How Government "Reforms" Prolong The Great Recession

NPR's Morning Edition aired an interesting segment this morning about how small businesses are faring during the Great Recession. The program focused on the travails of Rapid Delivery, a family-run shipping business in Rapid City, S.D. What caught my ear was this bit of reporting at the end of the segment:

Like many businesses, Rapid Delivery isn't making any new hires. [Co-owner] Brian Evans says he's afraid to grow or expand this company because of the uncertainty that looms over federal legislation on things like climate change and health care.

And well Evans might hesitate. Rapid Delivery has annual revenues of over $500,000 per year and more than 10 employees which means that under the health care reform legislation the company must supply health insurance or pay a penalty of 8 percent of payroll. And if climate change legislation passes, you can be sure that Rapid Delivery's fuel costs for its van fleet will go up. Gives you a good sense of what,  "I'm from the government and I'm here to help" really means.

Whole NPR segment transcript here.