Yes, the government influences movie companies - I mean shoe companies

Even the most doctrinaire libertarian is forced to admit that the government, due to its sheer size, has a huge impact on the economy. Of course, this is exacerbated by the government's ability to make laws.

And before you condemn those danged funny-haired people in Washington (although Jack Kemp and Ted Kennedy are gone), remember that a lot of laws are made at the local level.

But if you understand those laws, you can not only get around them, but excel.

Now I Know tell us the story of how Kenneth Cole Productions became Kenneth Cole Productions.

You see, Kenneth Cole wanted to sell shoes at Market Week, but he couldn't rent a suite to sell his shoes, and he couldn't park a truck on the street to sell his shoes - the city refused to provide him with the necessary permit.

Enter Kenneth Cole, movie producer:

The permits were only granted to two types of companies: utility companies, so that they could perform maintenance and build out their infrastructure; and production studios, so that they could film television shows and movies. So Mr. Cole decided to do just that — shoot a movie. He filed for a permit to shoot “The Birth of a Shoe Company"...

Read the rest here. Also see Immature Business.