that's "for the children" must be good for America. http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/03-6509.htm INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION (ITA) -
ANTIDUMPING
DUTY ON CHINESE WAX CANDLES The
ITA imposed "antidumping
duties" on Dongguan Fay Candle Co., and all other Chinese
candle producers of 65.02% and
54.21%, respectively. Why
was this done? The ITA
concluded that they were selling their goods in the U.S. market at "less
than fair value."
This means the importers were selling them at prices that were
"too low," in the eyes of the federal manipulators. The
federal government is doing its incompetent best to guarantee that
consumers cannot buy the best goods at the lowest prices. http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/03-6481.htm
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and select Online mailing list archives, FEDREGTOC-L, Join or leave the
list (or change settings); then follow the instructions. Link to the current edition of Federal Register Watch at www.strike-the-root.com/3/frw/frw.html
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