Most police organizations maintain revenue enhancement divisions. Their purpose is to seize property for sale. They use the drug laws. They also seize cash. In most venues this goes into their budget. In many cases the officers who seize a vehicle get to drive it once it is converted for police work. (My local sheriff has some awesome customized trucks on patrol.)
My county and city have “self-financed” EPA departments. They go around fining people. That’s how they make payroll. You might think it’s difficult to do. But they have made so many rules and regulations that the ordinary citizen is in violation of something at least 15 minutes each day.
The local planning and permitting office is also self-financing. A developer told me that he gets $3,000 worth of fines for every $50,000 in building costs, so he builds it into the estimates.
These examples do not increase wealth or capitol. All they are essentially doing is collecting taxes or fees on few to pay for their own empire. You might as well say that organized crime increases national wealth or capitol by making business pay extortion fees. What you end-up with is a race to the bottom.
“These examples do not increase wealth or capitol. All they are essentially doing is collecting taxes or fees on few to pay for their own empire. You might as well say that organized crime increases national wealth or capitol by making business pay extortion fees. What you end-up with is a race to the bottom.”
I’m well aware that they don’t contribute to GDP. But so many people are unaware that government is simply a criminal enterprise with badges and that they are using the law and regulation for extortion, I mention it at every opportunity.
BTW, California includes the illegal pot industry in their GDP calculation.