Comments on: Professional Licensing: A First-Person Perspective

By: Eric D. Dixon

Eric D. Dixon — Wed, 27 May 2009 20:25:54 +0000

Hey, if you actually attended the book club, you’d get burritos more often.

By: David Stokes

David Stokes — Wed, 27 May 2009 20:23:46 +0000

Also the book club burritos – we can’t leave them out. We wanted to work here for the book club burritos…

By: Eric D. Dixon

Eric D. Dixon — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:48:08 +0000

Joseph, we comment when we have something to add to the discussion. We’re paid to work here, but we’re not paid to hold any opinions but our own. We each pursued employment with the Show-Me Institute because its mission is compatible with our own intellectual interests.

By: Joseph Gnatek

Joseph Gnatek — Wed, 27 May 2009 04:59:25 +0000

I love how all of you paid employees of the ‘Show-me Institute’ comment on each others postings. Awfully lonely in your paid opinions, eh crew?

By: Mike S.

Mike S. — Fri, 22 May 2009 13:54:20 +0000

I think ensuring that the meters are calibrated correctly is important. It would be basically impossible for a passenger to know if a meter was shaving a percent or two off every mile.

As for cab company preference – I’m an Arlington (VA) Blue Top man.

By: David Stokes

David Stokes — Fri, 22 May 2009 03:38:18 +0000

In the same writings where he stated it was logical for taxi cabs to have to register with the local government, Friedman cited numerous other examples where things such as the “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval” could play exactly the role of the government. So he obviously agreed with that for things; but specifically cited the government for taxi cabs.

The police power of the state to deal with public safety is something that one should be very hesitant to contract out. The foremost responsibility for your own safety lies with yourself, but after that when you are in trouble do you want the cops or a private security guard to arrive? Over and above the fact that that when you are in trouble you are probably happy if anyone arrives…

By: Eric D. Dixon

Eric D. Dixon — Thu, 21 May 2009 22:57:00 +0000

Milton Friedman’s son David would probably point out that although it’s beneficial for taxicabs to be registered with a trustworthy organization, there’s no reason to presume that this organization should be the government rather than a private organization with a solid reputation for its impartial judgments of quality levels.

By: David Stokes

David Stokes — Thu, 21 May 2009 21:54:33 +0000

Great post, Josh. I hope it doesn’t get you into any trouble.

I want to note that taxi cabs are one of the occupations that Milton Friedman actually cited as being a worthy candidate for licensing, although he put it into the level of “registration”, which is far less cumbersome than the full-blown “licensure” he cited for other examples and which taxis in St. Louis (and most other cities) are subject to now.

Friedman cited safety, and I think you could add greatly increased conveneience, as a reason why taxis should be required to register with the local government and have some type of easily identifiable number on them. Specifically, that people waving for taxis would make attractive robbery targets, and having easily noticable taxis with visiable numbers could address that. Along those lines, I don’t have a problem with enforcing insurance and mechanical inspection requirements. The many other things the MTC regulates, like driver dress codes, price regulation, limitations on who can work the airport, and more, are unnecessary and harmful.

Final note, with all it many drawbacks, the MTC is still better than the system it replaced where both the city and county separately licensed all the cabs. At least now cabs can readily work both St. Louis city and county.