In New Jersey and elsewhere, if a person wanted to enter a profession or a field, one has to be licensed by the state or the federal government. If one wanted to get into, for example, the financial services industry or the real estate industry, one has to be licensed by the state. If one wanted to participate in the import/export business, one has to be licensed by the federal government. If one wanted to braid hair,one,in Washington, D.C., has to be licensed by the local government there. It goes on and on, ad infinitum.
Two or three years ago, the state of New Jersey passed a law that required Security Officers to be licensed by the state if individuals wanted to work in that profession. To obtain the license, one had to attend a classroom, pass a test, and pay the amount of $360.00. The license is good for two years, but when you renew it, you have to take the class, pass the test and do everything all over again.
Recently, it had been announced that the New Jersey State Police will be going to every corporation, business and other, to ensure that Security Officers have their licenses in their possession. If it is discovered that the Officer does not have it, he or she is subjected to a $10,000 fine and immediate termination from employment. Most Security Officers make only $9.00 to $10.00 an hour.
There are some who will say that licensing requirements are necessary to ensure that knowledgeable and good men and women know their craft. That belief is false. The purpose of licensing requirements are to ensure that the state and federal government are paid fees, and it is also to ensure that few will enter the profession of their want and choice and benefit from laboring in it. Therefore, licensing requirements are discriminatory, selective and abominable. It prevents individuals to make a living and it is an affront not only to economic liberty but to the American Dream. It is time to tell government to get out of the way and for individuals to fight for the right to be left alone.