Regulators Gone Amok
One of the key reasons I prefer my government small comes down to a simple axiom:
The smaller and less-powerful a government is, the less likely it is to become a target for lobbying and influence-peddling.
Businesses and industries often use the power of the state to enforce limits on competition. Often these limiting factors come in the form of regulation or unnecessary licensing. And because the real intent of these regulations is protectionist in nature, it is easy to ignore thoughts of the unintended consequences.
Such as the case of a Michigan woman, who is openly flouting the law by watching the neighbor kids at the bus stop:
photo: Grand Rapids Press
Lisa Snyder of Middleville says her neighborhood school bus stop is right in front of her home. It arrives after her neighbors need to be at work, so she watches three of their children for 15-40 minutes until the bus comes.
The Department of Human Services received a complaint that Snyder was operating an illegal child care home. DHS contacted Snyder and told her to get licensed, stop watching her neighbors’ kids, or face the consequences.
One lawmaker is already trying to craft an exception, which comes a little late for Snyder, who claims she’s been ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and faces up to 90 days in jail. Nice move, but somewhat too-little-too-late.
Oh… and how exactly did these intrepid investigators strike fear into the heart of Snyder, the “illegal daycare kingpin?”
A neighbor filed a complaint.
Think about that for a moment. A law-abiding citizen turned in a neighbor over something that was technically illegal, but shouldn’t have been.
So how hard was it supposed to be for people to turn in “suspect” information about health-care proposals to whitehouse.gov? (where opinions could get you on a list sanctioned by the executive branch.)
I feel a chill.
