Snow storms “create or save” more jobs than Obama administration

I’m serious.

Think about it, even the Volokh Conspiracy blog is asking for advice on how much to charge to clear a sidewalk. A previous post at VC asked the same question I did … why are there not young kids hitting the streets going from door to door selling their services to clear sidewalks and driveways?

Maybe we should remind the young entrepreneurs about capital expenses, insurance and self-employment taxes? Don’t forget about the minimum wage.

The Washington Post had a story online yesterday.

Alone and in impromptu bands, entrepreneurs are finding profit in the conditions that leave others paralyzed. Getting the word out through door-knocking, fliers left on car windshields and notices on online bulletin boards, they are digging out buried cars, providing rides where taxis won’t venture and luring cooped-up residents out of their snow caves with offers of cheap food.

Back in December, at the dawn of the Ice Age, Shawn Cao, 27, and his cousin Dean Cao, 20, were still using shovels to make some extra bucks clearing driveways. They had the foresight to buy a snowblower. Now, they’re golden: For the past several days, they could be found walking — not driving — through Dale City, to see whether any of their neighbors needed driveways and sidewalks cleared.

“Just casual labor, that’s all it is,” said Shawn Cao. The cousins are letting customers name their price. “We’re not out here trying to get rich. Just trying to make the time pass until the weather passes.”

Since the major snow falls are the result of climate change, can we call these new jobs … green jobs?