Another Business Crushed by Too Much Government

China Fun was a popular restaurant on New York’s Upper East Side for a quarter century. But the constantly accumulating weight of Big Government finally forced it to close:

“The climate for small businesses like ours in New York have become such that it’s difficult to justify taking risks and running — nevermind starting — a legitimate mom-and-pop business,” read a letter posted by the owners in the restaurant’s front door.

“The state and municipal governments, with their punishing rules and regulations, seems to believe that we should be their cash machine to pay for all that ails us in society.” …

Albert Wu, whose parents Dorothea and Felix owned the eatery, said the endless paperwork and constant regulation that forced the shutdown accumulated over the years.

For example,

Wu cited one regulation where the restaurant was required to provide an on-site break room for workers despite its limited space. And he blamed the amount of paperwork now required — an increasingly difficult task for a non-chain businesses.

Other albatrosses include minimum wage, various insurance requirements, and myriad Health Department rules and regulations.

But now the good news:

The de Blasio administration noted the city provides free help to small businesses. The “Small Business First” initiative helps owners save time and money while reducing the amount of paperwork.

Free compliance advisors are available for on-sight consultation aimed at helping small businesses comply with regulations.

Who pays for the “free” compliance advisors? Overtaxed businesses like China Fun.

They break both your legs, then hand you a rickety crutch that they force you to pay for, meanwhile acting like you ought to be grateful — that’s Big Government in a nutshell.

People go to great lengths to escape places like China for the USA because this is still known as the Land of Opportunity. But it won’t be for long, if trends continue.

On tips from Sean C and Lyle.