There’s nothing more frustrating than being stuck behind a vehicle that unduly impedes progress for the string of cars behind it. I don’t appreciate being forced to drive slowly simply because the guy in front of me is unsure of himself and wants to impose his driving rules on me. I’m comfortable negotiating the road and taking responsibility for what I do behind the wheel.

I view the role of government the same way. I expect to take care of myself and be held accountable for my actions. I want government to step in only to accomplish things I can’t reasonably be expected to handle on my own. For example, secure the homeland, support the disabled and abandoned, lend a temporary hand to those trying to get back on their feet, and administer narrowly focused regulations that protect public health and safety. In short, the best thing government can do is routinely get out of the way and let us pursue our dreams as fervently or nonchalantly as we choose.

Casino mogul and entrepreneur Steve Wynn, CEO of Wynn Resorts, recently put into words the essence of my view. During a conference call to discuss his company’s quarterly results, Wynn addressed the negative impact of overreaching government. According to the call transcript, he said in part: “[T]his administration is the greatest wet blanket to business, and progress and job creation, in my lifetime. And I can prove it, and I could spend the next three hours giving you examples of all of us in this marketplace that are frightened to death about all the new regulations, our health care costs escalate, regulations coming from left and right.”

Memo to the feds: Just get out of the way, please.

Here in North Carolina, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians wants government out of the way, too. EBCI wants to add live dealers and table games to its expanding casino operation in the western mountains. But arbitrary rules prevent EBCI from pursuing its business plan without the approval of the state. In June, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study, funded in part by EBCI, concluded that Harrah’s Cherokee Casino is worth $380 million to the western economy. So other than the rule itself, what is the practical and moral difference between gambling that uses people to deal the cards and gambling via electronic gizmo?

Memo to the state: Just get out of the way, please.

Smaller and less flashy industries face equally illogical impediments called occupational licensing. As Sara Burrows detailed in the July issue of Carolina Journal, a range of bills in the General Assembly would impose barriers on trades and craftspeople seeking to make a living.

Let’s say you’re a musician who wants to offer musical therapy treatments to the elderly. House Bill 429 would require you to obtain a license before playing one comforting note. As Burrows reported, Queens University music therapy professor Rebecca Engen notified the Legislative Committee on New Licensing Boards, “It is possible to use music harmfully.”

Memo to the state: Just get out of the way, please.

Not every entrepreneur accepts inexplicable rules and regulations without a legal fight. Gate City Billiards Country Club challenged the state’s ban on smoking in most bars and restaurants. The Guilford County private, for-profit club maintained its right to equal protection had been violated by the ban, which exempted private nonprofit clubs. No cigar, said the North Carolina Court of Appeals. A unanimous three-judge panel affirmed a lower court ruling against Gate City. Whether or not the owner will appeal to the North Carolina Supreme Court is unknown.

In the meantime, I suggest this memo to the state: Just get out of the way, please.

Donna Martinez is co-host of Carolina Journal Radio.