Lone Star Cosmetology Police

What's the difference between an independent contractor's license and a shakedown? Not much, says Virginia Postrel.

Comments

[Todd]

Remind me again - what's the difference between the government and the mafia?

[Ken]

The government gives worse odds than the the mafia. The old mafia "numbers" gave gamblers a much better expected return than the state lotteries.

[Zathras]

I sympathize with Virginia's hairdresser, but wonder if it has occurred to her that lots of low-tax states like Texas have high fees because they have low taxes. Taxes on the general population are a little lower, while fees charged to specific people for specific government services are a lot higher. That "general contractor's license" Virginia is upset about is the excuse for the fee in this case, but I'd bet the $65 goes mostly to fund general operations of the inspectors' department, the kind of thing that in other states is funded out of general tax revenue.

[kevrob]

These kinds of licenses have not fared all that well when attacked by the pro-market civil and economic libertarians at the Institute For Justice, Clint Bolick's outfit.

http://www.ij.org

Kevin

[twistedmerkin]

It's not a shakedown. It's for protection.

[Denis JudeLaure]

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DATE: 02/27/2004 12:08:28
The Tao's principle is spontaneity.