Another option for the second part:
"So even though the government was doing its best to keep me from earning a living..."
Other examples:
"Bureaucracy, as anyone who has encountered it knows, makes it increasingly difficult to get any work done."
http://theconversation.com/red-tape-is-alienating-academics-..."It is amazing anyone can get any work done given the 'red tape' that accompanies almost every corporate action."
https://clearsightadvisors.com/the-enormous-market-for-compl...You could just turn it around:
How can/will I (ever) get any work done...
Best
peer agreement (net): +9