An Idaho City Wages a War on Pizza

You must admit we’re more of a meat-and-potatoes crowd.

I came across a story from Idaho Falls about a pizza oven running afoul of local government. You can get more details by clicking here.

I’m familiar with the nanny state's reasons for the government stepping in. Some local bureaucrat will argue that someone could sell a slice that could make someone deathly ill, but if the business buys a permit to operate a pizza oven, then poof, the threat goes away. We should also note that any neighboring pizza joints are happy to have the local government rub out a competitor.

But here’s the thing. If I have a private barn and cook up pizza and give it away, would I violate any regulations? Maybe not, unless someone gives me a dollar for a slice. Then I’m suddenly public enemy number one.

I realize a lot of people in government believe everyone else isn’t very smart and that the rest of us would game the system if they couldn’t control us. Maybe it’s what the psychiatrists call projection, but people get elected to office and then come to believe they’re smarter and more virtuous than everyone else.

Amazingly, we’ve gotten through millennia without the heavy hand of government. Ronald Reagan once commented about the growth of the administrative state. When he was young, a driver’s license wasn’t needed. He said when your dad thought you were ready, he taught you how to drive.

I guess the liberals would argue that more cars and more roads prove we need regulation. However, have we seen a decrease in accidents?

My impression is that permitting processes, zoning regulations and licenses are all in place to meet the demands of a public that claims to treasure liberty, just not yours.