Too many regulations are endangering us

Colton, Calif. - about the size of Cape Girardeau - is like countless other mid-sized communities across the nation. Colton city officials are working on a number of civic improvement projects including a street lighting effort in the sand dunes nearby that have become an illegal dumping ground. The city is also working on a $10 million project for a sports complex as well as a freeway interchange. But Colton is unlike other communities. It is home to the endangered Delhi Sands fly. And therein lies the problem.

The lowly Delhi Sands fly is on the Endangered Species List, the only fly so named. And because a few thousands of these flies live nearby, Colton has been stopped cold on improvement projects that could somehow impact the flies. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversee the Endangered Species List, says that Colton can get the green light for their improvement projects if they first spend about $3.5 million to find alternative habitat for the fly, which by the way is about the size of a straight pin and has an eight-week lifespan.

Well, Colton folk have had enough with the ridiculous fly business and are challenging the inclusion of the fly on the sacred listing. We wish them well.

When governments at any level create rules or regulations that are clearly counter-productive to the whole of society, those rules must be challenged. The real question here is how does this fly play into the overall scheme of humanity? It seems to me that logic and common sense have clearly given way to some warped obsession with saving a creature with no benefit at the expense of society as a whole. I really wonder if the creators of the Endangered Species List had this fly in mind when they developed their warm and fuzzy concept of animal salvation?

Just how absurd can governments become? Look to Colton, Calif., to learn the answer.

At this rate - God forbid - someday a new species will be added to this list. That species may well be mankind.