It Makes a Difference to the Sheep

VIRGINIA POSTREL DISCUSSES ANOTHER CASE OF BUREAUCRACY RUN AMOK. Her take on this bureaucratic shakedown:

This harassment is happening in business-loving, entrepreneur-celebrating Texas. It persists because this sort of petty bureaucratic hassle--and the associated hidden taxes--is so routine that it doesn't constitute "news" and hence never becomes a political cause. But it's stifling business expansion just when the economy most needs it, and it's punishing bold, productive people.

This would seem to be a case in which there would (should?) be broad bipartisan support for reform (much like Al Gore's re-inventing government; who wouldn't want a government that is more efficient, less wieldy, less needlessly intrusive etc.?). Yet, I doubt we'll see issues like this on the political agenda any time soon.