Juan Carlos Montesdeoca gave dozens of free haircuts to the less fortunate, some of whom had not gotten their hair trimmed in over two years.
But thank the lord for the Arizona State Board of Cosmetology, which stepped in after receiving complaints Montesdeoca was practicing without a license.
Apparently in the process of attaining his license, Montesdeoca’s cosmetology school closed down, so he decided to use what he learned to help the less fortunate.
“Out of the kindness of my heart. Out of the memory of my mom, because she lost her hair,” he told Tucson News Now.
According to state statutes, however, “a person shall not perform or attempt to perform cosmetology without a license or practice in any place other than in a licensed salon.”
Because Montesdeoca was cutting hair without a license in his home, he could be suspended by the board and be prevented from receiving future licenses.
So good job, government! Regulation has saved the Tucson homeless population from having nice hair.
Truly a hair raising article. Thanks be to God that we are protected by regulations. Heaven forbid that some could even die from a miss cut head of hair without the approved funeral, casket, vault, burial, and wailers ......
This case is tailor made for the Institute For Justice.
They are always litigating on behalf of people trying to make livings as hair braiders, eyebrow threaders, tour guides, and all sorts of others who run afoul of such nonsense regulations. I think they are a good charity for libertarian donors.
MangoMan wrote:I'm not even sure why cosmetologists need to be licensed, other than to bring in revenue for the state. If you give bad haircuts, you won't have any customers.
It appears from the article there was some type of "license" hundreds of years ago. Maybe the licensing requirement of today is a carryover from the surgeon aspect of the job in years past.
Pug, in the thread title you wrote "cosmotologist" instead of "cosmetologist". I got faked out because I read it as "cosmologist". I thought the thread was going to be about a guy who was cutting hair when he was supposed to be determining the ultimate fate of the universe.
Agree that cutting hair is a really weird thing to regulate. I thought my dad was smart by saving a few bucks on haircuts every month when I was a kid. I now realize that he was deeply involved in criminal activity.
Simonjester wrote:
its illegal, yet you can go to countless stores and buy scissors, hair clippers and hair dye.... why aren't they going after wall-mart for selling products that promote such criminal behavior?
Seems that statutes like this are usually the result of established players (e.g. existing salons) using the government to stifle competition and protect their interests. Because, you know... safety.
In reality, nobody actually cares if someone gets a bad haircut.
