Regulations: Bush Doesn't Get It

This is from a speech that President Bush made today at the Women's Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century Forum, in Cleveland, Ohio.

There needs to be fewer regulations on business owners in America. (Applause.) I bet you spend a lot of time filling out paperwork. (Laughter.) I bet not much of your paperwork is ever read. (Laughter.) The government needs to let you focus on your business, on developing goods and services. It needs to let you focus on hiring people, rather than spending hours filling out paperwork. In order for us to keep jobs here at home and expand the job base, we need better regulatory policy at the federal, state, and local level. (Applause.)

Let's assume, just for the sake of argument, that OSHA regulations are meant to protect workers, instead of being meant to harass business owners. Then listen to the translation:

The government needs to let you focus on your business, on developing goods and services. It needs to let you focus on hiring people, rather than spending hours filling out paperwork protecting your employees.

Has a bit of a different ring to it.