New Year’s greetings from the People’s Republic of California.
The past year was a busy year in Sacramento,
what with the “Terminator” busy urging his cohorts in the legislature to
protect individuals from themselves. This past year, California politicians passed
910 new regulations that have gone into effect as of today (January 1).
As the Copley News Service noted, among the flood of New
Year’s resolutions made by the California government, the law now commands, “Eat your veggies. Go to the dentist. Don't
smoke in parking garages. No cruising in a car trunk. Leave Fido at home on hot
days – but don't tether him in the yard either. Oh, and don't bribe your local
politician.” And those are a mere sample of the deluge.
Lawmakers hiked the minimum wage by 75 cents, bringing it to
$7.50 an hour (an additional half-dollar will be added Jan. 1, 2008). This will mean a fatter paycheck
for some workers. Unfortunately, they’ll give it back, as higher wages
ultimately result in higher prices at grocery stores and restaurants. Face it,
in this market microcosm, wages and prices are a zero-sum game. Putting more in
the pockets of some workers means taking more out of the pockets of all workers.
We Californians shouldn't dispair. A handful of the 910 changes expand our individual freedoms. Consider how much better off we are now that charities can host casino nights at
last, beer makers can offer courses that include free samples, and hair threaders,
who use cotton thread and a twisting motion to remove unwanted facial hair by
the root, can trim eyebrows (but only if such trimming is ‘incidental’ to
removing facial hair). Thank you Governor!
As a friend once quipped, “this used to be the land of the
free and the home of the brave. Now it’s just the home of the brave.” And
Californians are braver than most.
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