Regulation
Cranky Yellow Quaffs Bitter Bureaucracy
[This post was originally written for my employer’s blog, Show-Me Daily.] Ever seen the movie Brazil? When the main character wants his A/C fixed, the opaque and monolithic government forces him to jump through one bureaucratic hoop after another, and he’s not sure that his simple problem will ever get fixed. Then a vigilante HVAC … Continue reading
A Minor Point About Minimum Wage
[This post was originally written for my employer’s blog, Show-Me Daily.] The first job I ever got paid for was probably mowing lawns in the ’90s when I was a teen. Earning $10 per lawn sometimes didn’t seem worth it while pushing the mower in the sweltering heat — but I had a friend named … Continue reading
The Scales of Justice
[This post was originally written for my employer’s blog, Show-Me Daily.] There’s an article on the Wall Street Journal‘s website about fishing rights in New England. It’s a very interesting case. It seems that a small-time commercial fisherman refuses to get the mandated fishing license, asserting that his right to fish the waterways is protected … Continue reading
Taxinomics: How Not to Run an Industry
[This post was originally written for my employer’s blog, Show-Me Daily.] There’s an article in the Chicago Sun-Times about the state of the taxi industry in the Windy City, and how cab drivers are presently working to change it. Rates are capped there by the city, and any rate hike requires prior approval by the … Continue reading
Professional Licensing: A First-Person Perspective
[This post was originally written for my employer’s blog, Show-Me Daily.] In addition to my involvement with the Show-Me Institute, I have also worked part-time as a licensed taxicab driver for Chesterfield Car Service, for a little more than three years. Apart from licensing drivers, the cabs themselves also require a license, which must similarly … Continue reading
Beware the Licenses
[This post was originally written for my employer’s blog, Show-Me Daily.] In the very readable Capitalism and Freedom, Nobel laureate economist Milton Friedman wrote about the economic consequences of labor unions, minimum wage laws, and occupational licensing. Anyone with even minor economics training (or perhaps even just a moment’s reflection) can tell you some of … Continue reading
New Anti-Lead Law Designed to Help the Poor Will Definitely Hurt the Poor
[This post was originally written for my employer’s blog, Show-Me Daily.] There’s a Post-Dispatch article that’s really worth a read. It briefly describes, then goes on the illustrate the impact of, a new federal law aimed at protecting children from dangerous lead levels in clothing and other products sold to children 12 and under. And, … Continue reading
Get Your Law On
[This post was originally written for my employer’s blog, Show-Me Daily.] According to an article from the Post-Dispatch, it’s bill-writin’ season! And you know what that means: Missouri legislators are proposing legislation based on every constituent’s letter that begins, “There oughta be a law …” Here are the highlights: A ban of beer bongs, Jell-O … Continue reading
Another Potential Meaningless Victory for the Nanny State: Bike Helmets
[This post was originally written for my employer’s blog, Show-Me Daily.] Helmet laws are a popular mechanism by which state and local governments like to insert themselves into the lives of their citizenry, and the recent news out of Saint Louis County is no exception. Naturally, I oppose this on ideological grounds, but I am … Continue reading