Dilution of regulatory reforms

The Obama Administration is backing away from consolidating the number of regulatory agencies that oversee the U.S. financial system. However, they are still interested in broadening the authority of the existing agencies to help mitigate and manage risk in the financial markets. I consider this to be a defeat for the Obama Administration and ultimately a defeat for investors in the long-run. In the short-run it may be cleaner as this decision to pare back reform will mean that new rules are likely to go into effect sooner. Yet, it is our country’s continued focus on short-term results that continues to lead to large-size disasters. Need I enumerate all of these? OK, just a few : )

• Social Security reform.
• Balancing the budget.
• Paying down the National debt.
• Healthcare reform. Etc.

After September 11th, the Bush Administration created the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) very rapidly by consolidating the power of a number of agencies. After that initial consolidation time was taken to merge various authorities under a single heading. While that took time and there were turf wars there was an overall sense of urgency in the country. A many $ trillion financial market meltdown apparently has not created a sense of urgency amongst investors or financial market players. Are these people friggin‘ serious? What part of catastrophic loss and an implosion of credit markets do they not understand?

As you can tell I am disappointed. In the Roosevelt Administration during the Great Depression there was a backbone and a willingness to reform. Let’s hope that the reforms being discussed do not continue to be diluted and that they are a cure and not just a band aid.

Jason