> Is it really illegal for a 14 year old to make money mowing lawns in the US without paying taxes or establishing a business?

Certainly.

> this is just handled by gov't looking the other way.

Also true.

> I can support the laws that banned using children to climb into hard to reach areas in coal mines without supporting onerous restrictions on mowing lawns.

But the question is, do you support blanket bans on child labor? You clearly support workplace safety legislation, but that's completely irrelevant here. The question is about bans on child labor.

blanket bans on child labor? there is not a blanket ban on child labor. Also while everyone needs to pay taxes there is no need to establish a business in the US. However, setting up a business increases the owners legal protections so it's a good idea.

In specific cases children as young as 2 can work think TV / movies. The limit on child labor has to do with the numbers of hours worked and the type of work being done. And this depends on state and local laws.

If you read up on child labor it's surprisingly flexible and is primary designed to promote children going to school, limit the numbers of hours worked, and avoid dangerous situations.

PS: http://www.stopchildlabor.org/USchildlabor/fact1.htm A few highlights at the federal level:

There are 17 Hazardous Orders pertaining to all industries (other than agriculture) that forbid children under age 18 from doing any of the following jobs.

9. Mining, other than coal mining.

So you can still mine coal.

Minimum Age for Non-hazardous Work

A child of age 10 or 11 may work as a hand-harvest laborer for no more than 8 weeks in a year. For older children "In agriculture, the only restriction on hours of employment is that children cannot work during school hours."

"There are no work hours limitations for 16- and 17-year-olds." 14 year olds "cannot work more than 3 hours on a school day or more than 18 hours in a school week, or more than 8 hours on a non-school day or more than 40 hours in a non-school week."

So depending on how dangerous your mowing business was and how many hours a week your worked there was probably nothing wrong. You would have also needed to be making over minimum wage but this is reduced to 4.25 "for your first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment with an employer."

I definitely do not support a blanket ban on child labor. But I do support a different standard for workplace safety where it comes to children, so I don't think the question is irrelevant.

As always, there are unintended consequences. A great article in the Mercury News called "paid by the piece" demonstrates how sub-contracting circuit board assembly clearly has led to a circumvention of child labor laws. And of course, much of our dirty industry is now handled by children overseas. For instance, small children spend as much as a day sorting through junkyards in Cambodia in order to afford just enough food to stay malnourished. The alternative, of course, is starvation.