Quote Originally Posted by puglogic View Post
I love when I agree with you, Gregg But can you give me an example of such a roadblock, so I can be clear on what you mean?
Lol. Sure pug. Things like excessive regulatory and licensing requirements to start a small business. We have way too much red tape. For people not well versed in navigating those waters that has two outcomes. Either the would-be entrepreneur gives up or it forces them underground into the cash economy. The first robs the community of more options for that particular service and limits the individual to getting whatever someone else is wiling to pay. The second robs the community of taxable revenue and essentially turns an ambitious person (who probably has no desire to break the law) into a criminal.

Also in the small business arena are things like access to capital. My Dad always said his banker was happy to lend him an umbrella as long as it wasn't raining. Its true enough. Start up is one of the most capital intensive phases for most small businesses, but it is also the most difficult time to access it. The SBA is a good organization, but it is also weighed down with red tape. By the time a loan guarantee is approved an entrepreneur can be broke and back in his old job. I'm not saying we should just throw money into the street for anyone with an idea, but the people who have good ideas shouldn't be shut down just because they can't access funds.

How about the cost of education? Since the costs probably aren't coming down we have to find ways for more people to have access without saddling them with a lifetime of debt. Not everyone should go to college, but the ones who are motivated and willing to put effort into it should be able to attend. Keeping kids like that out of school is a roadblock that is going to come full circle and bite us all on the you-know-what, probably in less than a generation.