The poor in today’s America are getting poorer all the time, relative to the rest of American society.
The reason is government regulation, which keeps poor people from being free to pursue rewarding careers or to otherwise be productive.
Many states require licenses for people to enter even the simplest professions such as barbering, managing a hot dog cart or arranging flowers.
Here is a story about the State of Tennessee, which requires cosmetologists to take 300 hours of government-sanctioned training (at a cost of thousands of dollars) to offer shampoo services.
Those who wash hair without a license face up to six months in prison and a $500 criminal fine, or a $1,000 civil penalty.
