ENDING THE NANNY STATE
A free society is measured by the amount of life that remains outside the control of government.
I don’t feel it’s the government’s job to police the habits and lifestyles of the citizens. The people up in Sacramento have either passed or tried to pass and are still trying to pass endless amounts of bills which govern the way we live and raise our families.
Sally Lieber tried to pass a bill making it a crime to spank your kid.
Gene Mullin wanted to raise the car seat age from 6 years old to 8 years old.
We have laws dictating where to smoke, not as a safety issue, but as an irritant. I think that if a bar owner, his employees and the patrons are made aware of and accept smoking in the establishment, then so be it. It’s not the state government’s business. Laws like these should be left to the cities and counties, not the state. Let the voters of the city in question vote on it.
We have a new law about banning handheld cell phones while driving. Studies show that it’s talking that is a distraction, not the holding of a cell phone. (Truckers with CBs, you’re next!) However, there are a multitude of other ways people are distracted while driving, including daydreaming (Try to ban that).
If the assemblymen and women of the day make laws based on their beliefs as to what is beneficial for our lives, then there is no end in sight.
Passing laws which restrict the freedoms of the supermajority of Californians, just because a handful of people are unable to handle their own freedoms, is tyranny. I think these lawmakers want to be able to go to the voters at election time and say “See, what I did to help protect you from yourself.”
I want to give you back the freedom to live your life as you choose so long as it doesn’t infringe on the rights of others to do the same.
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
Economic opportunity in California is stifled by occupational licensing laws. California has the most occupations (177) in the country which require a license to start a business. On the surface these licenses appear to protect the interest of the consumers, but they actually benefit the interests of the various industries by limiting competition.
In a free society, you shouldn’t have to seek permission to work in the occupation of your choice. Limiting business opportunities to a select few decreases job growth, lessens choice for consumers and artificially raises the costs of such products and services. The poor are hit hardest by not only the higher costs of the services, but also the costs of the schooling required to get a business started, no matter how much hands-on personal experience they might have.
Do we really need to require a license in order to cut and style hair? I’ve seen many a bad haircut come out of a licensed shop.
What about making cabinets? Some of the best craftsmanship comes from people who have spent years doing woodwork as a hobby. Why shouldn't they be able to start benefiting from their talents without having to pay for schooling?
The final decision as to the value of a service should rest in the hands of the consumer. Word of mouth is an even more powerful judge of ones work than a license. The two biggest elements that protect the consumers are business reputation and a legal system that protects property rights.
While there should be certifications available to all businesses, it is up to the consumer if they want to pay for a service from someone that either has or doesn’t have such certification. Maybe you just want to buy a nice cheap cabinet from someone who has a reputation of creating reliable products, instead of paying an artificially high cost for the same thing from a licensed maker. A free economy should allow this.
As a legislator, I would ask for the review of all occupational licenses by the license board to see if they warrant such restrictions. I would also implement sunset provisions to force licensing boards to justify each license's existence to the legislators of California in order to renew them.
The free citizens of California should not be denied their right to economic opportunity.
For more info on a policy study about occupational licensing click here.
MORE ISSUES TO COME...
