It would also be nice if those who oppose licensing suggested credible alternatives.
As your anecdote suggested, licenses are typically implemented for a reason. Quite often those reasons deal with people who are taking advantage of a situation, with little regard to the interests of others or even the legality of their actions. I will admit that licenses can be problematic, but I honestly cannot think of a good alternative so I support licensing as the best option we have available at present.
>It would also be nice if those who oppose licensing suggested credible alternatives.
Credible alternative: don't have licenses. They're not a gift from god. Businesses existed before them and continue to exist without them. Can there be a quality problem? Sure, but consumer protection laws will apply regardless of licenses.
Voluntary licensing schemes seem to work well for the professions that have them.
"Screw you I'm just not getting a license my work stands on it's own without your overpriced seal of approval" provides a nice backstop to rent seeking and other bad behavior by the licensing authority.
So just hoping the unlicensed companies putting out donation boxes without further maintenance don't attract any donations because the lack the license?
As your anecdote suggested, licenses are typically implemented for a reason. Quite often those reasons deal with people who are taking advantage of a situation, with little regard to the interests of others or even the legality of their actions. I will admit that licenses can be problematic, but I honestly cannot think of a good alternative so I support licensing as the best option we have available at present.