Posted on 08/21/2017 5:57:42 AM PDT by reaganaut1
I was disappointed when President Trump’s first choice for Secretary of Labor, restaurant magnate Andy Puzder, was forced to withdraw his name. He would have made great use of the office as a Bully Pulpit to highlight the many ways the government impedes job growth through counterproductive regulations – such as the absurd notion that it’s possible to legislate better lives for workers by ratcheting up the minimum wage.
Nevertheless, I’m pleasantly surprised by the performance so far by the man Trump subsequently chose for the position, R. Alexander Acosta, who was confirmed in April. Acosta, a former U.S. attorney and law school dean, has already made his mark by identifying one of America’s biggest obstacles to job growth and economic revitalization, namely occupational licensing.
In a speech to the American Legislative Exchange Council’s annual conference on July 21, Secretary Acosta criticized occupational licensing regulations on three grounds: they create a barrier to people who want to work; they impede mobility by anchoring people to the places where they are licensed; and they obstruct Americans who want to leverage technology to expand their employment opportunities.
In his address, (quoted in this Daily Signal piece) Acosta stated, “Certifying skills and specialized knowledge helps consumers. That is far different, however, from using licensing to limit competition, bar entry, or create a privileged class.”
Quite right, Mr. Secretary, although I think you overrate governmental competence in ensuring that workers are indeed competent in their fields. Competition and the need to establish and maintain a good reputation do at least as good a job as licensing by government officials in that regard, and without the harm done by legally blocking entry into the market.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
In Florida, licensing prevents snow bird scams
Not necessarily...
Currently the Florida Real Estate Commission is considering some very onerous rules regarding the size of your broker’s logo vs. the size of your personal agent logo in the name of ‘consumer protection.’
Mind you the members of the board of FREC who are so very concerned with confusing consumers include a long time member who runs a real estate school called the Institute for Florida Real Estate Careers Real Estate Schools. Now of course, he doesn’t answer the phone that way... he answers the phone IFREC... a name purposely meant to confuse his school and the state regulatory board with nearly the same name.
It’s disgusting.
Occupational licensing is required in certain professions, to ensure that consumers know that the person has actually had training. However, I agree that it does not guarantee competency. It’s just a start. Further, occupational licensing has become a way for states to add to their revenues.
Floriduh is big on licensing florists. The net effect is that there are NO new florists in that state.
Not scams, but capable people are NOT going to Florida. Some years ago I thought about a move to Florida. With me would “migrate” a highly skilled trade that is in serious shortage throughout the country.
When I found out about the restrictive licensing requirements in Florida, I stayed at “home”. Now I receive requests for service from around the country, as well as article shipped to me.
I will assist and service NOTHING from Florida.
Licensing for everybody except illegals operating out of their car trunks. That’s a protected class.
Just think of the life threatening mayhem that would occur if they let just anybody make flower bouquets!
The example used is taxi cab licensing. Really? I this what it is all about?
“Just think of the life threatening mayhem that would occur if they let just anybody make flower bouquets!”
There was an article about the licensing of florists in Florida not long ago. The 2,000 odd current florists have set up a “training program” under the state’s aegis, a program that they run and that somehow no one ever passes. So there is a fixed group of “florists” in Florida. Life is good, floral arrangements are expensive!
Here is some info on the NYC Cab medallion.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-much-is-a-nyc-taxi-medallion-worth-these-days/
If you have a license and plan to retire early and move to California or Florida and work your retirement years there, think again. Those states don’t want you.
When Mayo Clinic decided to open a remote clinic in Florida the licensing board wouldn’t allow Mayo Clinic physicians to practice there without a license - which would be very difficult to get and would effectively block Mayo physicians. Florida finally passed a law allowing them to practice with their own state license. The licensing board was NOT happy.
It’s all about money and keeping out competition. States use licensing to generate money. I have seen the cost of two licenses go from around $75 to $400. The application cost has increased too.
Yep, I pay about $700/year for licensing.
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