I've heard a lot of talk in the last few years about the number of Americans who just don't want to work and expect the government to support them. I am the first to say, there some people in America who fit into that category. I have a few relatives that fit there.
Most of the time there is not single cut and dried reason for the things that happen in any single individual's life, or in an entire country. Human being are far too complicated to boil our problems down to a single source. Usually, the most we can do is attempt to be honest with ourselves and be willing to see when one of the "other reasons" jumps up and slap us in the face.
“The U.S. Constitution protects the right to earn an honest living free from unreasonable government interference, yet courts have often been reluctant to enforce this right by striking down arbitrary or irrational licensing laws,”
"This second edition of License to Work is the most comprehensive look to date at licensing burdens for lower-income occupations. It measures burdens for 102 lower-income occupations across all 50 states and the District of Columbia and finds that licensing laws can pose substantial difficulties for job seekers and would-be entrepreneurs. On average, these laws require nearly a year of education and experience, one exam, and over $260 in fees.
License to Work also finds that licensing burdens are frequently irrational. For example, in most states, it takes 12 times longer to get a license to cut hair as a cosmetologist than to get a license to administer life-saving care as an emergency medical technician. Moreover, most occupations are unlicensed somewhere, suggesting they can be safely practiced without a state license.
Fortunately, there are alternatives to licensing that offer consumer protection without shutting people out of work. Some alternatives, like consumer ratings websites and private certification, harness the power of reputation to compel companies to keep service quality high. These are already at work in many fields and don’t require government regulations. Others, such as bonding, insurance, inspections, registration and government certification, are less restrictive alternatives that lawmakers can implement.
Licensing reform is now being championed by a growing chorus of policymakers and scholars across the political spectrum. Lawmakers should start reform efforts by identifying and repealing needless licenses. If necessary, they can replace licensing with less restrictive alternatives. License to Work also offers additional reform options, including reining in anticompetitive licensing boards and regulations; codifying in statute the right to engage in a lawful occupation; implementing meaningful sunrise and sunset processes; and curtailing license denials based on irrelevant or long-past criminal records.
License to Work makes the case that occupational licensing should be a policy of last resort. Before restricting the right to earn an honest living, lawmakers should demand substantial, empirical proof of widespread and significant harm, and then select the least restrictive alternative regulation best targeted to address it."
"Table of Contents
Foreword
Executive Summary
Introduction
Local Governments Put Up Roadblocks, Too
The Occupations
Ranking the Occupations
Ranking the States
The Irrationalities of Occupational Licensure
Back in Business
The Protectionist Origins of Licensure
The Power of Licensing Boards
To License or Not to License: A False Choice
Recommendations for Reform
Momentum for Licensing Reform Is Growing Nationwide
Licensing Laws Make It Harder for Former Offenders to Find Work
Conclusion
Appendix A: General Methods
Appendix B: Explanation of Specific Occupations
Appendix C: Research on Occupational Licensing"
From License to Work A National Study of Burdens from Occupational Licensing, by By Dick M. Carpenter II, Ph.D., Lisa Knepper, Kyle Sweetland and Jennifer McDonald
As you can see from the table of contents, this is not a simple piecing together of data from questionable sources. It is a well thought out, thoroughly researched look at public data which points to there being undue burdens being placed upon lower wage earners by those in power in this country.
Why? That is the question we all need to be asking of elected officials and demanding answers. I urge you to read the report, come to your own conclusions and take action accordingly.