Free Republic

Conspiracies to stifle competition never work very well or for long in the absence of government power. Besides, such conspiracies are illegal under the federal antitrust laws. Therefore, special interest groups desiring to minimize or eliminate competition usually look for ways of using government regulation for their purposes. It is not only far more effective, but also largely immune for antitrust attack. A case the Supreme Court will hear in October, North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners v. FTC perfectly illustrates the way this nasty little game is played. Among the many cosmetic services Americans enjoy is teeth whitening....

With her children grown, Trisha Eck thought it would be fun to go from being a stay-at-home mom to a small entrepreneur—so she rented a room at a medical spa, where she started her own business, Tooth Fairies Teeth Whitening. She purchased equipment and supplies from a vendor she met at a trade show, including non-prescription strength teeth whitening gels. Customers could purchase her products as a take home kit or apply them to their own teeth while visiting the spa. Since she’s not a dentist, Eck says she never performed the treatments on customers but was there to offer...

Facial hair and teeth-whitening will be getting unusually prominent attention from the Supreme Court. The court agreed Monday to hear two cases during its next term that involve matters of personal hygiene in vastly different settings. In one case, the court will to decide whether an Arkansas prison inmate must be allowed to grow a short beard in accordance with his religious beliefs. The justices will hear an appeal from inmate Gregory Holt, who says his Muslim beliefs require him to grow a beard. …

Back-to-school checklist: Whiter teeth & tattoos NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Shopping for back-to-school "basics" used to mean T-shirts, jeans, socks and some notebooks. This year, parents added a few other things with one item that really stands out: tattoos. About 45% of parents polled say that hair highlights, teeth whitening, even tattoos are among the items they will buy their kids to go back to school, according to a new American Express Spending & Saving Tracker survey. The survey tracks parents' school-related spending intentions. Haircuts led the list of services that mom and dad are treating junior to before the...