George Will on Nashville's Limo Price Fixing

Cabbie fights for economic liberty 
by George Will, The Tennessean, March 28, 2012

Ali Bokhari, 39, emigrated from Pakistan in 2000, eventually settled in Nashville as a taxi driver, and soon experienced a quintessentially American itch, a nagging sense that “I cannot grow.” But he had an idea: “I can build a better business model for something Nashville has been missing.” He built it, and now knows no good deed goes unpunished by today’s political model: collusion between entrenched businesses and compliant government. read more

This is a great article!  George will explains "collusion between entrenched businesses and compliant government." He exposes "a Metro government that is, as interventionist governments generally are, devoted to regulations that protect the strong by preserving the status quo." He explains what is at stake and the importance of this issue.

I have reported on this issue extensively and closely followed the developments in this case. I have been extremely disappointed in our former and current Metro Council. With the exception of Council Member Davette Blalock, who has championed the cause of the victims of price fixing, there have few admirable participants in this drama. In June 2010 when the Council approved the price fixing mechanism, not a single Council Member objected or voted against the legislation.  That included the conservative members of the Council who claim support of the Constitution and free enterprise. The Council has had the opportunity to undo Metro's price fixing bill but did not do so. Hopefully the Courts will restore the economic liberty that our Metro administrations and Metro Council disdains.

It is gratifying to see this issue picked up by someone of the stature of George Will. George Will writes a twice-weekly column on politics and domestic affairs which is syndicated in hundreds of newspapers across the Country. He began his column with The Washington Post in 1974, and he received the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1977. He is also an ABC News commentator and regular panelist on “This Week.” He is the author of several best selling books and one of my favorite columnist.

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