Protecting People From Earning A Living
Mark Meranta from Institute for Justice wrote to tell me they're taking the Arizona Cosmetology Board to court because they're requiring eyebrow threaders to get an expensive (and unnecessary) license before they're allowed to earn a living.
In Meranta's words, this is yet another example of "protectionist licensing laws that have nothing to do with the health/safety of the public."
More background from the IJ:
Eyebrow threading is very popular in Arizona. Threading is a natural and safe method of hair removal that uses a single strand of cotton thread to remove unwanted hair, most commonly from the eyebrows, with no chemicals, dyes, hot wax or sharp objects. But state officials have decided that threaders cannot practice their trade without first obtaining an unnecessary and expensive government license.The Arizona Board of Cosmetology is now requiring skilled threaders to obtain an aesthetician license, which requires at least 600 hours of classroom instruction--not one hour of which teaches or tests threading--and that can cost over $10,000. But threaders do not need full-blown cosmetology training. The Board's irrational application of Arizona's licensing scheme cuts the bottom rungs off the economic ladder for threaders working in a safe and sanitary occupation.
The Arizona Constitution protects everyone's right to earn an honest living without first having to obtain a completely unnecessary license. That is why a group of five threaders have filed Gutierrez v. Aune, a lawsuit to vindicate their economic liberty, which is the right to earn an honest living free from unreasonable government regulation.
The video:
More from the Arizona Republic -- blasting the law and supporting the IJ lawsuit.
Speaking of... did you get the email from Amazon canceling your associates account that I assume your "Amy's Mall" links use? I forgot I had an account (I'd signed up for one to do similar links a few years ago through my web site, but never really used it) but got emails that they're canceling all CA based ones because of the new law that Davis just signed today requiring the collection of taxes from online sales.
Miguelitosd at June 30, 2011 12:02 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/06/30/protecting_peop_1.html#comment-2315394">comment from MiguelitosdYes, and it would be cancelled as of Sept. 30. Very depressing and idiotic. You've all been great -- it's helped me make ends meet, the money I've gotten from all your Amazon purchases through my links. I looked into incorporating in Vegas, but it seems that isn't a solution. Will see if there is some other solution, unless they're bluffing.
P.S. Our current crappy governor is Jerry Brown, not Davis.
Amy Alkon at June 30, 2011 12:09 AM
This is so ridiculous. How could the state regulators even keep a straight face on this, I don't know.
Suzanne Lucas (Evil HR Lady) at June 30, 2011 1:18 AM
It'll be like the pets thing. Free eyebrow threading with a bottle of expensive shampoo.
NicoleK at June 30, 2011 4:02 AM
This is just as dumb as the flower arranging law in Louisiana. That was finally repealed.
As for the online sales tax -- Ohio has had it for years, but it is self-reporting. All CA is doing is driving more business out of CA.
Jim P. at June 30, 2011 6:06 AM
Do the same requirements apply to Brazilian waxers? Or are some hairs more equal than others?
MarkD at June 30, 2011 7:31 AM
on the first two comments: Amazon has been doing a LOT of threatening lately, not just in California.
ahw at June 30, 2011 7:43 AM
Actually, it's a protection racket.
It protects the proprietors of beauty schools, as they get more students.
It protects the people who felt the need to go to beauty school and can buy a license, as they can now charge more.
And it protects the politicians, as the first two lots of people will think more kindly of the politicians that support the protection racket that gives them competitive advantage. And may even donate money/time to their re-election campaign.
Amazon has been doing a LOT of threatening lately
No, the only threat is that a governmental unit may decide that if you have a blogger with an Amazon affilate account who happens to reside in a given geographical location then it is the same as Amazon being in that location as a business, and thus subject to sales taxes.
I R A Darth Aggie at June 30, 2011 7:52 AM
It's not just blogger affiliates, though. They're closing distribution centers in TX because the comptroller tried to make them collect sales taxes here. At the same time they're dangling the golden carrot of MORE distribution centers if they're exempt from collecting the taxes.
ahw at June 30, 2011 8:11 AM
At the same time they're dangling the golden carrot of MORE distribution centers if they're exempt from collecting the taxes.
That's what businesses do. They're looking for that sweetheart deal.
If a given state isn't content with the jobs created by a distribution center along with the secondary and tertiary jobs required to support that center, another state will cheerfully forego the sales tax receipts and host that distribution center.
I R A Darth Aggie at June 30, 2011 8:52 AM
Arizona Board of Cosmetology... has on it's board and chairman... you guessed it, people who run cosmatology schools. It's a clear case of conflict of interest... but then it was the last time IJ sued them in '07 too. Some things just never change.
SwissArmyD at June 30, 2011 10:54 AM
Only governments can use force legally. Amazon, you are free to use or not. One thing Ayn Rand brillantly explained in detail.
Dave B at June 30, 2011 11:37 AM
When I buy something from Amazon, or most anyone else for that matter, they tack on the Washington state sales tax. I'm failing to see what Amazon's problem is with collecting tax for California.
Steve Daniels at June 30, 2011 11:49 AM
P.S. Our current crappy governor is Jerry Brown, not Davis.
Heh.. yeah, that's what I get for posting when I should've been in bed and when all the idiot politicians in CA have blended together in my brain.
Miguelitosd at June 30, 2011 12:28 PM
Is this that crazy String Theory I've been hearing so much about?
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at June 30, 2011 4:29 PM
Interesting story. I thread my own brows, and I've taught others. I learned to groom my own brows after all the horrible things my mom let people do to hers.
Ppen at June 30, 2011 10:35 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/06/30/protecting_peop_1.html#comment-2318075">comment from PpenI trust you learned to do it without forcing yourself to take $10,000 of cosmetology lessons!
Amy Alkon at June 30, 2011 10:43 PM
This isn't even the only outrageously stupid regulation that Arizona has. The Arizona Board of Homeopathy gets $100,000 a year from the state to operate, and any doctor wanting to practice homeopathic medicine has to do 300 hours of coursework with at least 40 hours in a course on homeopathy. Of course, homeopathic remedies really shouldn't be sold at all, but that's another matter entirely...
There's also an Arizona Board of Acupuncturists. They get around $130,000 a year from the state. Anyone that wants to be certified through them has to do 1850 hours of training, including 800 hours of clinic. There are also a boatload of fees to be certified to practice acupuncture.
There's also a board of massage therapy. Anyone wanting to do massages for pay needs to complete 700 hours of coursework and pay $200 to the board. I'm not sure how much they get from the state.
There's also an AZ board of funeral directors, barbers, pest control, and a good dozen more that I can't even figure out what they're for. Despite the outrageous fees charged, none of them give back more than they take in. This is not a unique or uncommon problem at all. It's rampant, and while $100,000 may seem like a small amount in the big scope of things, little costs add up very very quickly.
Sarah at July 1, 2011 1:09 AM
Also, forcing people to take hundreds or thousands of hours of classes in something doesn't guarantee that they learn what you're trying to get them to teach. A person also doesn't necessarily need to have taken the courses to know the material. And it most definitely doesn't guarantee a job in this lousy market. So, it's basically torturing people and fining them crazy amounts for pretty much no reason except to line the pockets of the people running these boards.
The whole thing is pretty stupid all around.
Sarah at July 1, 2011 2:50 AM
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