How to really run a city—and be nonpartisan

Mayor David Holt: “So, this was actually an issue that I worked on in the state senate. And I don’t even remember if we mentioned that, but I served in state senate for eight years. I then went to the state senate and I worked on occupational licensing. This was one of those interesting issues where we were able to find a lot of common ground across the ideological spectrum. Where, Republicans were drawn to it from an idea that it seems like it’s sort-of freedom, you shouldn’t have to ask the government for permission to make money. And I think Democrats are particulary attracted to it because it is kind of egalitarian. It’s repressive and usually benefits people who have come from priviledged backgrounds. That you have to have a license for every darn thing. So, I worked on it. A young lady I give credit to—Shoshana Weissmann—who works at the R Street Institute in Washington had found me on Twitter. And this is one of her passions. And so she pinged me when I became mayor through the years about this topic. And at one point I said, ‘why don’t you, Shoshana, look at our occupational licenses at the city level?’ And, so, she did. And then I tasked staff with breaking it down as well. And we decided we could repeal, ultimately, I think it was 85 percent of them, and nobody would be any worse off.”