Government Slowly Kills the Private Sector – And Blames the Victim for Its Sputtering Demise
Good piece from the Heartland Institute, it tells how I feel how the government is screwing the (smaller) private sector in a decent way. Also some commentary on how it's ruining the internet with new regulations from the FCC and its ilk.
http://blog.heartland.org/2015/08/government-slowly-kills-the-private-sector-and-blames-the-victim-for-its-sputtering-demise/And now some commentary from richb.
As someone (slowly) starting up a new small (no make that tiny) business, it clear the government (at all levels) really doesn't want individuals (especially those of us with little money) from bothering with it anymore.
To be honest, tiny businesses are already basically illegal. That is if you want to bother with the many annoyances (and expenses) with being legal (business license, paying taxes etc). It basically makes it not worthwhile. The little amount of money basically disappears, endangering the business. So you don't make it official, because you can't. So you end up with a grey market "business" at best. Hoping to fly under the radar. The minute the IRS shows up the circus is over. I know it's happened to people, the IRS shows up when their ebay business or whatever makes a few bucks but no taxes have been paid.
Just look at that moonshiner TV show on cable. One of the moonshiners on the show wants to go legit. You can guess what is the hardest thing for him so far. Being under the thumb of the government, keeping records, following regs, paying taxes, a cop looking over his shoulder waiting for him to mess up etc. I won't be surprised if he figures hiding from the law is less hassle then being "legit".
A few years ago, I heard about micro businesses a charity organization was helping people in third world set up. I imagine most of those businesses were "unlicensed" in those peoples home countries. So they were subject to corrupt government bureaucracy. So are we becoming a banana republic? Sure seems like it.
So would I feel bad about not paying taxes? Maybe, I would have a few years ago. But with the lawlessness we have seen from the federal government, I sure don't anymore. If anything, its becoming a form of protest. Is it dangerous, yeah, it sure is, because not enough people are doing it yet.
The Obama years have only proven, that the government can keep the economy from growing at all.
I wish we could measure the economic gains we are not getting. I do know a number of people with business plans that are shelved (probably permanently) waiting for better times, a better time that may be a long ways off if ever. Some of those plans probably will no longer work in this horrid business climate even if they still want to try.
