Oregon demands 80-year-old barber go back to school

[The Straight Story]

Oregon demands 80-year-old barber go back to school

The Institute for Justice will fight another interesting case on business licensing, this time in Oregon, where an 80-year-old barber with 50 years experience has been told he needs to go back to school to qualify for his license. Just as in the case of Louisiana casket makers and tour guides in Philadelphia and Washington DC, licensing laws that threaten to kill a 50-year small business demonstrates the unholy alliance between Big Business and Big Government at the state level:

The Wall Street Journal has a timely report on the phenomenon:

“Occupations prefer to be licensed because they can restrict competition and obtain higher wages,” said Morris Kleiner, a labor professor at the University of Minnesota. “If you go to any statehouse, you’ll see a line of occupations out the door wanting to be licensed.”

While some states have long required licensing for workers who handle food or touch others—caterers and hair stylists, for example—economists say such regulation is spreading to more states for more industries. The most recent study, from 2008, found 23% of U.S. workers were required to obtain state licenses, up from just 5% in 1950, according to data from Mr. Kleiner. In the mid-1980s, about 800 professions were licensed in at least one state. Today, at least 1,100 are, according to the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation, a trade group for regulatory bodies. Among the professions licensed by one or more states: florists, interior designers, private detectives, hearing-aid fitters, conveyor-belt operators and retailers of frozen desserts. …

http://hotair.com/archives/2011/02/07/video-oregon-demands-80-year-old-barber-go-back-to-school/

[newfie11]

1. go figure! And in SD anyone off the street can take x-rays or CT

They are among the few states with no license law.

[JCMach1]

2. Regulations of this sort ultimately kill small, independent businesses

Even in a relatively business friendly state like Florida, the regulations kill competition. I was just looking at the requirements to start a new restaurant. The paperwork is huge and daunting. No wonder people just franchise, because they have support needed to navigate the BS.

All business regulations need to be reviewed in favor of small businesses. As it stands now, independence is being crushed in the vise of easy conformity.

And, they should leave gramps alone.

[Vinca]

3. I haven't got a problem with either licensing or continuing education.

The fact someone is 80 years old makes no difference.

[The Straight Story]

4. Maybe we should license DU posters

;)

[madinmaryland]

5. That would be a good idea. It would weed the smokers out of the Lounge!!

:P

:hi:

[Vinca]

8. Unlikely a DU poster would kill anyone. I once knew an old man

who was a barber at a facility for elderly psychiatric patients. The barber either had Parkinson's or a Parkinson's-like disease because every time he got near those patients to give them a shave with a straight razor, we held our breath. I don't know how he managed to never behead anyone.

[Ichingcarpenter]

6. Hot Air was founded by Michelle Malkin,

Yikes dude that's just wrong.

[Dappleganger]

7. Here in FL a barber's training course is far fewer hours...

but of course this gentlemen should be teaching, you know?

I don't have any problem with training/licensing for those who are dealing with chemicals on people's bodies, doing piercings (cartilage in particular), etc. BTW, our daughter is in the 2nd half of her cosmetology training (she finished up nails/faces) and they go through strict health procedures to try and keep infections from occurring or spreading.