Freedom is cost of government cash gusher

We’ve arrived. It’s been such a long, hard haul, but the destination wasn’t really in any doubt: Government is now deemed responsible for everything.

This current COVID-19 pandemic is simply providing the final push across that finish line, with new regulations imposed on things previously thought beyond even officialdom’s grasp.

Now we’re told exactly where and when our kids may play and how close we can approach our neighbours while, in compensation, billions upon billions of magically manufactured dollars are showered upon everyone and everything with a gusto not witnessed since Justin Trudeau found some black face paint in a bottom drawer.

Do as you’re told and we’ll give you free money. That’s the name of today’s game. And this one-two punch has effectively broken the backs of those remaining Canadians who’d once considered themselves freedom-loving individuals, responsible for their own successes and failures.

Look no farther than the latest clarion call from our city’s restaurateurs; annoyed meal-delivery outfits are grabbing too large a slice from the current dine-at-home business.

Yes, they are saying the city should step in and cap fees charged by outfits such as Skip The Dishes and Uber Eats.

Once upon a time, in a country long since lost, people running restaurants might have come to a different conclusion when discovering fellows delivering meals to their customers were grabbing commissions as high as 30 per cent.

Maybe, instead of hiring an outside agency to do delivery, they’d employ a few unemployed young Calgarians to do the work. (I vaguely recall young lads from the local pizzeria once doing exactly that. Maybe it was a dream.)

Or perhaps, instead of forking over more than a quarter of the bill to Skip The Dishes, restaurants could offer a 15-per-cent discount for customers picking up their own grub? That’s a decent inducement, even in times of social distancing.

And there once were people called entrepreneurs here in Calgary; the type who’d spot a business opportunity in this; maybe starting their own service to undercut these current delivery outfits and thereby kick-start a commercial empire.

Yes, like Don Southern and his son Ron once did — seizing an opportunity by displaying a few trailers-for-rent on a gas station forecourt in Calgary 70 years ago. It would become ATCO. But that was then. This is now.

Today the Pavlovian response from our restaurant folk calls for government to ride to their rescue, imposing regulations on those dastardly delivery companies — ones they themselves initially hired, incidentally.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi responded he’d prefer the marketplace sort this out before council gets involved.

“Look, I’m a free-market guy,” said our mayor, thereby proving, despite all the current challenges, his sense of humour remains intact — at least until Coun. Jeromy Farkas posts something naughty on Facebook.

Meanwhile, these restaurateurs who want the city to step in should ponder the consequences.

Already they complain, with justification, that over the past five years they’ve been hammered by increased tax rates, carbon taxes, minimum-wage hikes and a host of other governmental strictures.

So, if the city does indeed take this latest appeal on board — and no government ever ignored for long any opportunity to loom even larger in our lives — then please don’t moan when your business taxes subsequently increase. Because city hall will obviously need to hire more staff to administer this urgent call for civic oversight.

Oh well. If you can’t beat them, join them. I’m therefore considering starting my own organization called Chow Down Cheaper. Our first act will be to demand the city outlaw the ludicrous mark up on booze and plates of various meats sold at local restaurants.

Come on. A bottle of plonk that retails for

$25 is marked up by at least 150 per cent whilst various slices of cow go for double any supermarket price.

Oh yes, of course the restaurants will wail about their overheads, rates, staffing, insurance and such, just like those Skip The Dishes lot once did.

Before they packed up and left town.