There are no guarantees in life, but licensing, when done right, greatly reduces bad outcomes and reduces confusion in markets involving skilled professionals, making those markets more efficient.
For certain, currently licensed, professions, where the stakes are somewhat lower, I could see voluntary licensing or certification as an option. States could have licensing exams, and those who pass them could bill themselves as licensed (giving them a competitive edge), while others would be required to disclose that the are not licensed or certified. The consumer could then make an informed choice. In other cases licensing should be eliminated altogether.
I am for less regulation, but we can’t get nuts about it.
That is totally 180˚ degrees off. A degree from Johns Hopkins is worth something, a license is comparatively worthless. I know of a number of licensed Attorneys who bought their degrees from diploma mills, some of whom who effectively bought their degrees from Harvard. They are clueless lawyers, but fun to watch, unless you are a client. : )
For certain, currently licensed, professions, where the stakes are somewhat lower, I could see voluntary licensing or certification as an option. States could have licensing exams, and those who pass them could bill themselves as licensed (giving them a competitive edge), while others would be required to disclose that the are not licensed or certified. The consumer could then make an informed choice. In other cases licensing should be eliminated altogether.
Why not just require a generic business license so that the State can get its cut and let the Customer decide what is important to them? People who are incompetent will get weeded out quickly enough.