I was huddled in a Connecticut legislative hearing room on a chilly spring morning three years ago, awaiting my chance to testify about a proposal to over-regulate e-cigarettes. Before e-cigarettes, the committee took testimony on Raised Bill No. 6484, “AN ACT REQUIRING PAPER TOWELS IN PUBLIC RESTROOMS.” I don't know much about the issue, but I imagine that companies which supplied paper towels feared the popularity of products like the energy efficient, tree-saving Dyson Airblade Hand Dryer.
If so, this would be a classic example of “rent-seeking,” an economic term for the act of exploiting the political process to increase one's profits at the expense of society. The next act was a bill to certify advanced dental hygiene practitioners.
Given the high cost of dental care, I thought it made sense to create regulations which would allow trained and certified dental practitioners to do some of the simpler work only dentists are now permitted to provide. The model works well in the medical field, where nurse practitioners and physician assistants provide capable care, freeing up doctors to give higher level care.
Read Full Article »
