Federal Court: Government Doesn’t Need a Reason to Ban Competition

“Could the government prohibit LeBron James from playing professional basketball simply to put more money in the pockets of less talented athletes? Absolutely, said the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, in a surprising — and appalling — decision last week, upholding a nakedly anticompetitive restriction on non-dentist teeth-whiteners in Connecticut. In 2011, the Connecticut Dental Commission issued a ruling that only licensed dentists were permitted to provide certain teeth-whitening procedures. Non-dentist teeth-whiteners were threatened with up to $25,000 in fines and five years in jail per customer.”

http://fee.org/anythingpeaceful/detail/federal-court-rules-naked-government-favoritism-is-constitutional