It’s bad enough when the Federal government takes it upon itself the right to tell business owners what to pay entry level employees. Now we have evidence that one of our rulers, councilmember Justin Wilson, wants us to have fewer taxis.
According to a blurb in the Gazette, he agreed during a City Council hearing with the local Yellow Cab president that there are too many taxis in Alexandria. He subsequently asked our overpaid city manager to strongly consider reducing them.
Who gave either the city manager or Justin Wilson the special vision to decide how many taxis should be available to us? Unlike in command economies, not a single one of which is now or has ever prospered (remember the USSR?), that decision is made by the interaction of two simple realities: supply and demand.
Surely Mr. Wilson was awake when he was in school during the class explaining how capitalism thrives on competition without which goods and services cannot be properly priced.
If he wants to experience what happens when governments meddle in the private marketplace, then he should move to a market-meddling country. The two closest are Cuba and Venezuela.
Until then, Mr. Wilson should focus only on providing government services. If he wants to be bolder than his colleagues, he should find less costly ways to provide them.
Jimm Roberts
Alexandria