Musings by the Hairslave

I shall return to my Happy Place soon, in the meantime, here’s a rant…

Why (as a businessman) should I support federal taxing & regulation?

I often hear blowhard politicians (especially at Tea Party gatherings of late) talking about small business owners, and how they’re the “core” of the party.  Average Americans like you and me.  Providing innovation, employment, and economic growth!

Well guess what?  I am literally that “average American”.  I am a small business owner.  Eventually I will add employees, but at the moment it’s me, and some contract associates at my small business.

The Tea Party rabble rousers, and by that I don’t mean the average person who’s been scared by internet rumors, or anti-tax rhetoric, but the higher-ups, making millions, while scaring the hell out of the average person (yes you Sarah Palin and Glen Beck) talk about small business owners as if we all want unrestricted free market conditions, and that “businesses” want freedom to run their affairs as “they” see fit.  I guarantee you that when they say that, they don’t mean me, the average man on the street.  I love government over-site.  I like safe beef (which by the way isn’t as safe as you might believe), I want caltrans working in the middle of the winter fixing my roads, I want a Public Fricking Option, and I love the fact that the government polices me and my fellow cosmetologists.  That’s right, my business is regulated.  I, and my associates can have our licenses revoked for poor behavior.

Think about that, if I hurt a client, or even practice improper safety procedures, I can be fined, fined for me and my sub-contractors, by the way.  If I hurt someone badly enough I could be tried for malpractice, or even gross negligence.  I guarantee you, if I somehow managed (god knows how) to kill a large population of wildlife, and possibly a good portion of a communities livelihood, in the performance of my business… I WOULD GO TO JAIL.  Even if it was one of my contractors, or an employee.  My ass on the line.  And that’s exactly how it should be.  I like knowing that my field of expertise has a watchdog agency.  It not only makes me stay on my toes, but it gives my field a solid standing in the community.

I’ll even go a step further.  If I had my way, the Board of Cosmetology would require continuing education and testing.  That’s right, I don’t think my industry is regulated enough!

I’m a big fan of regulation and public safety.  I like knowing that medications are put through a test of some sort.  I like knowing that vegetables are tested.  I like knowing the fire station will react when my house is on fire, I like to know my trash will be picked up, my storm drains cleared, I like to know my bank is secure, wait, what?  Oh yah, no we don’t need to do that one do we?  What could possibly go wrong?  Dammit, we need a strong government, not some pussy pushed around by the school yard bullies!

Now, let’s compare that to BP oil and the wonderful customer service and safety we get from this company.  Will someone loose they’re job, probably, a scape-goat.  Not the CEO, unless he “retires” with a bonus.  Will they pay, loose the right to do business, go to jail.  Probably not so much.  The inequities are monumental.

I remember a ruling recently.  A corporation is a person.  Well I think any corporate “person” that has the potential to do this much damage to the “people” of that region, and considering how much taxpayer money will probably go into this, I think they should be so regulated they can’t even think of a business plan without the peoples approval.

I’m not joking.  This environmental catastrophe will destroy an ecosystem or two, and plenty of peoples livelihood, they don’t even know how to stop it.  It’s going to make the Valdez look like a test run.  And they’ll end up blaming some poor schmuck like the captain of that famous ship.  My renters don’t pilot ships, but I’m responsible for them if they don’t put the lid on the garbage.  Seriously, we get fined for that sort of thing.

How is it that the politicians of the last few decades have managed to turn us into Anarchists.  Yes, that is what Palin and her crowd really are.  They tell us that government is the problem.  Get rid of all the agencies that regulate the environment, agriculture, education, social services; what they’re really saying is, no government.  Reagan started it in the 70’s and 80’s by convincing us a weak government was better. That’s the definition of anarchy.  Not conservatism.

I’m a small business man, I don’t mind paying taxes, I want to know everyone in this county is cared for, even if they walk the streets.  And I want my government to monitor the potentially devastating business practices of the monopolies of this county  And I want my government to not tell me who I can and can’t love.  What I don’t want, is my government dismantled piece by piece.  I want it here protecting we the people.  That’s what we created it to do.