A BOOST TO THE ECONOMY, II.(A)(Editorial)

A tax cut is one way to help boost a flagging economy (see above). Another way is to cut the hidden tax of regulations. Unless Bush acts, President Clinton's last-minute rush of new rules will gut-punch business, leaving recession a realpossibility.

In the last two months, the Clinton administration has issued rule after new rule on everything from organic foods to diesel fuel.

To hear Clinton aides, the rules will lead to near-heaven on eart

h - cleaner air, safer workplaces, more private records, etc. All at a very affordable cost.

The Environmental Protection Agency says the new rules requiring diesel fuel with lower sulfur content will only raise costs by 4 to 5 cents a gallon.

The refining industry, though, says the cost is likely to be at least twice that, if not more. And the trucking industry says it'll cost an extra $2,600 a year for each driver to operate his rig - what with higher fuel costs and, get this, lower fuel efficiency.

With more than 70 million trucks on the road - not all of them diesel-powered, to be sure - the costs will come to the scores of ...