Exactly. That's what's behind most business and professional licensing. Raising barriers to entry, quashing potential competition, and limiting potential competitors to those willing to play the game, to go along to get along. Protecting themselves from fierce competitors.
Best ever economics book:
Basic Economics: A Citizen’s Guide to the Economy
Thomas Sowell
so what if the guy’s a pervert, or murderer, or thief? or what if his car turns out to be a piece of junk and breaks? or if the guy’s a bad driver who is more likely to get into an accident? or even licensed? or insured?
We need to contact our local governments. Even local politicians are often corrupt (that’s where corrupt national politicians like Obama come from), but they still want to be reelected. We need to let them know that backing these barriers to entry is bad for voters, and we will resent it.
RIAA and it’s attempts to kill MP3 sharing come to mind.
People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices. It is impossible indeed to prevent such meetings, by any law which either could be executed, or would be consistent with liberty and justice. But though the law cannot hinder people of the same trade from sometimes assembling together, it ought to do nothing to facilitate such assemblies; much less to render them necessary. - Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations
This is a great quote!