If Licensing Protects Consumers, Why Are Licensing Laws Blatantly Anti-Consumer?
By Mike Davis, 1889 Institute
Once upon a time, there was a small island whose economy revolved around scuba-diving tourism. The island's legislature considered scuba dangerous. Inexperienced divers would surface too quickly and get the bends. The legislature, wanting to make diving seem safer, passed a law banning sharks from designated scuba diving zones. There were no known shark attacks, nor were sharks frightening divers into surfacing too quickly, but people felt safer. This is what most occupational licensing schemes look like. Legislators give the public a sense of security, while giving powerful insiders protection from competition. The laws do almost nothing to help consumers. They’re futile. They are also deceptive.
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by Muskogee Politico - August 31, 2020 at 09:22PM
1889 Institute: if licensing laws protect consumers, why are they blatantly anti-consumer?
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