Licensing and Permitting Laws: Barriers to Upward Mobility

[FrankRep]

http://thenewamerican.com/images/stories2011/00columnists/walter_williams.jpg



Arbitrary licensing and permitting laws foreclose many occupations that are ideally suited to people of modest means, particularly minorities.


Licensing and Permitting Laws: Barriers to Upward Mobility (http://thenewamerican.com/opinion/walter-williams/8439-licensing-and-permitting-laws-barriers-to-upward-mobility)


Walter Williams | The New American (http://thenewamerican.com/)
03 August 2011


What does it take to be able to own and operate a taxi and earn $30,000, $40,000 or more a year? You need to purchase a used car and liability insurance. Compared with other businesses, the startup cost to become a taxi owner/operator is modest; that's until you have to come up with money for a license. In May 2010, the price of a license, called a medallion, to own one taxi in New York City sold for $603,000. As referenced in my recent book, Race and Economics (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0817912452/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=libert0f-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=0817912452), New York City is not alone. In Chicago, a taxi license costs $56,000, Boston $285,000, and Philadelphia $75,000. It's not rocket science to understand the effect of laws that produce these prices: They discriminate against anyone getting into the taxi business who lacks tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars or bank credit to be able to get a loan.
....


Full Story:
http://thenewamerican.com/opinion/walter-williams/8439-licensing-and-permitting-laws-barriers-to-upward-mobility

[DamianTV]

Funny how those Licenses are only required to be issued to New and not Established Businesses. In many cases, the very idea of requiring someone to have a License to Drive a Taxi, or even be an Interior Decorator, is nothing more than a ploy to prevent competition with existing businesses. IE, Status Quo.

[youngbuck]

I thought it was a pretty good article. Like most laws and regulations, these licensing and education requirements are unnecessary and they stifle economic development and entrepreneurship.

[kahless]

You need an expensive license to do just about anything in the state of New York. :(

[Lucille]

Funny how those Licenses are only required to be issued to New and not Established Businesses. In many cases, the very idea of requiring someone to have a License to Drive a Taxi, or even be an Interior Decorator, is nothing more than a ploy to prevent competition with existing businesses. IE, Status Quo.

Yup.

Stealing Dreams, Creating Nightmares
http://fr33agents.com/?p=2215


From shutting down bars for allowing smoking to harassing delivery men for bringing biscuits to your home, there is no shortage of stories of over reaching government changing the dreams of hard working folk into nightmarish scenarios. Most of these licensing and regulation stories have nothing to do with keeping the public safe and everything to do with legalized extortion. Mostly they prove that the laws and regulations put in place are not there so much to protect the people as they are to keep the poor from improving their lot in life and prevent competition from challenging the already wealthy and established businesses in the community. It’s a protection scheme designed to keep the rich and powerful safe and the poor dependent on them for work.

(Along this same line, there's a vid out there somewhere made by the same people as "George ought To Help (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGMQZEIXBMs)." I think it's called "Why George Can't Start a Business," or "George Tries to Start a Business" but I can't find it anywhere. Any help would be appreciated!)

[bitbutter]

(Along this same line, there's a vid out there somewhere made by the same people as "George ought To Help (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGMQZEIXBMs)." I think it's called "Why George Can't Start a Business," or "George Tries to Start a Business" but I can't find it anywhere. Any help would be appreciated!)

Hi Lucille. I made George Ought to Help and it's the only one I've made along those lines so far (I'm working on a follow up called 'Edgar the Exploiter (http://www.indiegogo.com/Edgar-the-exploiter)' that I plan to have online before 2012). I'd be interested to see the vid you had in mind though.

[Working Poor]

You need an expensive license to do just about anything in the state of New York. :(

Yea I bet NYers are hearing Ron's message of economic freedom pretty clear right now.

[kahless]

Yea I bet NYers are hearing Ron's message of economic freedom pretty clear right now.

I always come across one or two time business opportunities here in different industries and every single time I look at the regulations-licensing needed in NY state I am forced to pass. I have been pretty pissed off about it and then saw this thread, so perfect timing. I am a perfect example of how the state of NY continually prevents my upward mobility due to licensing, permitting and regulations.

[Working Poor]

I always come across one or two time business opportunities here in different industries and every single time I look at the regulations-licensing needed in NY state I am forced to pass. I have been pretty pissed off about it and then saw this thread, so perfect timing. I am a perfect example of how the state of NY continually prevents my upward mobility due to licensing, permitting and regulations.

Well tell everyone you know about Ron Paul

[Revolution9]

It is pure unadulterated ridiculousness that barbers and hairdressers have to have a year to three years training to get licensed and cops get a few months. I presume hair coloring is much more dangerous than a loaded gun in the wrong or untrained hands.

Rev9

[libertyjam]

It is pure unadulterated ridiculousness that barbers and hairdressers have to have a year to three years training to get licensed and cops get a few months. I presume hair coloring is much more dangerous than a loaded gun in the wrong or untrained hands.

Rev9

Absolutely, remember the movie Steel Magnolias where the ladies ran an illegal beauty parlor out of their house? And no-one mentioned a thing about it. Today they would have to be raided by a swat team.

[Lucille]

Hi Lucille. I made George Ought to Help and it's the only one I've made along those lines so far (I'm working on a follow up called 'Edgar the Exploiter (http://www.indiegogo.com/Edgar-the-exploiter)' that I plan to have online before 2012). I'd be interested to see the vid you had in mind though.

Great vid! I've shared it and some have shared in turn.

I wish I could remember! I think the vid I'm looking for is the same narrator and characters. I could be wrong though! It was about a year ago and I saw it on reason hit & run. We own a small biz, so that one struck a cord wrt regs and licensing. We've often said if things were then what they are now, we probably wouldn't bother.

Looking forward to your new vid! I believe I'm a subscriber to your YT. I'm going to go check now, and if I'm not, I soon will be!

I'll check my twitter feed for that vid I'm looking for and post it in this thread if I can find it.

[Lucille]

I was so wrong about that vid! Here it is. Chuck! Not even close to the same narrator and characters! My memory...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQscE3Xed64

[kahless]

I was so wrong about that vid! Here it is. Chuck! Not even close to the same narrator and characters! My memory...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQscE3Xed64

Wow, I had no idea about the book laws in LA. That is just nuts, where is the outrage from libs out there.

[LibForestPaul]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NYC_TLC_Police_Patch.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NYC_TLC_Police_Patch.jpg

[bitbutter]

@Lucille, great video. Thanks for sharing.