Snyder Gets One Right, The Ignorant Lament

I'm afraid I didn't get enough sleep last night because I find myself today irritated by stupidity levels that would normally just make me bend over in laughter.

Michigan has been mired in an depression for nearly ten years. It reached that point not overnight, but only after suffering through decades of destructive laws, policies, and regulations created by progressive bureaucrats ignorant of economics. These policies effectively squandered whatever competitive advantages Michigan once enjoyed back in the day when it could boast perhaps the most skilled labor force in the world backing up some of the world's finest inventors and innovators.

If you wanted something designed and produced, and you wanted to design and produce it efficiently and profitably, you just called Detroit.

While the golden days of Detroit and Michigan might well be over, a steadfast and inexplicable trust in draconian economics has not waned. Perhaps the vast wealth of Michigan's recent past made too many of its residents covet. Maybe it implanted in them a feeling of entitlement. It could be that many of the people here are just plain dumb.

Sadly and for whatever reason, Michigan is still too populated by those who obviously ignored economics in high school and believe that businesses and employers and wealth generators are the enemy.

As an example, I assert that Rick Snyder has done a good thing in signing a bill that makes single item pricing unnecessary in Michigan.

Why is it unnecessary? Because arbitrarily raising costs in bringing products to market negatively affects productivity, profitability, wealth generation, and ultimately, consumer access to lower prices.

Of course, the commenters at M-Live are aghast!

septday has this gem:

Another good deal for big business, prices will not be lowered nor will this put more people to work... Another winning round for Gov. Snyder...

wookie screams:

Murray said there would be a "small" adjustment in hours. Yeah right, more like we plan to follow Walmart's lead and cut everyone to part-time status. That way they don't have to pay overtime or provide any benefit programs. Way to bamboozle the ignorant Snyder!

phetom pitches in:

Yet another bonus for business with Gov Snyder. What next? where will it end? If I do not know the price of an item, you can bet there will be a big stash of goods left at the cash register. wait- a job! some one will need to clean it up. The Mi way of doing business. It just keeps getting better.

Broken String inserts this wisdom:

Does he seriously think stores are going to lower prices? The only thing this is going to do is increase the bottom line for these businesses. This will not create one job.

I'd guess the comments are five to one in favor of blathering ignorance.

What generic dumbasses on economics do not understand is that jobs are a byproduct of profitable businesses. The businesses that they loathe pay billions upon billions of dollars annually in payroll and benefits. They do this only because their expected profits justify such expenditures. Otherwise what would be the point of opening a business in the first place?

These arguments against ending the sticker law are as astute as those that might champion the outlawing of chainsaws because it puts wood choppers out of work. Making companies arbitrarily employ dead weight workers for the sake of swelling payrolls hinders job providers.

But just in case, I have some other great ideas that I'm certain septday and company would agree to.

• Markets should be forced to staff each checkout lane with a bagger. How many jobs would that create?
• Self-checkout lanes should be illegal. We need more cashiers!
• Debit and credit cards should not be accepted at the market because longer lines will surely equate to more cashier jobs.
  
• Grocery carts should be required to go through a twice yearly maintenance overhaul. This would get rid of loathsome wobbly wheels as well as create a whole new profession of wobbly wheel repairers!

Each of these uninspiring ideas of my own have every bit as much merit as does continuing the stupid sticker law in Michigan. They all would mandate additional jobs into the marketplace over the protests of businessmen who might not know as much about running a market as a screaming wookie does, but why should we care what the people on the hook for all the liabilities think?

Of course, the creation of these make busy jobs will necessitate the elimination of some other positions in order to compensate for higher overheads and will create poorer customer service and longer lines.

I caution you though, while standing there in line behind your perfectly operating cart laden with dozens of immaculately priced items for purchase, pay no attention to the higher prices.