Wednesday, October 10, 2007

On the agenda for today...more government regulation

HB 4770, 4771 and 4772 are bills regarding "Interior Designers". This is a classic example of expanded government regulation to protect a small group of individuals or companies, at the expense of the rest of the population. Consumers will only be forced to pay higher prices for interior design services as the "cartel" corners the market. The "Interior Design Freedom" website, http://www.interiordesignfreedom.org/ explains it quite clearly...

"...HB4771 and HB4772, both introduced by Rep. Andy Meisner on May 16th, 2007, outline a restrictive title and practice act for Michigan’s interior design industry. In Michigan, this legislation is championed by the Coalition for Interior Design Registration. Michigan’s interior designers, much like their colleagues in numerous other states, face special-interest lobbying groups pushing for restrictive measures in seeking a monopoly over the practice of interior design." Go to the website above for more specific explanation.

The Detroit News published an excellent op-ed on the subject. http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007710080321 They said this:

"House Bill 4772 would force all interior designers to obtain a license from the government before they could practice interior design, or even call themselves "interior designers." The small group of interior designers pushing the bill (for the third time) seeks to create a cartel. That is, they want to establish government-imposed barriers to entry into the industry to limit competition."

Adam Smith, in that little book he wrote in 1776, "The Wealth of Nations", could not have said it better:

"People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices. … But though the law cannot hinder people of the same trade from sometimes assembling together, it ought to do nothing to facilitate such assemblies; much less to render them necessary."

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Adam Smith had it right.

Hopefully the Michigan Senate will see through this interior design licensing scheme.

Carel and Mary Minjeur said...

Bravo! I'm glad you and some of our republican allies are doing everything possible to "hold the line" on personal taxation. I'm impressed with your "Core Principles" letting the general populus know what actually goes on in sessions and the "whys!" Keep up the good work--a lot of us in Michigan are behind you. We surely do need help (miracle?) to get us out of this terrible state of Michigan's economy. Again, my best wishes and thanks for a good job. God bless.

Mary Minjeur
11325 Brougham Drive
Sterling Heights, MI 48312