Interstate Commerce, We are the United States but act like the United Countries
I would like to comment on the insanity of laws in our country. We are suppose to be one country, but we hardly act like it. We often complain about industry sector rotation downturns and job losses. We often complain about trade deficits, yet if we would all get on the same page here in the states we could be much more prosperous indeed. Interstate Commerce is entirely problematic in our Nation; we are the United States but act like the United Countries. In some regards it is easier to do business in Europe or Asia than in the United States. In Asia there are fewer laws and it is easier to make deals with trading partners in other nations. In Europe the EU is rectifying the trade amongst their nations and coming up with a more standardized and homogeneous set of laws and rules, which apply in all countries.
Now before you say I am nuts, let me tell a little bit about my personal observations. I built up my company and franchised it in 23 states and four countries over about ten years. It was a very simple business, a mobile car wash franchise, about the most simplist business in the World. www.CarWashGuys.com . As I build the business and set up these franchises, we often found that each city had a rule, each county had a rule and when we went to the next country the rules were completely opposite. Each state had a different rule and the all conflicted. The there were Federal Regulations which were so complicated and conflicting, you literally could follow one rule and therefore end up breaking another one.
You may wish to check out this quote I found in: "The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History;" page 105 in the chapter called "How Big Business Made American Better Off"
Quote - By the mid-twentieth century, the absurd and arbitrary character of antitrust law had become apparent to at least a small segment of the public. Speaking of regulations in general, the Federal Trade Commission's Lowell Mason declared: "American business is being harassed, bled, and even blackjacked under a preposterous crazy quilt system of laws, many of which are unintelligible, unenforceable and unfair. There is such a welter of laws governing interstate commerce that the government literally can find some charge to bring against any concern it chooses to prosecute. I say that this system is an outrage."
Where is this guy today? We need him to help up clean up government and all the regulations, which are stifling free enterprise and crushing mankind?s forward progression. Another interesting quote on page 107 the author is states:
"Antitrust activity has been every bit as irrational as its critics have claimed. And no wonder. It has primarily been an instrument by which less competent firms petition the government to punish rivals they couldn't outcompete in the marketplace."
After setting up businesses in so many states and completely by-passing others, not because no one owned cars to wash or because there was no labor who wanted jobs; but because the laws rules were so insane, it would be nearly impossible to comply and still retain a profit. We purposely skipped; Hawaii, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Indiana, New York, Illinois, Virginia, Maryland and if we had it to do all over we would have skipped; California and Washington State.
Businesses are over regulated, over lawyered and the government will not get out of the way. It is not that the businesses cannot compete with foreign competition, it is that they are so over-burdened with ridiculous over regulation that they cannot get out of the box to make some running room. There is nothing wrong with Americans or the free spirit of Entrepreneurs. The problem lies with government?s blob of bureaucracy and the lawyers and legislators who perpetuate its growth. United States? Not looking too united these days, we need to change that. Think about it.
"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
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