As I said, generally speaking. Obviously, there are exceptions - like the FCC - that stand out for one unique reason or another (directly managing a publicly-he

As I said, generally speaking. Obviously, there are exceptions - like the FCC - that stand out for one unique reason or another (directly managing a publicly-held resource like the wireless spectrum, for instance, or the Dept. of the Interior, which issues oil and gas leases). And I'm not saying that having industry experience by itself is a problem - although it can be with shadier lines of work. No, it becomes a problem when people can ping-pong back and forth between rule making and profit making roles in the same sector. The worst of it is seen not in people coming from the private sector, but from people going to the private sector - frequently to collect their rewards for having exercised a "light touch" when they were with the government. That's the point at which a big salary for a cushy gig looks less like compensation for the job you're doing now, and more like a reward for the job you didn't do as a regulator.