I might have 600 problems, but a new law won’t fix them

Craig Hall, Publisher
Craig Hall, Publisher

Apparently I’m feeling the need to expand upon my previous thoughts on the ridiculous number of bills presented in the last session of the Colorado Legislature. If you recall, I wrote that in the last legislative session alone, more than 600 bills were introduced. That leads to a few logical questions:

Are there really 600 things wrong in Colorado today? Are there even 600 things wrong in your own life today? And if there are, do you really want the government trying to solve any of these problems, particularly since government is probably the cause of the problems?

Because that’s where we are today. Too many in this nation are under the impression politicians are elected to solve problems. Isn’t that what they run on? Look at the promises. They’ll provide better jobs, cut taxes, make schools better, fix the roads and promise whatever you want to hear if you do one thing: elect them. And then two years later, we go through the same idiocy again even as every one of those problems get worse.

Politicians CAUSE problems. The reason is simple. For every law they pass it does one of three things. The new law is piled on top of a bunch of old laws that were designed to make our lives better but did not, putting bad law on top of bad law. The new law benefits a special constituency, and yes, this includes donors and supporters who have the ear of a politician. And any new law limits the rights of some while giving special rights to others — particularly when it comes to our tax dollars being transferred.

This isn’t a knock on all politicians, because even if one is smart enough to know exactly what I would want them to do, they still have to swim in the cesspool known as the political arena. And while I believe some are trying to do the “best they can,” I don’t elect anyone to do what they think is best. Politicians can’t do what’s best for me in all cases, let alone one case, because every law they pass affects my inalienable rights in some way.

The only vote or statement I want my representatives to make would be to reduce government and its regulatory nature (proving beyond a doubt a previous law was bad law) or to simply vote no to any new laws. This would do two things: reduce government and allow people to do what they believe to be in their best interest. A side benefit would be preventing legislators from doing what they “think is best.” When was the last time a politician who was doing something they thought was best benefited all citizens as it related to any legislation? The simple answer is never, as laws always affect disproportionately. And if they really wanted to reduce government, why does it continue to grow basically unchecked?

Now before all the folks start screaming Craig Hall is calling for anarchy (which happens all the time when I say “it’s none of the government’s business” to legislate that), permit me to put up for consideration the only two laws I want presented at our next legislative session in Denver. I have to credit the esteemed Thomas Sowell as the first is a reworded version of something he proposed years ago when asked what he would do to rein in an unchecked, unquestioned, beyond reproach government.

The first law to be considered is simple: Any law passed that benefits one particular entity must benefit every entity behaving in the same manner in the same way. Therefore, if Colorado passes a law that says anyone buying a certain vehicle (let’s say a natural gas vehicle) gets a huge tax break, then every person or company in Colorado that buys any vehicle gets the exact same tax break. Or if Colorado passes a law that only certain, special businesses operating in the state can run tax free for 10 years, then ALL businesses operating in Colorado should be allowed to operate tax free for 10 years from the day the new law is passed. Now you might say the state cannot operate without tax dollars! I would say you’re getting the point. And perhaps it is time our representatives wrote equal tax laws.

The next law would be even more logical: Any new legislation passed in Colorado that has an effect on previously passed legislation, the previously passed legislation is deemed null and void and will be rescinded the day the new law is put into effect. This would prevent politicians from “fixing” bad laws and would get them back to actually considering the affects new laws have disproportionately to the citizenry. We’re still arguing gun magazine size in Denver as if somehow it is the 10th or 15th bullet where evil lies. The fact is I don’t know how many bullets it could take to kill a deer because I don’t hunt. But I want as many bullets as it takes to stop an intruder in my home. And whether that number is in a magazine, on a belt or in a tank, it’s my inalienable right. I should not be reduced to a muzzle loader to protect my family or property.

Just think of how this would work in Washington. You know, like it did in 1787.