As we hurtle through the two thousand twenties and evolve in America there is something going on, sometimes very subtly and wrapped in some high-minded, righteous coating of "morality", "fairness" and "equity". And then in a not-so-subtle a manner.
As governments around the country, primarily in Blue dominated states, grows and grows in mandates and an effort to control a broad spectrum of Americans businesses and lives what is the end result? The death of private business and a further dependency on government. And much of this effort is based in a concept that business I.E. Capitalism is evil. Which in my opinion is ignorance wrapped in "politically correct" political agenda which is focused on a concept of redistribution of wealth to some great degree. And this kind of "righteous" thinking destroys and oppresses more than fixes and creates prosperity.
Starting a business from scratch is hard and risky enough. Especially starting a local small business when you have demands made by the city government before you even open your doors. Essentially extorting tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars out of a small business to improve city services and infrastructure for the honor of providing increased business activity, sales tax collection, jobs and prosperity. The one generates the other, and the government leaders usually have it backwards as we can plainly see in the story above.
Government, every and all government over time tends to assume that they own the businesses that operate within their cities, and you essentially just work for them and at their convenience. Government can come to believe that businesses are captive and can be drained of capital for social services and social engineering and experimentation purposes. Some cities anyway, and we can all see this in the attitude of the current Federal administrations attitude towards private business of all sizes.
* Fun fact: "Businesses either pay or remit more than 93 percent of all the taxes collected by governments in the U.S. Without businesses as their taxpayers and tax collectors, American governments would not have the resources to provide even the most basic services."
I used to have a landlord with a similar attitude, I moved at great expense. Problem solved. But a city government is different and can justify their incremental "progressive" "social experiments" at the cost of the private citizen with abandon. Government apparently always knows how to best spend your money. Until government becomes sooo onerous to opening and operating a business that collects taxes and provides jobs and spreads prosperity. They usually have no self-control and just take until there is total financial destruction and there remains nothing worthwhile except dependency. And dependency is never worthwhile.
If a business concept is unable to become manifest because of such onerous policies, then there is no business to collect taxes or provide jobs and spread prosperity. Government usually has it exactly backwards and disincentivizes instead of creating an incentivized environment for business. They cannot help themselves because for the most part those who think in such a dark, parasitic and destructive manner are professional politicians, Socialistic even Marxist in their thinking and not entrepreneurs or business minded people with experience in the real world. This is the nature of government, Socialism and oppression and not Capitalism and individual freedom.
There is a line to be drawn and the line always needs to be drawn in favor of incentivizing good business, especially good small business that is essential to local government and the prosperity of the local population.
Which is not to say that there should be no government, not at all. Government is necessary but it is a necessary evil and over time most all government tends to abuse their power and kills the golden goose that lives in the heart of the ambitious freedom loving private citizen.
When the private citizen owes every and all of their hard-earned money acquired by their innovation, vision, determination, sacrifice to the city, state or federal government in the form of taxes, fees, mandates etc. then what are we?
The top ten worst run, most expensive, highest murder and crime, most racist, most politically polarized, high drug use and homelessness, the proliferation of drug gangs and violence, illegals, most dangerous and most onerous government mandated and regulated, highest taxed and unfriendly to private business cities in America?
* Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, L.A., Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Washington D.C., Baltimore and New York City. You figure out what these cities have in common.
And who and what political theory is it that runs them? Are you and how you vote going to be part of the solution or the problem? Once the golden goose is dead, then what?
Are you paying attention yet America? JGL 7/19/23
Capitalism is neither good nor evil. It is an economic system based on market demand. Of course, like government, it can be corrupted and tyrannical, which then leads to the rise of unions that protect the workers and regulations that protect the citizens. It's a balancing act--much like our separation of powers in government. It works beautifully, until one side of the scales amasses too much power (ex: the Teacher's Union, the government regulations and taxes that you cite).
The best, most efficient government is the one closest to the citizen. The same holds true for businesses--the small business is closest to the consumer and is the driving force of our economy.