if you take environmental law, for example, there's a story of the amoco refinery in virginia, where amoco spent $31 million to catch the benzine at the smokestack, but there was almost no benzine at that smokestack. it turned out all the benzine was escaping at the loading dock, but there's no rule for catching benzine at the loading dock, so it didn't get caught and amoco spent $31 million. that's the story of american law. if you write something in advance, some rule writer, it will never fit the circumstance, just as if you swerve your car and you cause an accident, what happens is that you're usually liable. if you swerve your car because you're avoiding a child, you shouldn't be liable. words on a page can't take those circumstances into account. life is too complex, and things like worker safety are even more so. environmental laws are so complicated that our effort to lay it all out in advance in rules and regulations has created the nightmare that's driving everyone crazy. c-span: this is your dedication page. "olivia, charlotte, lily, and alexander and for alexandra." who a

amoco and sheet metal expert -- a wall there and also assembly for ibm computers. host: the company went down. caller: a few people left out of 30 -- 10 left. i was there 28 years. host: completely closed down or moved overseas? caller: out of 30 people there are like 10 left. it is horrible. host: how much did you make? caller: $18 an hour. host: part of a union? caller: no union at all. host: it was good money in -- without my wife working we would lose our house. caller: but i still -- keep the faith and i will try. host: what kind of jobs are you applying for? caller: anything right now. kmart, you name it, sears -- anything. but i am old now and nobody wants to hire a 62-old-man. host: what is the rate you will work for? how low will you go? caller: i don't know. $9 an hour or something like that. host: massachusetts. george has given up. go ahead. caller: i have been listening to c-span for a few years and this is my first call. there is a point i would like to make. it is also about outsourcing. i had a successful career in advertising and marketing my entir