I’m curious to hear about laws that you think should be repealed, and why. All of us, whatever our politics, can probably agree that some laws are just bothersome (at best) or destructive (at worst).
A lot of people will probably think of the PATRIOT Act or No Child Left Behind - which is fine, and feel free to expound on those if you want to. But I’m more interested in smaller, less well known laws. What are those laws that prevent you from doing your job most effectively, or disincentivize you from starting a business, or are just pointless, time-consuming, and demoralizing? What little, well-intentioned laws have the most deleterious effects? Or any of the above?
I’ll just throw gasoline on this fire by starting off with removing marijuana from the Schedule 1 list.
Oh, lesser known laws? Oregon’s kicker check. Every year they tax us out the wazoo, only to give us back any surplus towards the end of the year. Why do that? Just keep the surplus and take less taxes from me next year. Taxes are a big deal here, and there’s always so much handwringing and gnashing of teeth about “teh children!”
The Registered Sex Offender list has to be ct down to the worst 10% or so- no dudes that were caught urinating in an alley or whatever. Just serious dangerous pedophiles & rapists.
I was going to mention these as well. It was such bullshit that I couldn’t buy beer until 1:00 on Sundays when I was living in Florida, even though I’m not Christian. Laws that restrict abortion access should be repealed as well.
Can someone fight my ignorance? I see on the Wikipedia page that this has to do with fighting organized crime, but I’m not clear about the ways it’s backfired or how it works in practice.
I’d like to repeal many of the big laws, some of which I’ve bashed in other threads, so in this thread I’ll keep with the spirit of what Rodgers is asking for.
First of all, away with the law that says all children who are driven to school by school employees must be driven in a large, yellow bus. The problem with this is that it holds even when the bus only picks up two or three kids, yet the bus seats 40 or more. It’s a huge waste of gas and taxpayer money and produces unnecessary emissions of carbon dioxide. Just let the same driver pick up the kids in a car already. Sheesh.
And also, enough with community bans on drying clothes outside. There’s nothing wrong with drying clothes outside. If you think it looks cheap, tough. I say it gives a neighborhood character. It also reduces electricity use. The dryer consumes the second highest amount of energy is an ordinary home, and it could be eliminated entirely if we’d just let people dry their clothes outside.
And while we’re at it, let’s allow open-air fires in urban and suburban environments. Of course it’s okay to require them to be in proper fire pits and have other common-sense regulations, but fires are good. Some food tastes better cooked over an open fire. And it would reduce energy consumption by letting people use their ovens less. And it’s just plain fun.
Also, I want to repeal meaningless consumer safety regulations, such as bans on steel scissors, kids’ pajamas made from cotton, thin eyeglasses, and so forth.
Because it’s written so broadly that it has been misapplied to things that have anything to do with organized crime (e.g., Major League Baseball for trying to move the Expos to Washington).
Laws like Prop 13 (we just got one like it in Florida) and rent control laws in New York, while well intended, end up putting a burden on newcomers. This spirals into unintended consequences, such as driving up real estate prices by giving incentives to people not to move.
Also agree with Alphaboi that anti-gay marriage laws are stupid.
I’ll tack on morality laws like those banning prostitution, marijuana, certain sexual acts, etc. Would keep laws protecting minors, though, I would also lower the drinking age back to 18.
The alternative tax law should go for sure.
One part of it is a tax you pay on stock profits you don’t have yet. When you do sell the stock, if you don’t make a profit you don’t get the tax back you paid. You do get a loss carry forward in the amount of loss but that is nowhere near what you paid since it isn’t a tax credit but just reduces your taxable income. That’s what I understood my CPA to say anyway.
I agree that RICO has strayed from the original intent, but it’s brought so many people to “justice” that constantly got away. It may bear a reworking but especially when working with low level types like con artists, those types can’t be stopped really without it. Oh sure they get a slap on the wrist without it but that is about it. So a re-structure of the law, rather than dropping it would be better. I think RICO should be applied to others than organized crime, because the traditional “mob” has been broken down and replaced by much smaller gang banger and such type organizations
I also agree we need a legal age for alcohol that is consistant. If we leave it at 21, then let’s move voting age and draft registration back up to 21. (Remember men have to register with selective service even though there is no draft)
For something really obscure, the current prohibition against class action lawsuits being brought by legal aid programs funded by Legal Services Corporation should be repealed. I’m encouraged that the prohibition on those programs seeking attorney fees in appropriate cases is in the process of being lifted.
The ERISA law, or at least the way it’s been held to pre-empt all state regulation of employee based benefits plans, such a health and disability insurance.
I agree with the drinking/selling alcohol laws. When you’re 18, you’re old enough to:
elect the leader of the Free World™
Die for the freedom of your country
Get married without parental consent
But get hammered? No way!! WTF?? I mean, I’m 48, I can get hammered any time I want, but this ‘21’ drinking age is bullshit!
Gay marriage
Just because I am heterosexual and chose to marry a person of the opposite sex, that does not make my sister and her partner of almost 30 years less of a couple than my husband and I are, and saying otherwise is bullshit.
Marijuana
I can see arguments against stronger drugs being illegal. If IV Dilaudid was legal, I’m afraid I’d have a huge freakin’ monkey on my back. But pot? Seriously? Really? Why is it worse than knocking back a few shots of 151? It’s not. But we spend a lot of tax dollars prosecuting people for dealing/possessing pot?? Srsly? Really??
Uh, no.
-Any and all laws banning gay marriage have got to go. “Separate but equal” didn’t work in the fifties, what makes anyone think it’ll work now?
-No restrictions of any kind on abortion. No waiting periods, no required parental consent, nothing. If I’ve already made the decision, I don’t need another 24 hours to “think about it.”
-Marijuana should be legalized. It does little more harm than alcohol (and in fact I’m willing to bet that alcohol is MORE hazardous to your health).
And a local one:
-Cars should be able to park on my street overnight. The street is 32 feet wide, for chrissakes, who, exactly, is it hurting? I’d maybe understand if it was for the benefit of night plows, but…no one plows at night!