The Kobayashi Maru
On NJBIA's "Minding Your Business," I explain how what's happening with independent-contractor policy is akin to Star Trek's impossible test.
People will talk about immigration all day long. And inflation. And the Epstein files.
But try getting anybody to discuss how our government is threatening our fundamental freedom to be our own bosses, and people’s eyes glaze over. Trust me, if you want to repel people at parties, go with this line: “Let me explain what’s going on with the regulatory language to determine independent-contractor status under labor and employment law.”
All of which is why I was thrilled to talk about the policy problem in the context of Star Trek’s Kobayashi Maru on this recent episode of “Minding Your Business.” It’s a show produced by the New Jersey Business & Industry Association for News12+ here in New Jersey.
For those of you who are not sci-fi geeks like host Bob Considine, NJBIA’s Elissa Frank and yours truly, the Kobayashi Maru is a test that puts Starfleet Academy cadets into a no-win situation. It is a test that is intentionally designed for everyone who takes it to fail.
That’s exactly what independent contractors are fighting to stop from being implemented all across the country. It’s just that instead of battling Klingons over a distressed ship in the Neutral Zone, we’re battling policymakers over regulatory language at the state and federal levels.
This 10-minute episode is about what’s happening right now in New Jersey, and how it plays into the national policy problem that I’ll be testifying about tomorrow in the U.S. Senate.
Enjoy:
To file a public comment in opposition to New Jersey’s proposed independent-contractor rule, email david.fish@dol.nj.gov or visit SaveIndependentWork.org/NJ. The deadline for comments is August 6.