A couple of articles

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/29/opinio...inion&_r=3

Quote:IN Minnesota, more classroom time is required to become a cosmetologist than to become a lawyer. Becoming a manicurist takes double the number of hours of instruction as a paramedic. In Louisiana, the only state in the country that requires licenses for florists, monks were until recently forbidden to sell coffins because they were not licensed funeral directors.

These regulations are not just unusual cases of state laws run amok but deliberate policies from one of the fastest growing labor market institutions in the United States: government licensing of jobs. This form of regulation — largely established by state governments and implemented through their licensing boards — is often referred to as “the right to practice.” Under these laws, working in a licensed occupation is illegal without first meeting government standards.

In the 1970s, about 10 percent of individuals who worked had to have licenses, but by 2008, almost 30 percent of the work force needed them.

Given these arguments from both the left and the right, can the growth of occupational regulation be reversed or slowed down? Last week, Representative Eric Cantor, Republican of Virginia, said he would ask governors around the country to take a closer look at licensing practices. And during the 2012-13 legislative sessions, Gov. Terry E. Branstad of Iowa, a Republican, vetoed the licensing of addictive disorder counselors and related occupations. In Indiana, Gov. Mike Pence, a Republican, vetoed the licensing of diabetes counselors and anesthesiologist assistants and dietitians. Both Mr. Branstad and Mr. Pence mentioned that this type of regulation would result in economic losses to consumers, higher prices and less employment.

Bi-partisan talk, but only GOP politicians doing anything about it.

http://reason.com/archives/2014/06/07/fr...-masseuses

Quote:Celeste Kelly, Grace Granatelli, and Stacey Kollman make their living by providing massage services to horses and other animals. For more than a decade, these three women have supported themselves by doing what they love while alleviating the pain of animals and bringing comfort to their owners. But if established veterinarians and bureaucrats in the state of Arizona and Maryland have their way, Kelly, Granatelli, and Kollman will not only be barred from their chosen livelihood, they could face up to $3,500 in fines and six months in jail.

We have become obsessed with credentials in this country. I don't think it will get any better. Credentials are a great way to get rich as the gatekeeper. It's the antithesis of what many of us think of as the American way.

(06-09-2014 11:54 AM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  We have become obsessed with credentials in this country.

This.

And corporate HR departments are just as guilty as government agencies.