Or concerns, gripes, opinions and ultimate desires. 

Of the many reasons, foremost is because going to government for solutions for personal problems creates the most vile creature to ever inhabit the Earth: a politician willing to solve each and every problem for each and every one of us. Just remember, what you want fixed for you someone else wants the government to fix on you or your tax burden. 

I’ll insert the obvious disclaimer since I can already hear the first argument. I’m not talking about criminal law such as robbery, assault and murder. But I am talking about the myriad laws, edicts and regulations government has created that make 100 percent of us criminals in some way, shape or form.  

Worse, our problem pontificating pious politicians leave out the most important detail when it comes to addressing our grievances through them: They’re usually, if not always, the cause and effect of their creating said problem and certainly of making said problem worse. 

Let’s talk baby formula. Who closed the plant and has kept it closed that makes a huge proportion of baby formula distributed in the United States after the company issued a voluntary recall? Who ever heard of the recall? Who knew the plant wasn’t set to reopen for a minimum of another four to six months based on the whims of government regulators? I’ll tell you. It’s the same entity that did a poor job in letting the public know a shortage was imminent, yet never proved there was contamination.  

So our government shutters this plant knowing the result will be a shortage of formula. I mean, it has to be known as an obvious result of shorting supply by such a huge percentage. Yet it does nothing to address the coming shortage? And it does this while stocking formula on shelves for incoming illegal immigrants?  My conclusion is this is negligent at best and purposeful at worst. And it’s for the most obvious reason: so government can come to the rescue. It’s how government works. 

That brings us to another government program  — which should be fixed via the market — to answer the cries of the very same people government perpetuated a shortage upon: Operation Fly Formula. This will do nothing but enrich insiders and lobbyists from big companies like Nestle, which is probably still trying to corner the market on WATER. Moreover, Nestle will increase profit margin because shipping is now free from Europe courtesy the  Air Force.  

Nestle now has a competitive advantage being the chosen one of government. Formula makers around the world realize there’s a market opportunity here to sell what they make. But sadly for them, they’ll have to pay shipping and other logistics costs. As the chosen one, Nestle will probably be allowed standards to be lowered to get their formula to our babies’ mouths well before other competitors. Then again, a fair marketplace has never been the goal of government. Unless fair means something different to you.

Can anyone recall another government program that created those who are essential, cut regulations and streamlined government processes via the military industrial complex for players, donors and bureaucrat cronies? Take a shot as this behavior is pandemic. 

It’s what government has been doing for over a century. It all stems from a certain percentage of the population screaming, “You have to do something!” And there are few politicians’ ears which don’t perk up when hearing those words. So Joe Biden, being the ultimate grifter in office, did what comes natural. He came up with a solution that could only come from a typical leftist political hack. He used the military to fly in formula from Europe. Europe? In just over a year of Biden in office, we’re begging Europe to bail us out? How far we’ve fallen. 

At least Trump’s solution for COVID — as misguided and wrong as it was and should keep him from ever holding office again — kept things within our borders. But keeping things within our borders doesn’t excuse enforcing via government power a solution that doesn’t work. It only creates a sound bite-driven public relations video to play via big media to buy votes.  

It’s the same when we have high gas prices and presidents play the we’ll release some oil from the Strategic Reserve to lower prices game. It’s the same as the we’re spending trillions to send you $1,200 because we know you’re hurting game while billions go to cronies. It’s the same as we’ll blame Walmart for not having a store where we created food deserts. It’s the same when Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has a press event as some dolt carries a single box of shots that will go to “preferred recipients” first. It’s the same when your business is or isn’t “essential” based on the whims of those in power. It’s the same when one area or group is declared in an emergency status based on underrepresentation for a good or service. 

I could go on, but I think you get the point. At the core of nearly every one of these “problems” you will find two things: A government cause and a government solution that doesn’t work. Unless you’re in government, that is. 

Craig Hall is owner and publisher of the Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com.