Lake County needs to take our new President”s lead to heart. He has opened the door to the state to set emission standards, that may differ from federal standards. The same can be, and should be done by Lake County regulatory departments.
For far to long, most regulations and rules regarding standards for small county health, building, agriculture, etc, departments, pattern there rules and regulations after those of either the federal government or state governments rules and standards.
This has lead to extreme overkill. Take for example, the health departments standards for opening a new food establishment. The call for the use of Stainless Steel for some equipment needed in running such a business, runs up the cost of a new business starting up.
These standards have been put into place, with the encouragement of the largest restaurant chains, to hinder competition. The new guys and gals, who desire to go into that line of business, don”t have the kind of wealth that the larger corporations have, thus, are discouraged right out of the shoot, from bringing their skills and talents to bare.
Not that long ago, galvanized was good enough. In food handling, cleanliness is the goal, and that just takes elbow grease, something that a new operator can and should provide, while saving $1,000”s in starting up this kind of business. This principle can be said for the building industry, and agriculture ventures as well as many, many other start up types of businesses.
Overkill in rules and regulations, is a very costly and adds up in many ways to keep very qualified and hardworking folks from stepping up to the plate and risking failure, loss of savings, etc.
A small county like Lake, is held back, from offering many types of business that, under the weight of the cost of getting into business, is really based on those rules and regulations born in the large cities, of any state.
The county leadership, should listen to its citizens, in all the trades, to hear of all the over kill that they have to deal with, and make good, fair and wise judgments, on adjusting the county”s standards, to better allow a more level playing field for those brave souls, how have the guts to start a new business, and offer new jobs, goods, and services to all the folks that live at the lake.
Small business employees more folks than the giants. A multi-level fee base for county permits, charging the start up businessmen and women, for permits, etc, should and would be very helpful in this area also.
Is it not true, that the larger business take the lion share of any consumer base, and the Mom and Pop”s, so recognize this fact and again, level the playing field. We are a nation of very intelligent, creative, hardworking, moral people, and fair play is part of our standards. The county leadership, during these very difficult years ahead of us, need to step up to the plate, and do what is in there power to reach out and help where they can, and this is an area that they can make a difference.
Jim Hall is a resident of Clearlake Oaks. Opinions are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Lake County Record-Bee or its management.
