PrintOctober 22, 2008
Hey Joe -- About That License Thing
Well Joe, now the entire world not only knows you are a plumber -- they all know now that you are an unlicensed plumber. Well whoopee do. Is Tiger Woods a "licensed golfer?" Is Brian Williams a licensed broadcaster? Of course, his employer, NBC, is. Just like Joe.
I bring this up because in my last note to you, the emphasis was on the tax policy of Barack Obama and how devastating it would be to small businesses and by extension the entire economy. As I stated, if "that one" wins in November, my enterprise will be shut down and the punitive tax policies are a big reason why. But not the only reason.
If your planned business thrives, Joe, you will find yourself beset by bureaucrats, lawyers, and many others with a say in how you operate, and the ability to make even simple moves into an agonizing process. You might say "it's the bureaucrats, stupid."
Bruce Walker correctly points out that one way the left gains power in this country is by putting in place so many of life's so-called unbiased "umpires." Walker includes in this group purveyors of what is supposed to be even-handed information flow in the fields of teaching and journalism, but administrative bureaucracies and some judicial processes see too many of these biased umpires. What makes these groups so dangerous is that they all purport to be "objective collegial bodies of neutral professionals."
Without a doubt, "life's crooked umpires" and a business's inability to escape them are just as important in the calculus that I have "had enough" as is a redistributionist tax policy. And they are both fruit of the same sour left-leaning tree by the way.
Like so many business owners, I have had illogical and expensive run-ins with the DMV, the IRS, the ESC, the OSHA, the EPA, the DOT, the COC, the NCDR and surreal judges that would make your head spin and frankly they can all KMA. You would not believe these stories if I told you. Joe, these are "life's crooked umpires" and as government employees, they do not understand you or me. They do not have the fortitude to take the chance on opening a business, and they resent those who do.
These are the humorless Barney Fifes of the world, armed with power over you gained only by the production-killing nature of some bureaucracy. The can flaunt and abuse their power as they make illogical decisions that cost business owners time and money day in and day out. What do they care? They'll get their 3.9% government raise anyway.
It might be little things like DMV clerks sending your office staff on wild goose chases for needless paperwork or Employment Security Commission referees never agreeing that you were right to terminate a lousy employee because your warning write ups are not perfect. Or it might be major issues like EPA officials teaming up with liberal lawyers, liberal judges and some kind of endangered slug to keep the world's foremost economic power from building necessary power plants for 30 years resulting in an energy cost shock tsunami. Whatever form it takes, it is the manifestation of life's liberal umpires always ruling against free enterprise when they can get away with it. The total cost on our economy is incalculable.
Now to your licensing issue: these umpires always have "paperwork" to justify their rulings. There are always inane rules or licensing procedures or regulations that have nothing to do with merit that can be quoted to justify their stupidity. This is why your licensing issue was so immediately crucial to your detractors and why they were so cock sure that this bureaucratic detail was such a powerful "gotcha" moment.
To them, it was that piece of paper, not your talent or your dreams or your ambitions that makes you credible. (Actually, it is two pieces of paper, the license and the union card). This is the world of the liberal life umpire. "Papers, can I see your papers please."
And 16 plus years of fighting this and seeing it get worse is why I am opting out for a while if Obama wins. With him, Reid and Pelosi in control, our society will be slammed with even more of life's crooked leftist umpires. Higher taxes, more regulations and more illogical bureaucrats with even more control over my life's work. That's not all that inviting, frankly. What's the old saying? "Well hell, I can stay home and starve..."
Joe, as you know, "all the money" comes from some businessman separating a customer from his or her money in exchange for a good or service. That's where all of it comes from. Without that first step, there is no money to tax, no business to regulate and nothing to justify any kind of license or rule. Life's liberals do not understand that. They have no idea that your dream might be to build a business that creates jobs for hundreds of card-carrying licensed plumbers. To them, it's simply "papers....let me see your papers please."
