The Cato Institute warns that the USPS's current handling of mail balloting poses a significant risk of systemic failure ahead of major elections. Key concerns include whistleblower allegations regarding 'batch rejection protocols,' which could invalidate thousands of legitimate ballots, coupled with documented slowdowns in delivery speed and increased rejections for lateness. This instability suggests potential operational or political interference aimed at undermining mail voting integrity. Consequently, the article advises that voters and state election officials must plan to bypass the USPS system by utilizing alternative secure methods, such as drop boxes or early in-person voting, to ensure timely ballot submission.
Combating Food Poisoning with Something Besides Government
English Summary
The article argues that current government regulations are insufficient to combat routine outbreaks of food poisoning caused by manure runoff from cattle operations. It highlights that while produce growers face extensive oversight, the primary polluters (ranchers) operate with weak regulation and lack economic incentive to mitigate contamination risks. The core finding is that civil action, specifically nuisance lawsuits under tort law, offers a novel mechanism to address this negative externality. Policy-wise, the analysis suggests shifting focus from purely administrative rules toward leveraging private litigation to create financial disincentives for polluters at the source.
中文摘要
本文論點指出，現行政府法規對於遏制由畜牧業糞便徑流所引發的食物中毒偶發暴動仍屬不足。文章強調，儘管農產品種植者面臨嚴格監管，但主要的污染源（養牛場）卻處於監管薄弱、缺乏經濟誘因來減輕污染風險的狀態。核心發現是，民事訴訟行動，特別是在侵權法框架下的妨礙侵權訴訟，提供了一種處理此類負外部性的新穎機制。從政策層面分析顯示，建議將關注點從純粹的行政規則轉移至利用私人訴訟來為污染源創造經濟上的不利誘因。
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