At least in California, there is a literal army of bureaucrats collecting from the small businessman, even if there is nothing to collect from.

One small retailer I know has a modest store in an even more modest shopping mall. He built all of his counters by hand, since he couldn’t afford to do anything else. They are very nice.

The other day, he received a call from the use tax people. They told him that he had very nice counters. He said thank you. They said, because they are nice, you will have to pay us to use them.

My friend told them he had no business and no money. But, the clerk told him that she had never heard that a business had to make a profit to pay a use tax. The bill has now arrived.

My friend has no money. Sits in his store day after day with his nice counters and no customers.

And, the federal government passes Health Reform which he cannot afford for his own family. Wall Street and the banks continue to celebrate and grant themselves bonuses while he starves. He is on the verge of bankruptcy and has already lost his home.

Where is his bailout.

Imagine a world in which we were not a Nation of conspicuous consumption. If millions had bought houses they could have afforded with out interest only loans and balloon payments and debt load.

If we were a Nation of savers the current economic crisis would have never occurred.