There Ought To Be A Law!

There Ought To Be A Law! was Originally Posted on February 20, 2009 by

Sometimes you wonder if the rest of the world has gone mad!

I am for reasonable regulations like traffic lights and paying a fair share of taxes, but some taxes and regulations are beyond my comprehension. Take school taxes. I don’t have children, so why do I have to pay for school taxes? Proponents say that everyone should pay because we want our children to be literate, that it is good for the community. Humbug! I say if you have children, you pay for their education. Families with children already get a better deal than singles, tax breaks, the ability to get the trash taken out without the parents having to move off the couch, and so on. Why if I had kids, this farm would have been finished years ago.

Regulations that we stop at stop lights is important to save lives. However, forcing people to wear seat belts is not. If a driver wants to risk his life, so be it. Why do we have to control every part of a person’s life? I personally wear a seat belt, but it seems to me that forcing people to wear one is wrong. A seat belt doen not put others at risk, just the driver.

Smoking. I know, I used to smoke but stopped. They have passed bans so people can’t smoke in restaurants. Stupid. If a restaurant wants to offer smoking, they should be able to do it. Patrons and workers beware and agree to the rule of smoking. If you are a waiter or worker who does not smoke, don’t work there if you are concerned with second-hand smoke. Speaking of second-hand smoke, I still say it has not been proven. It seems obvious to be a hzard but not as big as opponents state. When you looked at the numbers closely, you saw that yes, people exposed to second-hand smoke had higher rates of cancer, but by a very small and relatively insignificant amount. Everyone quoted the same report, which is said to be flawed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGoZ-b1OaW4

I work in a complex where most of the units are owner occupied. They can smoke in those units becaus eit is their home. Yet the unit next door may be a timeshare unit, and smoking is prohibited becaus eit is considered a rental unit!

I mention the above because the state of Hawaii is trying or has passed a “No Smoking on the Beach” law that is pushed for public health and safety. http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2009/02/02/daily18.html?surround=lfn yet the small amount of cigarette smoke pale in comparison to the VOG created by the Big Islands volaco. http://www.kitv.com/news/16270262/detail.html the massive amounts of smoke, particulates and sulpher dioxide generated recently makes Los Angeles smog look like a clear day. So is this ban really necessary, at least here in Hawaii? We don’t even smog-test our vehicles because that emission pales in comparison to the volcano. Come on!

In Georgia I wanted to buy a house. Many of the communities had covenants that precluded you from having things like satellite dishes. many years ago we fought and won being able to have radio antennas for Ham Radio operators, because we performed community services in emergencies. Still, many communities restrict you from having an antenna for TV. Years ago that was pushed by the cable companies that they could hide those unsightly dishes and antennas for an underground wire. I personally don’t see any problem with small or big dishes. They certainly look better than some of those car I see up on blocks in driveways.

Also here in Hawaii, yet not restricted to this state, there are laws saying you cannot have a clothesline in your yard! A CLOSELINE! because it looks bad. http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2009/02/16/daily47.html?ana=e_du_pub You know, isn’t this a bit much?

I keep hearing people jump up and down in glee when the politicians talk about giving you a TAX CREDIT. A tax credit is nothing more than giving you a small amount of money back that they took from you up front What would be better for you is for them to reduce your taxes, not give you a credit. The politicians are afraid to cut your taxes because they can’t get them back on the book again. It is easier to bribe you a bit after the fact, then to let you have te money up front and they have to plead with you to get it.

It works the same with rebates. You bought a computer directly from a company, then get some of the money back later. You fill out the forms only to find that you didn’t dot every I or cross every T and have to fight to get the rebate. Why could they not just drop the price up front? One reason is that most people forget to submit the rebate and others get denied just for the fun of it. There have been reports of rebate forms just being thrown in the trash. http://consumerist.com/consumer/fry.s/1300-unopened-rebate-applications-found-in-dumpster-297016.php

To review, I DO feel some laws are rules are necessary, but I have a problem when we allow them to be put into place without our review or approval. Not all rules and regulations are meant to protect us. Take the anti-telemarketing law that keeps callers from harassing us. The only exception is public surveys, politicians, charities, and any business with which you have an existing relationship (I.E you have purchased products or services from them).

We are being over-regulated and some of it is just plain wrong.