There is something especially immoral about a government that punishes a person for giving back to their community. Unfortunately, this cruel trend is becoming all too common, as one Tucson resident is now learning firsthand.

Montesdeoca’s only real “crime” was not asking the government for permission.

Stranger than Fiction

When local news spread about a cosmetology student being investigated for giving free haircuts to the homeless, many people expected to find some shocking twist revealed in the fine print. Surely, this student must have done something truly monstrous to warrant an official state investigation.

But instead of the story taking a Sweeney Todd-esque twist, it turned out that Juan Carlos Montesdeoca was just a generous cosmetology student trying to help the less fortunate in his community. His only real “crime” was not asking the government for permission beforehand.

A Noble Deed

Montesdeoca had extra time on his hands after his cosmetology school unexpectedly closed its doors a few months ago. Not wanting to lose the momentum he had built while in school, Montesdeoca decided to continue practicing his trade while also lending a hand to his fellow man.

For the homeless recipients of Montesdeoca’s generosity, this was the first haircut they had received in months. One woman even stressed that she had gone seven months without so much as a trim.

The state went out of its way to penalize Montesdeoca.

Every Sunday, Montesdeoca would visit his friends and offer to wash and cut their hair. This was especially significant to these individuals since even a simple shampooing was enough to help restore some of the dignity they had lost while living on the street.

After being chastised by passersby on a daily basis, many begin to feel disconnected from society. Having this human interaction was as good for morale as it was for their hair. Montesdeoca understood this plight all too well, as he too, had been homeless in the past.

Send in the Goons

Instead of applauding the efforts of Montesdeoca, who had also been experiencing rough times since the closure of his school, the state went out of its way to penalize him. Apparently, protecting the cosmetology industry is more important than promoting human kindness, at least in the eyes of the local government.

When the Arizona Cosmetology Board discovered that Montesdeoca was cutting hair without a license, they immediately put a stop to his “criminal” conduct.

Cosmetology is, unfortunately, just one of the many industries heavily burdened with protectionism in the form of occupational licensing.

Occupational licensing rigs the game against hardworking individuals.

True market competition terrifies established industries that have gotten too comfortable in their specialized fields and now refuse to innovate. The taxi industry’s constant campaign for stricter regulations on the ridesharing market is a perfect example of this.

Unwilling to participate in the market process, these trade cartels spend money pressuring local politicians into passing laws that protect their companies from actually having to compete. In other words: it’s cronyism at its finest.

Occupational licensing rigs the game against hardworking individuals, who, as a result, are the ones who end up paying the highest price.

A Slap in the Face, Not on The Wrist

Since Montesdeoca has not completed his cosmetology training, he does not yet have a license to practice his trade. While he has not received any compensation in exchange for practicing cosmetology without a license, giving free haircuts to the homeless still somehow constitutes a violation of the state’s laws.

The board has now opened up… read more here