Funeral home licensing and the nanny state

This Web only Speakout has not been edited.

Allen Campbell

Sunday, April 20, 2008

House Bill 1123, sponsored by Rep. Debbie Stafford, an Aurora Democrat, establishes licensing requirements for funeral homes and workers.

It is amazing to me that legislative representatives can’t see that regulating small businesses to the point of their demise is increasing the laziness of the people.Why do people need the government to make decisions for them that flies in the face of their claim that responsibility for their actions is the people personal responsibility, not the govenments. The answer can only be that they are too lazy to do it themselves even though it takes virtualy no time to do.

If you want to get a beer and you open the front door, ignoring the sign that says smoking allowed on it, to any establishment and you are a nonsmoker, does your delicate nose not make you aware of the smoke in the bar or tavern as you claim, even though the air ventilation equipment constantly removes smoke from the environmental air in the place. Why would you insist on going into such a place, when there are many other non smoking places that cater to your personal preferences. As far as the people working in a bar or tavern, just like you, they have the freedom of choice to work in a smoking bar or tavern or a non smoking bar or tavern in out of state big corporation owned restaurants which include health insurance in most cases, whereas most small neighborhood bars and taverns can’t afford that option.

Instead, you give your personal responsibility away to the government and, in that process, erode everyone’s Freedom of Choice even more than has already been done. And why do you do that? Because you’re to lazy or so wrapped up in comparative trivial things, like making you lawn better than your neighbors, to be bothered by the responsibility for your own actions.

And that is just the same for funeral companies. Is it so egregiously hard for you, or is it just plain laziness that prevents your checking with the better business bureau, asking for references, using your feelings about people, if you have any left after giving government control of your lives, and the basic common sense the lord gave you, that you need nanny government to step in and take care of that for you, regulating those small businesses out of business leaving only the big high priced funeral companies with a monopoly in the funeral business. You cut your own throat in both cases twice. First, by giving away your personal responsibilty for your actions and secondly, by insuring the loss of your freedom of choice.

If this government is to be stopped from ultimately taking over regulating every aspect of your life, in other words if you don’t want tyranny, you had better force yourself out of the apathetic doldrums you created as a false safety measure by letting govenment do everything for you and insist, no, fight for less government imposed regulations on your lives.

If you won’t do that, then continue down the prim rose path you’re on with your nanny to guide and help you all the way to the total loss of every constitutional right you have. And you know what, because you failed to hold on to your personal responsibility and the right to freedom of choice, you’ll then deserve every tyranny the all consuming monster disquised as your nanny imposes on you.

Allen Campbell is Senior V.P. of the Coalition for Equal Rights in Colorado Springs.

• April 20, 2008

  6:50 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Jimminy writes:

  Lazy people who'd rather let the government do it are Big Brother's stock in trade.Reasponsible folks who take care of their own will get a visit from the Texas Department of Children's Services.

• April 20, 2008

  8:34 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  me2 writes:

  Allan, what are the new requirements for funeral homes? Or at least, which do you not like?

• April 21, 2008

  7:05 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  ladida writes:

  Shopping for a deal is fine when you are planning for a funeral well in advance of the death. If a death is not expected, the last thing someone should have to do is contact the Better Business Bureau, shop around for the best deal and call friends/neighbors for a recommendation.

  These people are, like it or not, in a position of trust and are dealing with people in a vulnerable state. There should be some regulation of the industry.

  Using your theory, there is no reason doctors should be regulated or licensed either. We should be able to shop around and would hear about bad ones through word of mouth...isn't that enough?

• April 21, 2008

  7:06 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Mike_In_Hartsel writes:

  Nice rant but what's the point? Allen doesn't like the new smoking laws, so Allen are you a smoker? And since when is the funeral business a small business? Lots of small busnesses find the government poking around. Ask any deli owner.

  I agree with me2. What's yor complaint, Allen? The government doesn't run my life but the moment I start a business the government can ask if I'm following reasonable rules. What are the unreasonable rules to which you object?

• April 21, 2008

  11:49 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  alcambell_9 writes:

  Another impact of the smoking ban for bars and taverns and now casions is that the loss of tax revenue from those businesses causes legislators to up taxes on the public to make up for that loss, marriage licences and funeral homes now. What's next? Fast food, increased gas tax, higher prices for auto tickets, higher insurance payments, the child care fiasco, etc. It is an economic law that when you decrease revenue tax in one place you must increase it in another if you want to fund the same programs. And what with even more bars and taverns closing and the others experiencing lost profits and casinos losing 15% of their taxable revenue, look for ever increasing taxes on just about everything the legislators can get their hands on.That is what over regulating any business does, family owned funeral homes as well.

  Were I a friend of a person who experiences a sudden death of a loved one, I would jump in and take care of the arrangments for them if they could not handle it themselves, Ladida. And, comparing doctors who take care of the living with those who take care of the dead is not valid. Apples and Oranges. And Mike, is a regulation that puts thousands out of businees and others out of a job a reasonable regulation? And me2, the article was publised in the Rocky. If you did not read it you could not know the answers to your question were in that article> Do the research yourself.