I just bribed a cop
At the DMV of all places.
I've been reading a lot of Austrian Economics, which proves that freedom is the best economic policy for prosperity, and I wondered why government-run businesses are said to be so bad.
When I went to register my car I took mental notes:
The customer service at the DMV isn't terrible. The workers seem more like office staff than CS reps. But it wasn't awful.
Each employee had a laser printer. At my work, we share one printer between three sections (over 20 people). That's an example of wasteful spending you hear about.
Not a huge deal. What was it that makes the DMV so bad?
They're not selling anything that I want. What is their product? If I pay them about $200 bucks a year, they promise not to send cops to harass me.
If I don't pay, cops will pull me over and fine me, and if I don't pay the fine, they'll jail me like a criminal. I'm bribing them to not bully me.
In this exchange, I get "protection" and they get 200 bucks and a docile citizen.
This is one more government disservice that we do not need.
I've been reading a lot of Austrian Economics, which proves that freedom is the best economic policy for prosperity, and I wondered why government-run businesses are said to be so bad.
When I went to register my car I took mental notes:
The customer service at the DMV isn't terrible. The workers seem more like office staff than CS reps. But it wasn't awful.
Each employee had a laser printer. At my work, we share one printer between three sections (over 20 people). That's an example of wasteful spending you hear about.
Not a huge deal. What was it that makes the DMV so bad?
They're not selling anything that I want. What is their product? If I pay them about $200 bucks a year, they promise not to send cops to harass me.
If I don't pay, cops will pull me over and fine me, and if I don't pay the fine, they'll jail me like a criminal. I'm bribing them to not bully me.
In this exchange, I get "protection" and they get 200 bucks and a docile citizen.
This is one more government disservice that we do not need.
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