Simpson Column: Stop trying to control our lives

Virginia is now in a legal battle due to its growing desire to license and control every aspect of our lives. Regulations are out of control in our nation, they end up costing tons of money (much of which the state pockets as hidden taxes). These fees turn up being passed on to you -- the consumer. Most of the time this has nothing to do with safety; it is simply a desire by people who feel that it is the government's role to be involved in every aspect of our lives -- the proverbial nanny-state mentality.

I remember last summer reading about local jurisdictions around the nation wanting lemonade stands run by children to obtain licenses to operate. Not too long ago, Virginia enacted a regulation requiring those who braid hair to be licensed. For goodness sake … braiding and beading hair is something that teenage girls do between classes or during long lectures in high school. What in the world is happening to our once-free nation where entrepreneurship was encouraged rather than stifled?

Virginia apparently has a law that requires those teaching "marketable skills" to obtain a permit. Virginia considers these types of classes to be vocational in nature. If you teach someone how to make drinks, how to use a computer, how to fix cars, or how to groom animals -- no problem. If you teach them how to make a living doing such things then Virginia wants to regulate your business and get paid for overseeing what you intend on teaching.

At the end of last year the regulation authorities started cracking down on yoga instructors who -- heaven forbid -- wanted to not only teach others yoga, but also teach them how to start and run their own yoga businesses.

The fees for getting "official" approval by the Virginia state government start at $2,500 for the application, as well as numerous relicensing fees and hours of valuable time spent filling out tons of paperwork. On top of this, Virginia regulators demand the power to review and approve a businesses curriculum. If someone doesn't submit to these ridiculous Virginia regulations, they could face jail time and thousands of dollars in penalties.

The fact that these courses are bring taught in a studio is no different than someone writing a book about how to teach yoga to others. The government is not allowed to limit free speech by requiring authors to pay licensing fees and be subject to review by the authorities, nor should yoga instructors be required to pay fees and submit their curricula to the authorities to teach individuals one-on-one versus through a book.

Our nation and state is out of control when it comes to regulations. We need to consider the fact that the more road blocks we put in front of businesses and entrepreneurs, the less competitive we become in the world market. It is important to understand that we are not playing a zero-sum game. The ability of businesses to launch and grow without being impeded by unnecessary government regulations, fees and paperwork means that more business revenue is generated and can then be used to create a stronger, growing economy.

We have to put a stop to this now or soon we will all be paying more for services, and have less money to save and less money to spend. Our government and those in power seem to be unaware and/or unconcerned with the fact that China is very soon going to overtake us as the world economic power.

By continuing the endless growth of superfluous over regulation, we are dooming ourselves. Contact your Virginia delegate or senator and let them know how you feel about this.

If anyone is interested in learning more about this issue, The Institute for Justice has filed a lawsuit (Kalish v. Miliken, Dec. 1, 2009) and has more information on their Web site http://www.ij.org/VAyoga

James Simpson lives in Lake Ridge.