ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (IN THE IMPERATIVE SENSE): My colleague Angela Logomasini tells the story of New York businessman Eli Amsel.

Despite the growing economy, Amsel says his business is down by 20 percent because New York’s regulatory environment is crushing him. In particular, during the past several years, the regulatory state has delivered a triple whammy: an insanely high minimum wage hike, bag taxes, and now a possible ban on his key product—plastic bags.

Goodbye American dream; hello regulatory nightmare.

This is all too typical of the problems faced by small businessmen these days.