As the owner of a small but thriving market farm in Ashland City where we raise chickens, grow crops, and sell to local markets, I know firsthand the value of competition. It pushes me to be better, more efficient and more innovative. For small business owners like me, competition isn’t something to fear — it’s a motivator that keeps us moving forward.
However, one of the biggest challenges I face isn’t from my competitors; it’s from the complex and often burdensome regulations imposed by the government. These regulations take valuable time and resources away from what matters—running my farm and caring for my employees.
Despite politicians’ claims that “small businesses are the economic engines of our progress,” the truth is that too many of them have never met a regulation that they didn’t support, regardless of how it affects those of us trying to make a living in the real world.
Take, for example, the Democratic National Committee’s latest attempt to regulate Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). PBMs are businesses that companies like mine hire to help manage our health plans and negotiate better drug pricing with the major drug companies.