"competition would diminish our revenues" Yeah, if your company SUCKS. That's called the free market

“I didn’t write the law, I’m just supporting it because it benefits me and keeps me from having to work harder at my trade”

"President of the Kentucky Movers Association. He has his own moving business." There can't possibly be a conflict of interest...

"Would it be beneficial to the consumer to have fifteen companies in that area?" - Yes! Yes, it would!

If the gentlemen's Moving Services were not in demand he would not have needed to buy 6 trucks and hire 30 employees. Case closed!

If there’s only 5 moving companies in town and they know there won’t be another competitor they’ll team up to raise their prices and lower their quality of service. This is bad law.

"I didn't make the law, I'm just abiding by it." He said with the biggest shit eating grin he could muster.

They shut down your last small businesses last year and now they stop you from starting a new one that could potentially compete

"Consumers go for the cheapest price john" Sounds like they think people are too stupid and need daddy government to help them.

Literally just listen to the pro-competition and anti-competition guys speak. Their delivery speaks volumes. The pro-comp guy sounds enthusiastic and genuine, the anti-comp guy barely blinks and talks like he's reading off a script. What a disgrace.

Considering John Stossel's track record/tenure/seniority in journalism (I'm 50... been watching him for decades now)...and the fact that he still is denied serious air time... Sure hope folks wake up to the wool that has been pulled over their eyes. Thank you John. Lifetime viewer.

Update: Wild cat moving company won the case in 2014. The company still exist as of 2021

I looked it up and they won their lawsuit in 2014; federal judge overruled the state’s law. Great job guys!

If there's 15 moving companies in your town then eventually people will figure out which few are the best and the others will go out of business, that's how things work!

No competition? I’d be screwed all my life. All through my business years, upstarts in my business have given me a run for my money.. I had to either improve or die..Free market competition is essential to the health of business and the gain for the consumer… good interview, John

Had to do this in Texas about 40 years ago when we wanted to haul plastic feed stock outside the Houston commercial zone. Went before a Texas Railroad Commission hearing, it was more informal than we expected, to had one carrier protest against us because they thought we wanted to haul animal feedstock. My wife explained the difference between plastic and food, the objection was withdrawn. We received our certificate.

"He has his own moving business." Right there, I detected a conflict of interest!

"We're not against new companies moving into Kentucky..." John: "YES YOU ARE"....this is journalism...not that garbage that CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, and the rest claim to do. Get'em John! I know it's old but I love the video!

Well congratulations, RJ’s moving company is now going to get ALL the business because we’re just as pissed hearing about this ridiculous law.

I'm sure there are worse injustices out there, but this is pretty insane.

"I'm not the one who set the law" No but you are taking advantage of it and commiting market genocide.

"I'm not the one that set the law. I'm just abiding by the law.". Classic statist excuse 👍

Thank you John Stossel, I find your reporter demeanor comforting and your content of quality. Filling a seemingly ever-widening void these days.

John, Loved your work for years. Thanks for asking the tough questions no one will anymore. You are the last of the real investigative journalists.

“What ever happened to, ‘I have an apple would you like to buy it?’ ,’Yes I would!’ That should be how hard it is to open a business in America!” -Ron Swanson

"I didn't write the laws. I just follow them." Said every tyrant lackey ever

Most ppl like this guy want to keep competition out cause most times the new guys are going to pick up where the older companies dropped the ball, and do it better for less.

Thank you for no midroll adds, no one watches them anyway, no gain there. I let opening and closing adds run. *I hope others will do the same and help support this channel.*

Who ever passed that law needs to be in jail for corruption.

"Consumers go for the cheapest price John. And as it happens that new guy is cheaper and better than us John. People need protection John. WE need protection John...."

I'm a lawyer. I paid a lot for school, and to study for and pass the bar exam (3 of them), and to take the test, and for continuing education courses every year, and other stuff. In the United States of America--in a FREE country--some dude should be able to wake up on a Tuesday morning and say "OK, today I'm a lawyer." And hang a shingle and start taking on clients. He shouldn't be able to say he went to law school (if he didn't), or that he passed the bar exam (if he didn't), or that he has years of experience (if he doesn't). But it's his right to decide to be a lawyer.

Excellent Reporting.... Keep after them ... Never see any reporting like this on CNN MSNBC ABC PBS CBS I wonder why?

Sketchy Moving owner uses the Nuremberg defense "I didn't create the rules, I'm just following orders".

Never stop making these

The old moving companies are the shady companies. Try to get them to move your stuff and get it there by the time allotted in the contract. You will quickly find out the law is on their side and they only have to do what they want.

The more companies there are, the more innovations you have, and the better it is for the consumer .

"I didn't write the law, I'm just abiding by the law". Well as Harry Callahan said, "Then the law's crazy". Couldn't have said it better.

"The customers do not know what is best, but we know what is best for us." -Established Moving Company (probably)

My competition keeps me on my toes and shows my clients I'm the best. I welcome competition !

Thanks for reviving this! Look no further than the state health department and medical association for similar shenanigans.

"When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing - When you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors - When you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you - When you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice - You may know that your society is doomed." - Atlas Shrugged

I would have thought this was an onion story ten years ago.

This is very real. In PA, my cousin was denied a license in the moving business. No conflict of interest or invitation for graft there ... Much

Stossel has been the goat reporter since 1989!!!

I was talking to my niece earlier this evening about competition and regulation and businesses using the government as a tool. While I was talking to her, she's 11, her 7 year old brother pops his head up from a game of Roblox and says "it doesn't really sound like a free country" Maybe he'll be the next Stossel

In my experience, many of the old established moving companies are horrible. We need protection from them if anything.

This happened in Canada. The Sun News Network to get the coveted “must be provided in the Cable News Package” by the cable companies was denied because the competition had a say. The major networks were allowed to say no to new competition.

Did anyone else scream, "Bullllllllshittttttt." When the guy said, 'We don't want businesses to go bankrupt....'

Government at all levels is out of control. It's time to reign in the government, not free enterprise.

My kids will grow up understanding, Stossel was the hero we needed and he alone inspired MANY other intelligent investigative journalists. Thank you, Stossel, my family loves and appreciates what you do.

I wish they had that law for photographers out here in los angeles 😂 i could go from charging $500 to charging $1200

''If I can't freely Fleece customers due to competition, I lose money''

"You're not allowed to start a company because a company in our industry might go bankrupt. It could be you or even worse, me! Believe me, I'm just protecting you from failing at your business by banning your business in the first place."

Wow. That’s actually insane. I’m happy that the pacific legal foundation took on their case for free. Tim Sandefur was really well spoken, and convincing. Hopefully they can do something about this.

They want you out because you do their job more effectively and people like your service more.

“Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.” William Pitt the Younger

We need an update eventually on how this all turns out, this is so unbelievable.

"These laws are all outrageous, and they all ought to go." Yep that sums it up for me.

From Kentucky give’em hell Stossell

I have used Wildcat Moving 5 times over the last few years for various moves. They are prompt, efficient, and very professional. That is the reason why the others were against the company. They knew he was providing what the didn't (or didn't want to).

This is infuriating. And Ryan Flota knows they're doing others dirty and it shows, that slimy git. Also thank God there are people like Tim Sandefur for understanding the situation and taking the fight. And of course, Stossel. Thanks so much for these amazing pieces of journalism.

That little weasel trying to stop competition reminds me of the kid that goes crying to his parents to make the other team let him win when the other kid's team is beating his...

I was arrested for smuggling books into Kentucky. The charges were dropped because the State couldn't prove they were books 😂

I love the ardent, concise, and articulate summation at the end. Well said,sir. Well said.

"Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else." - Frédéric Bastiat

This is absolutely insane. Never knew this existed in the US.

John, I hired an interstate moving company who quoted one price based upon square footage. when they got to the house, suddenly it was 1000 sq ft more ($4000). they charged extra for boxing and materials. I received a box with 6 unopened 6 packs of strapping tape. Maybe an expose on the scalawags of the moving industry. Very common according to my admittedly limited research. They would not open the doors of the truck until I paid balance in cash in full, presumably because I would see that the truck wasn't full. I can prove that based upon the size of the truck, it did not contain the increased amount, but too late.

Love the ending statement of the lawyer.

“I’m not the one who set the law, I’m just abiding by the law.” What an absolute clown. He probably wears 2 masks.

Nothing exudes stupidity like our Government.

Laws that are unconstitutional should not only be challenged in court, but the creators of them should be prosecuted, and should pay penalties of fines and/or jail time (if found guilty, of course).

Best way to stay in business is to provide the best service ! Not to stop competition!

I would say they aren't even trying to hide anything but I actually think they genuinely do not understand how stupid it is lol

Kids can’t even operate a lemonade stand now without a license. I started my gum empire in middle school buying in bulk and selling to the other students and I think someone ratted me out and had a school box full of gum. I was sent to the vice principals office and he gave me a Saturday detention. The reason why he told me was it was taking away from the cafeteria revenue. My parents never disciplined me for it which they did often when I was wrong.

This outrageous practice was standard in the health care field. The permission was given or not given by the Department of Health. I live in Pennsylvania and wanted to start a surgical center to lower costs and improve access and quality for cataract and other ophthalmic surgeries. Basically, the local hospital made patients wait up to 3 month to get scheduled for elective surgery. The hospital also refused to buy equipment to perform the standard of care, and charged 40% higher than neighboring hospitals". The process went through the "Department of Needs Assessment" at the Pa Dept of Health in Harrisburg, and to top it off, this department was only open for business 3 daiys monthly which meant that each step of the process - requesting an application, being submitting the required financial information and documents on patient costs and quality - each process took about a month to accomplish. After that it was required that my intent to open a center be published in the public notice section of the newspaper for an additional 3 months and then the hospital was able to arm themselves with attorneys and fight me at the Department of Health hearings. The Dept. of Health allowed for testimony, then response and then reply (I believe there were 2 responses and replies separated by about 6 wks. The whole process took over a year, and it by no means was a sure thing (politics plays a significant role). Thankfully, I got my center.

Excellent John👍👍

Communism is about asking permission. Capitalism is about making money not asking permission to do so.

PERFECT! I’d like to see a household goods certificate to prove these government officials are needed. Let’s see if they are “ NEEDED” in the market. I’m betting they are not.

I was going to get robbed by a moving company with hidden up charges after loading my stuff, but the head mover recognized my recently deceased dads truck at the destination, and told me that he wasn’t going to do it. Moving companies can be shady. Reviews can be faked.

John is a true hero.

Everyone wants to live at the expense of the state. They forget that the state wants to live at the expense of everyone. -Frédéric Bastiat

Reminds me of when New York tried to force Uber to wait 30 minutes before responding to a call so that it would be "fair" for the taxi services that were being lazy.

Stossel is at it again! Well done!!

The bigger problem is that they own the judges that’ll rule in favor of where the money is, so they’ll most likely lose this case!

" customers go for the cheapest price " and that right there is why they dont want new moving companies scared they will offer better service at a cheaper price.

The history of Two Men and a Truck is enlightening on this subject. I'm glad the woman and her son went up against the machine.

I live in the South, this doesn't surprise me one little bit. The open air corruption down here is ridiculous.

God Bless you and your team, stay strong.

I love you John Stossel. You are one of the few humans I trust.

Ryan Flota has a conflict of interest, and his reasoning is 100% BS. "I didn't make the law, I'm just abiding by the law." The justification of every tyrant. I don't hire the lowest price, if I think they'll do a terrible job. 'Buy once, cry once' is the philosophy I live by.

Thank You Stossel!

Add custodian to your resume Stossle, out here cleaning up America AGAIN 👏

Imagine it being early 1920's when there were only a few automobiles and new gas stations were denied opening because isn't two stations per town enough.

You need to show the date on these "Classic" videos. Lots of people are obviously under the impression that this is a current story. (BTW..the movers won their court case in 2014)

This is the equivalent of going to the Don asking for permission to do business on his "turf." Guess RJ and the others will have to wait until the day of his daughter's wedding.

Goes against everything this country is supposed to stand for.

That moving company guy is hilarious. His face looks like he is gonna break out laughing at any minute and say """hahaha naw I am full of shit here":...

“These laws are outrageous and they all ought to go.” Beautiful Music to my ears, that is uplifting. Agree with that on so many foolish laws in America.

Sometimes being the only competitors in the market makes it tougher to find ways to improve and lesser vendors to partner with in future. Also, keeping it to a small handful limits the options available to consumers because their needs are ever-changing and vary in preferences and necessity.

Excellent article, John.