It seems that this thread has leaned toward the EPA issue so I will start there. First off since we as a nation are taking strides towards energy independence and getting off of foreign oil, does anyone know when the last refinery was built in the US? If you said 1976 you would be correct. The regulations in place make it not cost effective to build another, so basically it is not worth literally trillions of dollars in gas production potential to build another refinery. That should tell you something. Same with the nuclear industry, which I might add if you include all the nuclear deaths throughout its history, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Chernobyl and TMI you will have less than half the radiation related deaths caused every year from fossil fuel sources. Government regulation boils down to picking winners through terrorizing the public.

That does not mean that regulation is not necessary, but holy crap as a utility plant operator and former nuclear power plant operator, there is not a single aspect that goes unregulated, or unchecked. Beyond the extreme financial costs to the utility that ultimately get passed to the consumer, do you have any idea how many people are working for or contract through the EPA? 18,000 full time, and another 18,000 part time or contractors. If we exceed on any emission, they know about it within the work week and contact us regarding the fine.

Now to address the other concern that I have with the OP. I think that there are many ways to fix the government. First off we need to give them a reason to listen to their constituent population. So they should be paid at a rate consistent with their approval rating. That way if you cater to special interest groups you don't get paid. This would fix the union problem that someone hit on earlier. Along with that make it illegal to receive any additional income from any source other than a pre-established source of income. This way they are motivated to get the largest group of people happy and will work for you. Second, it needs to be a position of service, not a career. You should not be able to do more than 8 years in the Senate, Congress, or the white house. There should be no retirement benefits whatsoever associated with any of these offices. You get elected, do your best, then go back to the job that you had before you were elected. We are not electing housewives or homeless people here, they should be captains of industry, the smart and motivated. With that I understand that compensation must be worth the stress and work involved, and would necessitate much higher base wages, but the savings through abolishing the golden parachute would more than cover it. But the job-title "professional politician" should be a criminal offense, a joke and a thing of the past.