March 11, 2005
C’mon, They’re not the FDA!
I often point out all the places where I think it might be useful to remove government regulation. People look at me like I’m crazy, of course, when I suggest such things like Eric as privatizing the FDA. But some things, I think we can agree, don’t need to be licensed.
States Asked to Deregulate Hair Braiding
In South Carolina, Gov. Mark Sanford in December vetoed a bill that would have
required hair braiders to have 60 hours of training; they now need 1,500 hours
of cosmetology education. Sanford said either requirement is “absurd.”
Well, Sanford and I can agree on something. Can we also agree that cosmetologists should not need to be licensed by the government? I don’t really think it’s necessary for South Carolina to tell someone they need 1500 hours of cosmetology education to cut hair.
Let’s look at this honestly. If the state did not require any licensing, what would happen? At worst, we would have a sudden run of bad haircuts. Then, as the unlicensed and incompetent hairstylists suddenly find themselves losing clients to people that know what they’re doing, they’re either going to go out of business or get some training. Hairstylists with talent who are unlicensed will have no problems getting clients.
Now, let’s look at the two organizations most hurt by removing a licensing restriction: existing hairstylists, and cosmetology schools. Existing hairstylists may have some downward price pressure from new entrants into the market (which wouldn’t upset me any, as my wife’s hairstyle costs are astronomical). Cosmetology schools would no longer have students required to attend, by law, to receive a certificate.
Would any of this really be that bad?
PS – If you readers agree to this, you know my next step is to advocate abolishing the FDA, and no longer require doctors to be licensed, right?
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I wonder if anyone thinks about who the existence of the FDA benefits. I’ll give you a hint (not you Warbs, you know the answer) …….. it’s not the citizens.
Here’s another hint. Did you know that it is illegal to advertise that something can treat a disease if it has not been approved as a drug by the FDA? Think about the implications of that for a while.
Warbs…(if I may call you that),
Thanks for the blogroll!
I’m soooo illiterate with respect to blogging, in that I don’t know how to “blogroll”. I would appreciate some pointers. ;/
BTW, I have a new post…come see.
Robert,
E-mail me (link in upper right corner of site). I’ll send you my old template. I also used Scribe, so you can see how to enter links…
I also suggest you install HaloScan for trackbacks. My template will also show you how to set up your comment line to use blogger comments and haloscan trackbacks…
I’m not HTML expert, but seeing as I started programming in BASIC with a buddy at the age of 6 (on our Commodore 64, no less), I pick things up as needed