Comments on: From Fuel Injectors to Badger Fur

By: Capt Mike

Capt Mike — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:45:59 +0000

Jeez, Skip,
When didja get the time to TYPE all that??

By: S.M. Oliva

S.M. Oliva — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:13:29 +0000

Generally if the FTC can’t regulate something it’s because some other agency has jurisdiction. The FTC generally can’t regulate the legal profession. They tried to once — by relabeling law offices as “financial institutions,” but the courts said no to that.

Labor unions generally fall outside FTC jurisdiction — but again, there the National Labor Relations Board has authority.

By: r

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 23:53:33 +0000

e.g. a replica of an “i like ike” button

By: J. Murray

J. Murray — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 23:00:38 +0000

Here you go:

Does that help?

By: Jordan

Jordan — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:59:29 +0000

Can we get a list of things the FTC doesn’t specifically regulate? Seriously, I’m curious.

By: Geodoughty

Geodoughty — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:42:58 +0000

They’re just gangsters. Nothing more.

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:27:21 +0000

Perfect example. I’m on a meetup group for haunted house enthusiasts, and every October we go to all the local haunted attractions. Since we’re part of a large group we often get to arrange behind-the-scene tours of the attractions given by the owners / operators.

Anyway, one of the ones we went to this year was new, and the owner was detailing for us everything he had to go through to get the place set up. First he had to convince the city council that having a haunted house wasn’t “degrading” the neighborhood and presenting a “bad image” of the town. He barely won that vote. A freaking town council vote on whether he would be allowed to open a private business!

Then he detailed the endless headaches with the fire marshall about what voltage the lights could be, how the wires had to be secured, how many exits there had to be and facing which directions, etc. etc. Finally, the icing on the cake, was that the town required him to have a health and safety professional on the scene during all hours of operation. The fire marshall was MORE THAN HAPPY to offer his services in this capacity (in his “off time”), and charged the owner $50 per hour to stand there and drink coffee all night. It was literally a shake-down! A legal shake-down! The bureacrat in charge of code compliance also moonlights as part of that enforcement. If I hadn’t been sold on libertarianism already, that would have done it.

By: jeffrey A.

jeffrey A. — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 21:56:18 +0000

imitational numismatic items are fake coins/currency.

not sure about what an imitation political item might be. maybe a replica George Washington wig.

By: Tony Fernandez

Tony Fernandez — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 21:26:59 +0000

“Imitation political or numismatic items.”

WTH is that?

By: Jake from AR

Jake from AR — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:44:21 +0000

You trying to help them, J?

By: J. Murray

J. Murray — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:29:14 +0000

“Business opportunities.”

I would not be surprised if the FTC eliminated every single item on that list but that one and would still keep every single power it has today by calling everything a “business opportunity”. That way, they could claim to deregulate and still keep the status quo.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:11:20 +0000

A fantastic example of job creation without wealth, perhaps even job creation via wealth destruction. I’ve seen a lot of local regulators stretching to justify their positions, since it’s becoming obvious that they can’t make themselves indispensable, but this takes the cake and eats it too.

Any estimate on how many people (lawyers, lobbyists, and, as was detailed this week on NPR, port inspectors who cut apart shoes for tariff assessments) the FTC hires or contracts for services?

Is there an FTC-affiliated training course to discern between the kolinsky (Siberian weasel)fibers used to make paintbrushes and pahmi hairs? Or between blue visacha yarn and navy chinchilla? A train-the-trainer course?