Robynn Andracsek is spot-on in her Clearing the Air, "Seeking Certainty" (September 2011) observations. On top of administrative and judicial delays – most of which have arisen from delaying tactics employed by those allegedly adversely-affected by the rules – now we have attempted-yet-doomed-theatrical intercessions by some Members of Congress – the very personification of uncertainty, mayhem, chaos and inaction – who would further delay, by legislative fiat, the resolution of many of these issues for as long as it's taken us to get this far. Today's market "uncertainty" is not driven solely by supposed over-reaching regulation or indecisiveness by regulators. It is driven by the actions of those who on the one hand decry uncertainty but at the same time engage in regulatory, judicial and legislative tactics designed to maintain uncertainty and to buttress their own inertial mission – ultimately only contributing to an inevitable and needless increase in overall costs of compliance while engendering ongoing indecision that retards growth, defers job creation and spawns confusion. As Blackhawk Bank CEO Rich Bastian recently noted, "Clarity is everything, even if it's negative clarity." So, as the British counseled at the outset of World War II, we need to 'Stay Calm and Carry On' so that those truly affected by the rules discussed by Ms. Andracsek can finally attain some constancy and stability. [The same might be asked of the U.S. Congress and its intransigence in dealing with the exigent economic challenges that are holding back national innovation and growth.]

W. Randall Rawson
President/Chief Executive Officer
American Boiler Manufacturers Association