Scott Shackford on How L.A. Plans to Trash Dozens of Local Businesses

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The Los Angeles City Council claims that its decision to take control of private commercial trash haulers and make them bid for exclusive city contracts is all about the environment. Creating a series of business monopolies in districts across the city will ultimately reduce the amount of traffic from trash trucks and will help the city's efforts to improve recycling from businesses and apartment complexes.

But, as Scott Shackford notes, not only is the city going to essentially force dozens of haulers to close when their bids aren't accepted; the city's plan turns private businesses into city contractors and pushes them to get permission from unions to do their work. If this power grab works, it may be replicated elsewhere.