I'm negligent and I screwed something up--now where's my tax credit?

From today’s Wall Street Journal: "Businesses are lobbying to strip language from a Senate tax bill that would bar deductions for punitive damages and parts of government settlements."

A letter to Senator Charles Grassley, the Finance Committee Chairman, from several organizations (the American Gas Institute, American Petroleum Institute, Edison Electric Institute, and the U.S. Oil and Gas Association among them) outlined a few "costs" which would no longer be tax-deductible if the Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act passes:

Royalty settlements.

Farm costs incurred to comply with food safety and pollution control directives.

Costs incurred to address recommendations by OSHA.

Automobile manufacturer costs associated with safety recalls.

Costs incurred by food establishments made at the recommendation of health inspectors.

Aircraft maintenance and upgrades resulting from FAA safety inquiries.

Am I oversimplifying things, or do most of the above appear to be normal business costs due to governmental regulations and oversight? If I built a car with exploding gas tanks, I wouldn’t expect to be able to deduct the costs to replace the tanks. I guess I’m just not thinking like Big Business.

State code says that I need to have two functional headlights on my car. Because they're required by governmental regulation and not personal choice, maybe I can deduct the cost of the bulb the next time one blows up. And why can't I deduct the cost of my fuel and time the next time I go to the DMV to renew my license? After all, I don't need the license--the government does.

Waaaah. Shut up and pay your taxes, like the people who work for you do.