BY RUSSELL TURNER
FORMING HABITS
While I was growing up my parents instilled in me the value of work. As soon as I was physically able I was ready to do any odd jobs to make some spending money. I would pick strawberries or haul hay; while it was hard work, it taught me the value of money and it got me into the habit of being self-sufficient. My parents, and most of our neighbors, believed in the American work ethic. It was their goal to pass on the traits of self-sufficiency and the freedom that has made our country great. Recently I read an article about two young men living in the northeast part of our nation; this winter those areas have experienced record snowfalls. These two young men saw an opportunity to make a little extra money shoveling snow on peoples’ driveways and sidewalks, sadly while they were knocking doors to solicit some jobs they were informed by the police that shoveling snow required a permit and they couldn’t do it. It never ceases to amaze me how people in the government class want to regulate and control all aspects of our lives. In my opinion there were several losers in this scenario. The people who needed to have the snow cleared couldn’t get it removed; many people who weren’t physically able would have been glad to pay some young person to clean the snow from their sidewalk. The young entrepreneurs who had some spare time couldn’t use it because of an overreach by the government.
For our economy to work we need ambitious people to start businesses; as the population grows we need to have more business start ups than businesses closing. While we Americans are the recipients of a bunch of feel good talk and biased poll numbers, the business closings are more than the new business openings. Habits that are formed can be good or bad. Like the two young men who wanted to shovel snow, if they were allowed to do the odd job just maybe in the future they might want to start another type of business. Instead of helping to cultivate the habit of the American work ethic our government is helping to form the habit of setting on their butts and asking the government to take care of their every need. I feel that we are beginning to see the results of habits formed by do-gooder lawmakers who were never taught self-reliance and a good work ethic. If we don’t encourage young people to become go-getters, there will be no one willing to start businesses in the future. Contrary to what our elected leaders like to spout off, government is not the answer to all of our needs. Most successful people have thrived in spite of the government, not because of government. We all form habits. Like a world class athlete who forms the habit to train more than his competitors, it is time that we help the younger generations form good business habits that will allow us to compete on a world stage.
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