Ugh, I hate the "Government should be run like a business” line. Take recessions. During a recession, businesses will typically engage in belt tightening. But government finances run on entirely different rules. They control the currency, central bank, unemployment insurance, deficit spending, and a number of other levers that can stabilize the economy. It’s the role of the government to step in and offset the business cycle. A lot of folks have very rose colored glasses of what life was like before the modern era’s governance of the economy.
People: “Government should be run like a business”
Government: “Speed enforcement is now done by a private business. You’re welcome.”
People: “They’re now trying to squeeze every less cent out of us with speed enforcement!”
Business: “Efficiency!”
Ugh, I hate the "Government should be run like a business” line. Take recessions. During a recession, businesses will typically engage in belt tightening. But government finances run on entirely different rules. They control the currency, central bank, unemployment insurance, deficit spending, and a number of other levers that can stabilize the economy. It’s the role of the government to step in and offset the business cycle. A lot of folks have very rose colored glasses of what life was like before the modern era’s governance of the economy.