#TXLEGE: Regulated Incumbent Industry SPEWS SEWAGE over Liberty and Rule of Law

"Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight."
Proverbs 11:1

"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."
Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations (1776)

We said our piece yesterday about Abbott's move on the plumbers board.  He needs to get sued.  In case that situation weren't sufficiently depressing, however, we made the mistake of attending this morning's victory lap at the Capitol.

Ayn Rand couldn't have scripted it better.

Speakers listed litany of alleged perils to public "health and safety" from plumbing without papers.  Apparently, a dysfunctional state agency is the only thing standing between Texans and exploding water heaters.  Likewise, according to speakers, that same dysfunctional state agency are the only ones qualified to supervise gas lines.

The speakers seemed hyperbolic.

Also, Soviet style signs:

And this nonsense:

Moving forward, their goal is to maintain the plumbing board as a stand alone agency (with a bigger budget, natch).

Regulatory capture much?!?

Bottom Line: There are few things in life more irritating that when people claim to be protecting the public while they're, in reality, protecting themselves....