Why is it so hard to start a business?

I am an entrepreneurially minded individual. The last I checked, we are in a down economy which means if there is a possibility of starting a business and making money and creating tax revenue, that is something that should be encouraged. In to be a legit business that means, in Utah, that means you need to register the name, the entity, get a sales tax permit, (depending on the business) permits and licensing, and then each city has a business license with its accompanying fee's and taxes.

Whatever you do, don't miss a deadline in this process because that is nightmare on top of a nightmare. But the part that stuck out to me as the cherry on top of this ridiculous "sundae" is that when I went into our city hall to file the paperwork for a home based business for the city business license they asked me, "What car do you drive?" Seriously?! What car do I drive? Why do you need to know that?

The staff were unable to give me any kind of rationale but said that planning and zoning needed to know it. My best guess than was to ascertain if my business was using a delivery vehicle, or something with obnoxious signage. Me being the smart guy that I am, I offered them my shoe size as well.

As I see it, the problem here is that if I was working for some other company with signage that was in violation of code they can't do anything about it. It is someone's personal work vehicle. So if I worked for Domino's Pizza and the sign on top of my car was larger than approved signage they aren't going to do anything about it. But if I am going to start my own business I have to open the door to them telling me what I can and can't do to run a business. The hard part of all this is that I have been freelancing doing the same business for over 7 years and nothing has come of it. Now that I am trying to be legit, to pay the city some of the taxes they don't deserve, they are going to further punish me.

As far as I am concerned this is just like illegal immigration. We make and encourage people to be illegal. We give them drivers licenses, discounts on education, health protections that they don't have to pay for, and so on. Then we have people who want to be here legally, they want to be citizens and they are denied and have to go through years worth of paperwork and costs -- essentially they make it not worth being legit. I feel the same way (on a smaller scale) and wonder why government puts up all these hurdles to people who want to be legal, legit, and to pay their fair share.

"We've got Jesus, how about you?!"

I share the following not as an anti-catholic post, not at all. I just find it funny that somehow the message of Christ has eeked out into society as a message as some exclusive club?!

At a rivalry football game where the passions were as hot as the hormone level, a group of students from a catholic high school decided to alter the popular "We've got spirit, yes we do, we've go spirit, how about you?" chant to "We've got Jesus, how about you?"

Aside from being a tasteless and clear violation of the commandment to not take the name of God in vein, it does not embrace any part of Christ's message. Jesus Christ is not something to brag about, or boast in superiority about. In any case, I find the whole story one of those moments that high schoolers will probably wish they didn't experience or take part in come the 15 year reunion.

The fairness doctrine today

Many don't know of the fairness doctrine in today's society, it is a current topic and issue that is worth noting. The fairness doctrine was instituted back in 1949 by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC). In that statute, broadcast stations were not only required to present controversial public topics but were required by this statute to present all sides of a controversial subject. The concept was not held very well by these stations for several reasons.

1st amendment and freedom of speech was the main infraction that brought out the controversy. The federal government was essentially telling people what they HAD to present. In typical Federal Government fashion the statute was given a deceptively soft - a warm and fuzzy title. "If everybody played fair this world would be a better place." The only way to be fair is to allow each person the same freedoms, not the same restrictions.

This video is a good presentation of how Ezra Taft Benson responded to this issue and how our current president deals with the issue. Thankfully the wording was recently removed from the FCC statute, but there are those in power today that would like to see it reinstated and strengthened. For those interested in free speech I encourage watching this, its short.

Obama admits failure as a president

Short of coming out and saying that he is an economic failure of a president, Barack Obama has vocally shifted the responsibility for his mess to the GOP congress. Does that mean it is the GOP's turn to say, "we inherited this mess from our president?" I see this as a pretty clear election tactic.

Come November and the economy still sucks, Obama needs an out against his republican rivals. This is of course a gutsy move, because if things do get better under the republicans, he pretty much has his bluff called and will most likely not be president.

Both sides are being urged to put together a jobs program to help get American's back to work. Back to work? Really? Is that what the founding fathers wanting our government to be doing? To turn us into a bunch of invalid workers dependent on what the government does to make our living?

The last I checked, Obama wanted the responsibility of turning the nation around. He wanted to be the head honcho, the savior of America. Trying to shift that responsibility onto others will not alleviate the responsibility off himself. In fact, doing such will keep Obama in the picture as the president who couldn't fix things. Who's programs kept American's from working rather than letting the natural course of economic ebbs and flows take place, he played economy god. It almost reminds me of that movie Bruce Almighty. Barack Almighty... coming soon to theaters... if theaters can stay open through the end of Barack's presidency...