Government Red Tape
Whether it’s layers of licensing requirements or endless red tape, government rules and regulations can stifle business. Learn how we can free up entrepreneurs.
Dipping your feet in a pool of “Spa Fish” is a trendy new way to create baby-bottom-smooth feet. Cindy Vong began offering this service a few years ago in Gilbert, Ariz., a growing city outside Phoenix. The therapy historically has been used to treat psoriasis patients in the Middle East and Asia. Patients dip their feet into baths of tiny, toothless Garra Rufa fish that nibble off dry skin, and voila.
Last week the Arizona Supreme Court ruled in the Goldwater Institute’s favor that the First Amendment protected a tattoo business from being shut down by the City of Mesa, Arizona. The Court held that tattooing is a form of protected communication, just like painting or writing. Just as booksellers and art dealers are protected by the First Amendment, so too are tattoo businesses. The decision illustrates that there is often no real distinction between economic liberty and free speech.
Arizona Republic Editorial
For at least 43 years, personal adornment has been deemed constitutionally protected free speech. It goes back to when the U.S. Supreme Court concluded you could wear a black armband to school to protest the Vietnam War and the principal couldn't stop you.
After Hurricane Isaac blew through Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal temporarily suspended licensing rules to allow EMTs to travel from other states and care for Louisianans. Similarly, after hurricanes ravaged Florida in 2004, then-Gov. Jeb Bush sought to ease licensing rules for roofers.
Arizona wine consumers soon may be calling up their favorite wineries to order vintages that are currently off-limits. The U.S. Supreme Court will rule in early spring whether to overturn Arizona's monopoly wine distribution system.
Prospective Arizona homebuyers face a double-whammy: escalating prices compounded by skyrocketing fees imposed by voracious local governments.
Chandler recently raised its development impact fees nearly 50 percent, adding nearly $6,000 to the price of a home. Avondale's fees nearly doubled with an $8,000 increase, bringing the total burden to a whopping $18,000 per home.
Economic Freedom key factor in strengthening social and political freedom
Economic freedom matters; it helps strengthen other freedoms and is related to a higher standard of living. The Cato Institute recently released the Economic Freedom of the World index and their report makes it very clear that economic freedom is just as important as other kinds of freedom. By indexing 42 pieces of objectively-measured data, the authors reduce four different areas of economic freedom into a single score.
Even though campaign finance laws interfere with constitutional rights of free speech and association, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that the government may impose regulations on financial contributions to campaigns if it has a good enough reason to do so. The Court has recognized only one justification for curtailing the right to engage in political activity without governmental interference. That justification is combating corruption or the appearance of corruption.
Stroll into a car lot these days and you’re sure to get a warm reception, maybe free popcorn and soft drinks, and definitely plenty of attention. Car dealers are among the businesses hardest-hit by the recession.
So Chandler used-car dealer Tracy Tingue decided he needed to spice things up to attract attention and business. He bought and displayed eye-catching, but clothed, mannequins outside his lot holding “BIG SALE” signs. And it worked—customer visits and sales increased.