HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

Sea Captain Tries to Torpedo Unconstitutional Monopoly

Views:1005
@IJvids

http://www.ij.org/donate

Captain Matthew Hight thought he would earn a living navigating cargo carriers on the Great Lakes. Instead, an unholy alliance of a federal bureaucracy and a legalized monopoly suddenly rendered him a castaway. Now he’s setting sail with the Institute for Justice to get his job back and ensure that no one else has their livelihood taken away because the government has delegated lawmaking power to a self-interested private organization.

Captain Hight sailed the world’s oceans for over twenty years, for eight of them as a ship’s captain. But all that time at sea takes its toll. Many American captains come back to the United States and work as a pilot in one of our many ports and waterways. Captain Hight tried to do just that for one of the most challenging waterways—the St. Lawrence Seaway. It connects the American and Canadian ports of the Great Lakes with the rest of the world. Captain Hight applied to train with the St. Lawrence Seaway Pilots’ Association, was accepted, and then worked in its training program for over two years.

He did well in the program, piloting ships on Lake Ontario (where trainee pilots are allowed to work). After two years, the association was about to recommend him to the U.S. Coast Guard (the federal agency that regulates Great Lakes pilots). But after a disagreement with the association president, the association suddenly informed the Coast Guard that they recommended against granting Captain Hight a license. The Coast Guard deferred to the association and suddenly he found himself marooned with no license, no job, and no way to go back to work.

The association provided the Coast Guard a couple flimsy reasons why it was not granting Captain Hight its blessing. The first was that Captain Hight used profanity on a job. That’s right, he was charged with swearing like a sailor. The second was that he failed to report a minor accident; an accident he didn’t cause and at first didn’t even know about.
The retaliation was possible because the Coast Guard has delegated its authority to the association, giving it an absolute veto over who can become a pilot. There is no other path to becoming a pilot on the St. Lawrence and Lake Ontario other than through the association’s training program. Captain Hight appealed to the Coast Guard to follow its own written rules and regulations (which do not require association approval), but it denied his appeal. He’s now taking his case to federal court in an effort to get back to work and end this unconstitutional system for anyone else who wants to travel in his wake.

http://www.ij.org
Donate to IJ: https://ij.org/support/give-now/

ij
,
institute for justice
,
freedom
,
liberty
,
individual rights
,
constitution
,
constitutional law
,
unconstitutional law
,
con law
,
constitutional litigation
    Thumbnail for Security Guards Assault Innocent Vet at the VA—and Claim Immunity21:51
    Security Guards Assault Innocent Vet at the VA—and Claim Immunity
    IJvids
    860 views
    Thumbnail for Donut Unto Others4:00
    Donut Unto Others
    homestarrunner_unofficial
    771 views
    Thumbnail for Jew-owned fake news CNN vs. facts2:40
    Jew-owned fake news CNN vs. facts
    AOU
    1559 views
    Thumbnail for wagging tails to go to school1:01
    wagging tails to go to school
    bestofupgoat
    435 views
    Thumbnail for Mr. Mastodon Farm | Cake - Topic5:28
    Mr. Mastodon Farm | Cake - Topic
    invidious
    80 views
    Thumbnail for Monster Truck Robbery Chaos at the Park - Kids Adventure Cartoons1:00
    Monster Truck Robbery Chaos at the Park - Kids Adventure Cartoons
    invidious
    338 views
    Thumbnail for Doctor Doom’s Intervention | Solid jj1:48
    Doctor Doom’s Intervention | Solid jj
    invidious
    346 views
    Thumbnail for SUPER PACs: Occupy the Courts, Colbert & the Fight for Free Speech2:59
    SUPER PACs: Occupy the Courts, Colbert & the Fight for Free Speech
    IJvids
    873 views
    Thumbnail for Why Arsenal and Liverpool Care Less About Possession Now | #premierleague #arsenal | The Athletic FC0:58
    Why Arsenal and Liverpool Care Less About Possession Now | #premierleague #arsenal | The Athletic FC
    invidious
    146 views
    Thumbnail for Egg Salad from Futurama | Binging with Babish13:01
    Egg Salad from Futurama | Binging with Babish
    invidious
    109 views
    Thumbnail for TWO Unexpected Things | Chess Simp8:10
    TWO Unexpected Things | Chess Simp
    invidious
    252 views
    Thumbnail for We Built an ENTIRE GYM from CONCRETE! | Buff Dudes13:11
    We Built an ENTIRE GYM from CONCRETE! | Buff Dudes
    invidious
    418 views
    Thumbnail for Love > Pain0:46
    Love > Pain
    bestofupgoat
    182 views
    Thumbnail for Bret Easton Ellis on ‘American Psycho’, Hollywood Hypocrisy, and the Excesses of #MeToo1:10:05
    Bret Easton Ellis on ‘American Psycho’, Hollywood Hypocrisy, and the Excesses of #MeToo
    ReasonVids
    924 views
    Thumbnail for Stossel: Tour Guides Under Attack4:45
    Stossel: Tour Guides Under Attack
    ReasonVids
    911 views
    Thumbnail for Remy: If You Like Your Plan You Can Keep It (The Rap)1:49
    Remy: If You Like Your Plan You Can Keep It (The Rap)
    ReasonVids
    993 views
    Thumbnail for This Has Gone Too Far! | Dr. Eric Berg DC7:26
    This Has Gone Too Far! | Dr. Eric Berg DC
    invidious
    106 views
    Thumbnail for Detained for 19 Days: Immigration Checkpoint Refusal Gone Wrong9:47
    Detained for 19 Days: Immigration Checkpoint Refusal Gone Wrong
    ReasonVids
    997 views
    Thumbnail for Former FEC Chairman Brad Smith on Camapaign-Finance Reform--and why John McCain Won't Shake His Hand.2:15
    Former FEC Chairman Brad Smith on Camapaign-Finance Reform--and why John McCain Won't Shake His Hand.
    ReasonVids
    1023 views
    Thumbnail for sandy cheeks the jungle book | matt knezz4:57
    sandy cheeks the jungle book | matt knezz
    mattkne
    66 views
    Thumbnail for It’s Actually Women Who Feel Entitled to Men | Grunt Speak32:08
    It’s Actually Women Who Feel Entitled to Men | Grunt Speak
    Terrence Popp
    653 views
    Thumbnail for Gov’t Official Brought Defamation Lawsuit, BACKFIRED0:59
    Gov’t Official Brought Defamation Lawsuit, BACKFIRED
    IJvids
    841 views
    Thumbnail for What We Saw at FreedomFest 20112:20
    What We Saw at FreedomFest 2011
    ReasonVids
    864 views
    Thumbnail for Sakurai plays minecraft | Joelybean0:15
    Sakurai plays minecraft | Joelybean
    invidious
    183 views
    Thumbnail for Denver Just Decriminalized Magic Mushrooms. Activists Say This is Just the Beginning.7:29
    Denver Just Decriminalized Magic Mushrooms. Activists Say This is Just the Beginning.
    ReasonVids
    945 views

points

Permalink
Reply
ij
,
institute for justice
,
freedom
,
liberty
,
individual rights
,
constitution
,
constitutional law
,
unconstitutional law
,
con law
,
constitutional litigation
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle