As a result, my constituents tell me that their relationship with agencies have deteriorated and that instead of inspectors working with businesses to identify and solve compliance problems, government regulators show up, issue a fine and…

We are trying to figure out who sets that, who guides that, where does that money go.

We hope to be able to put products out in the days ahead to say, let us help fix some of the broken relationships that we have there.

Well, this is something, I am saying, perception and reality.

there has been a culture change from one of compliance assistance to one of scaring people into compliance

As far as, do you feel an obligation coming at you either legislatively or from a guidance that if there is a violation, that is a fine?

But, the goal of the regulation and of the statute is usually health and safety and environmental protection and such, and the fine, the penalty here, becomes a vehicle to help accomplish some of that.

the EPA views businesses as an ATM to be fined, regardless of the determinations of an investigation

Indeed, many individuals and businesses believe that agency officials enforce regulations in an unfair, unpredictable, and arbitrary manner.

We are still back to the settlement thing. The process, how to get there.

I would hope that you are in the same position that we are working on health and safety.

And that is a more fluid conversation that is happening.

This is one of the areas that we want to examine.

if it takes all day, we will stay until we find a violation

the determination of whether there is a fine and the amount depended on the mood of the investigator

The challenge is, once you go through that, you set a fine and then there is a process to have a conversation on the settlement.

That shelf right there? We had to raise by six inches and we got a fine for it.

But, some are concerned that they should not because they are, for whatever reason--what I am telling you is, it is a good program----