Albert R. Wynn's recent commentary on the economy notes his experience as a former member of Congress but inexcusably fails to mention that he is currently a lobbyist for industry at a major Washington law firm ("Is Obama overly ambitious on ozone regulations?" June 15).
Mr. Wynn's column is carefully written to sound balanced, but anyone familiar with the environmental law regulatory system will know that his thesis that President Barack Obama should go slow to avoid weakening the economy before the 2016 elections is nonsense.
Nothing Mr. Obama's EPA does between now and the 2016 elections can possibly affect the economy before the election. The EPA ozone rule Mr. Wynn discusses will just set an air quality target, after which the states will have a year or more to adopt binding regulations to achieve that target. Typically the process takes several years.
That is why there can be no effect on the economy this year or next that could hurt the Democrats' electoral chances in 2016.
Moreover, though Mr. Wynn notes the EPA's estimate of the costs, he fails to mention the agency's calculation of the greater economic and health benefits that will result.
In short, his comments are a propaganda piece by a paid lobbyist without identifying it as such.
Sam Bleicher
The writer teaches at Georgetown Law School.