Mining Economics
9 March 2006
Editor, The Boston Globe
Dear Editor:
Arguing that the "long downward trend in mine deaths...is attributable to the mechanization of mining that has occurred in recent years" rather than to the adequacy of mine-safety regulations, you insist that such regulations be stiffened ("When lax rules are deadly," March 9).
But mechanization doesn't happen automatically and for no reason. One reason mine owners mechanize is to reduce the number of workers put in harm's way - a strategy that is more attractive the stricter are mine-safety regulations. The very mechanization that you dismiss as irrelevant to the discussion is promoted, in part, by the regulations that you assume to be too lax.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
Editor, The Boston Globe
Dear Editor:
Arguing that the "long downward trend in mine deaths...is attributable to the mechanization of mining that has occurred in recent years" rather than to the adequacy of mine-safety regulations, you insist that such regulations be stiffened ("When lax rules are deadly," March 9).
But mechanization doesn't happen automatically and for no reason. One reason mine owners mechanize is to reduce the number of workers put in harm's way - a strategy that is more attractive the stricter are mine-safety regulations. The very mechanization that you dismiss as irrelevant to the discussion is promoted, in part, by the regulations that you assume to be too lax.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
Posted by Don Boudreaux on
Thursday November 30, 2006 at 4:26pm