An unemployed Stockton, California woman mentioned on her Facebook page that she would sell a sample of her homemade ceviche (a South American dish of marinated raw fish) for $12. An overpaid, underworked, undercover government investigator responded to the Facebook ad, purchased his meal and left. Now the woman faces prison time for selling food …
Category: overregulation
Oct 30
Fifty-seven percent of doctors ran their own practices in 2000; that figure is down to 33% as of 2015.
The immense paperwork burdens, high malpractice premiums, and overregulation of medicine has driven most doctors to large, centralized institutions. See here.
Oct 09
Poorer households suffer more from government regulations than do richer households
A new study finds that poorer households spend a higher proportion of their incomes on more heavily regulated goods. Consequently, the costs of regulations falls disproportionately on the poor. See here. The study, entitled “How Do Federal Regulations Affect Consumer Prices? An Analysis of the Regressive Effects of Regulation,” was authored by Dustin Chambers and …
Oct 02
Government appears to be helping cover up the risks of donating kidneys
Interesting (and courageous) essay by medical student Michael Poulson in the Washington Post. At age 18, Poulson donated a kidney. Like almost everything in American life, organ donation is overregulated by the government. The government imposes a ‘list’ system and criminalizes any selling of organs or other profit-potential ventures which might unleash innovation. And, it …
Aug 30
More and more Americans are stealing pet medication
Overregulation and criminalization of medicine is driving more and more Americans to steal prescribed medications from their pets. See here.
Aug 19
In Boston, every Uber customer must contribute a nickel to sustain dying government-monopoly taxi industry
The taxicab industry has been so overregulated for so long that it cannot survive any exposure to real-world, market forces. Many states grant monopoly jurisdictions to cab companies and control prices, fares, numbers of drivers, and numbers of cabs. Poor people who want to start a cab company are simply not allowed. In fact, many …
Jul 14
Venezuelan army now distributes all food
Mass starvation, famines and food shortages only happen in socialist, centrally-controlled societies. Today’s BBC online blared the headline “Venezuela army deployed to control food production and distribution.” See here. The story begins: In a decree, President Nicolas Maduro has ordered the army to monitor food processing plants, and co-ordinate the production and distribution of items. …
Jul 07
California is about to experience Socialism’s fruits
For the past century, California was the national (and world) leader in innovation and entertainment. But after a generation of socialist impositions, one in three American welfare recipients resides in California, and almost a quarter of the state population lives below or near the poverty line. Government trusters frequently claim that high taxes, socialism and …
Jul 07
U.S. Postal Service has lost more than $50 billion
Since 2007 the U.S. Postal Service has lost more than $50 billion. Its unfunded liabilities for its employees’ extravegent retirement benefits are nearly $100 billion. This despite having every advantage in the market place. Paying no taxes (property or income); being able to keep out competition; eminent domain; prestige locations, etc. Rural Post Offices are …
Jul 04
Federal regulations are choking America: We are all 75 percent poorer because of them
According to a new time-series study by economists John Dawson of Appalachian State University and John Seater of North Carolina State, U.S. regulations have prevented the American economy from being productive and inventive. Because of this, U.S. GDP is just $16 trillion instead of $54 trillion. Ronald Bailey writes that “the growth of federal regulations …
