The Responsibilities Of Business
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
As the state government of Nevada works to figure out the approach to take in order to dig out of the $900 Million hole caused by more budgeted spending than anticipated tax revenue, the “business needs to step up to the plate” crowd is doing their best to get a groundswell of support started for plundering those identified as the greedy buggers who won’t give their fair share.
These are the folks who believe that government is the center of the universe and we are obligated to serve. I don’t recall that being the arrangement spelled out in the governing documents of our country or state…I was always taught and led to believe that actually it’s the other way around – the people (which includes business) are the ones that government is supposed to serve.
The fundamental service of government to the people isn’t to take care of their every need. The fundamental service of government is to provide the framework for the operations of law and order, providing the ability for all people (which includes business) to have freedom and opportunities. The rule of law is to insure that all are treated fairly and to prevent someone else from infringing on your ability to have freedom and opportunity.
What you do with the freedom and opportunity you are provided is up to you. Which brings us to the actual responsibilities that business should be expected to live up to.
Business (as well as all individuals) has the primary responsibility to be as successful as they can possibly become. That success is made possible by providing goods or services that others (individuals and other business customers) want to acquire. Based on the private competitive economy we are supposed to have (without government trying to pick winners and losers or otherwise influence outcomes to meet government goals) those who do the best at providing goods or services are more successful because their customers make it so.
Through the success of providing goods or services, with income exceeding expenses, an outcome is called “profit”. Profit is used to sustain the business and allows for investments in whatever the business decides most appropriate. Profitable businesses are able to provide better pay and benefits for their employees. As we’ve seen from the current level of unemployment, businesses without the ability to be profitable (because expenses exceed revenue) are not able to maintain payrolls.
There are places where the forms of government and economic system do require the slave-like participation of the private sector to support government’s unquenchable thirst for more (resources and power). In spite of the mindset by those in charge of our government at this time (state and national), we don’t live under that system and aren’t interested in bending our knees in obedient servitude.
If government can’t meet the expenses with the revenue they are already extracting from the private sector’s pockets – cut the spending and allow us to return to the appropriate place where we (and that means businesses too) carry out our responsibilities and government stays within it’s appropriate boundaries.
As the state government of Nevada works to figure out the approach to take in order to dig out of the $900 Million hole caused by more budgeted spending than anticipated tax revenue, the “business needs to step up to the plate” crowd is doing their best to get a groundswell of support started for plundering those identified as the greedy buggers who won’t give their fair share.
These are the folks who believe that government is the center of the universe and we are obligated to serve. I don’t recall that being the arrangement spelled out in the governing documents of our country or state…I was always taught and led to believe that actually it’s the other way around – the people (which includes business) are the ones that government is supposed to serve.
The fundamental service of government to the people isn’t to take care of their every need. The fundamental service of government is to provide the framework for the operations of law and order, providing the ability for all people (which includes business) to have freedom and opportunities. The rule of law is to insure that all are treated fairly and to prevent someone else from infringing on your ability to have freedom and opportunity.
What you do with the freedom and opportunity you are provided is up to you. Which brings us to the actual responsibilities that business should be expected to live up to.
Business (as well as all individuals) has the primary responsibility to be as successful as they can possibly become. That success is made possible by providing goods or services that others (individuals and other business customers) want to acquire. Based on the private competitive economy we are supposed to have (without government trying to pick winners and losers or otherwise influence outcomes to meet government goals) those who do the best at providing goods or services are more successful because their customers make it so.
Through the success of providing goods or services, with income exceeding expenses, an outcome is called “profit”. Profit is used to sustain the business and allows for investments in whatever the business decides most appropriate. Profitable businesses are able to provide better pay and benefits for their employees. As we’ve seen from the current level of unemployment, businesses without the ability to be profitable (because expenses exceed revenue) are not able to maintain payrolls.
There are places where the forms of government and economic system do require the slave-like participation of the private sector to support government’s unquenchable thirst for more (resources and power). In spite of the mindset by those in charge of our government at this time (state and national), we don’t live under that system and aren’t interested in bending our knees in obedient servitude.
If government can’t meet the expenses with the revenue they are already extracting from the private sector’s pockets – cut the spending and allow us to return to the appropriate place where we (and that means businesses too) carry out our responsibilities and government stays within it’s appropriate boundaries.
Posted by Doug Busselman at 2/13/2010 7:36 AM 
Categories: Government
Tags: Nevada Nevada Budget and Taxes Nevada Special Legislative Session
Categories: Government
Tags: Nevada Nevada Budget and Taxes Nevada Special Legislative Session
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