You Make the LAW (speed limit, guns, taxes...

In My Humble Opinion
1

Hey just for fun. What if you could make the law? What would it be for these different items below?

Speed Limit
Highway - 85 to 100 mph considering road conditions
freeway - 75
School zones, residential - the same as they are now.
Front License plates - no more!
Exibition of acceleration - you could burn rubber if you wanted too as long as it was safe place to do so.

Guns- Pre 1994 law but if you are caught doing a public shooting, you will be executed by what ever whatever method the victim’s families decide for you.

Taxes - a flat tax really would like to go to a libertarian type govt( man - can you imagine having all your income tax money as your own.)

Drugs - Pot just a traffic ticket all other drugs users do mandatory live in rehab(if convicted & first bust not on record) not prison.

Litigation - Loser pays (did you expect me to say anything else :smiley: )

Well there are mine what about yours?

2

Well, this should make a bit of a contrast:

Traffic / speed limits as they are now.
Drugs / legalisation of cannabis, sold via approved outlets only, taxed at a similar level as cigarettes.
Licensing / 24-hours licensing laws after consultation between relevant local authorities and residents. Possible slight increase in taxation to recoup increased NHS costs.
Crime & punishment / more severe penalties for driving offences, particularly drunk driving and high levels of speeding (perhaps using the Finnish system, where fines are judged on a sliding scale looking at the offender’s income and the speed they were doing). No publicly-accessible register of convicted paedophiles, although information to be available to the relevant authorities.
Gun control / no automatic or semi-automatic weapons available legally. Sporting firearms and “work-related” firearms (e.g. shotguns for farmers) to be tightly controlled. Long waiting period for background checks. Severe penalties for unlicensed ownership (after an amnesty).

3

I take it we’re talking ideal (not pragmatic) situations. In that case:

Traffic: outlaw all private automobiles. Make public transit ubiquitous. Allow delivery vehicles and taxis, but create city centers with pedestrians only (similar to the grand plazas of most European cities).

High-speed trains along both coasts, with a third line between the Twin Cities and New Orleans or something, and an ultra-high-speed “vacuum train” between New York and Los Angeles (something i read about years ago. It’d take about half an hour to make the trip, and the project would be feasible using modern technology).

In time, more of these ultra-train lines could be built (say, Los Angeles-Seattle and NYC-Atlanta).

Gun control and Drugs: what mattk said :wink:

Healthcare: universal, single payer system

Taxes: would almost certainly have to be higher to pay for all this, but the elimination of the interstate road system would take a good chunk out.

Like i said, this is ideal circumstances. I don’t forsee most of these happening in the near future, if ever.

4

Speed Limit
Any non-city/residential/school/construction zone: Unlimited (if your dumb enough to drive to fast for the road conditions, you deserve to crash the car)
City/residential.school/construction zone: 30 MPH

Drugs: All illegal except for alcohol and pot (I don’t use the stuff, but it’s harmless enough in my opinion)

Guns: Any gun that is too extreme for hunting purposes (excluding handguns) should be illegal for non-military use. Handguns are okay as is for defense of someone’s house (granted, they are the biggest problem in schools, but I get to that later)

Violence in schools: Severe penalties. If anyone is killed, life in prison, unless they are too young, then prohibit the parents from owning any gun for the rest of their lives, and child must attend saftey and training courses before being allowed to own a gun.

Drunk driving: Instant suspension of license for life. No exceptions. If anyone is killed, life in prison.

Taxes: They are neccesary, and richer people should pay a little more, but not as much more as they do now.

5

Speed limit: eliminate speed limit. Charge people under reckless endangerment laws if in fact they are (tailgating, threatening pedestrians/workers, swerving, and otherwise not in control of vehicle).

Drugs: legal for adults, however forfeiting all rights to medical treatment due to results of drug use, severe penalties for any endangerment of others while using the drugs. (similar to bouv’s drunk driving sentencing)
Severe sentencing for sale to children.

Litigation: Loser pays is a bit simplistic. There should be a threshold to deter casual litigation where you are in the right, but the penalty to the “loser” far exceeds any harm they may have caused you. Tricky cases in the middle are what generally start making laws complex. :slight_smile:

I favour a more libertarian system with, in general, laws that focus on intervening when harm to others actually occurs, rather then trying to intervene before the fact, or in a blanket fashion, and severely restricting rights as a result.

6

Um, don’t we already make the laws? And in regards to the OP’s “guns” law, what happens if you shoot your last remaining family member? Do you get to choose your own death?

::thinks he would choose death by Elizabeth Hurley::

7

I don’t mean to sound nasty, bouv, and I know this is just an opinions thread, but…

1 / Re: the speed limit – what about the other drivers and pedestrians killed by the bad drivers?

2 / Re: guns in schools – you’d let someone who’d killed a person with a gun own one later in life? And they wouldn’t even serve any kind of juvenile detention?

Like I said, I don’t mean to get nasty (I’m sure someone could pick holes in my ideas) but I was curious about those two.

8

Taxes: Sliding scale of income tax from 10% to 90% rising in 1% increments. Abolition of VAT. All personal income to be taxed on the same basis, whatever its origin (earnings, dividends, interest). Self-employed to be taxed on the same basis as employees.

Traffic: Ban private cars in city centres, except for designated through-routes and essential users (e.g. orange badge holders). Reduce speed limit to 20 m.p.h. in residential streets. Allow police and local authorities to keep the revenue from traffic fines. Mandatory ban of one week for first driving offence, two weeks for second, etc. Remove all fixed-rate taxes on motoring (e.g. tax disc) and load the cost onto fuel. Shoot the People’s Fuel Lobby (joke).

Farming: Farmers required to sign statement as follows as a condition of receiving any more subsidy: “I am most grateful to the taxpayers of this country for subsidising my unecononmic business.”

Licensing: Removal of all restrictions for pubs in non-residential areas (e.g. city centres, rural areas) and for pubs in residential areas which (a) do not have a juke box; (b) have not changed their name in the last fifty years and © serve something other then nitro-keg beer.

Guns: The immediate and urgent legalisation of all guns, of whatever kind, as an essential measure to drastically reduce crime and prevent the country sliding further into totalitarian dictatorship (joke).

9

Traffic: On limited-access roads, keep right except to pass. Ditto for multilane non-limited-access roads, except when a driver’s getting over to make a left turn. Enforce the crap out of this, and worry about highway speed limits a lot less. (Why? Reduces complexity of traffic situations. Less complexity of decision-making at highway speeds --> fewer accidents.)

Taxes: First $10K of income for each wage-earner is free from all income and payroll taxes - Federal, state, local, Social Security, Medicare, whatever. (Make up SocSec/Medicare shortfalls out of general revenues.) $3K annual tax credit for each dependent child/senior. Tax rate of 50% over $1M, 60% over $5M, 70% over $25M/yr.

Campaign Finance: Each broadcast licensee should be required to sign the following in order to get its license renewed: “I agree that during the last 60 days before any Presidential, Congressional, or gubernatorial election within my broadcast radius, I will freely make broadcast time available to candidates for office according to the rules determined by the Federal Election Commission. A broadcast license is, for all practical purposes, a license to make money, and if I can’t make enough money to pay the bills in 42 months out of every 48, then I’m too stupid to deserve a broadcast license.”

10

speed limit: All speed limits should be re-evaluated, with a goal of increasing most by 20% to 30%.

taxes: Flat tax of 10%. Furthermore, federal tax money should only be used to support the (federal) duties and responsibilities that are explicitly enumerated in the Constitution.

guns: A human being has a natural, inalienable right to protect him/herself. A human being also has a natural, inalienable right to protect their other inalienable rights (freedom of speech, etc.). Therefore, a human being has the inalienable right to keep and bear weapons. This right pre-dates government, and thus does not depend on government for its existence. The government, therefore, should have virtually no power when it comes to guns and/or gun control. Of course, from a practical viewpoint, a person does not need to be better armed than the best-armed military personnel. But it does imply that a person (such as myself) has the right to keep and bear an M-16, for example.

11

On other laws: If it’s so badly written or so complicated that a person without a law degree can’t understand it (or so that those with law degrees argue for months on end about what it means); then it isn’t a law.

12

Just thought I’d throw this one in for good measure.

POLITICS- In the event of a presidential election, SOMEBODY will be elected. :rolleyes:

13

Taxes: Consumption tax, all the way. Exempt food, services, and used goods. Anyone who’s ever been self-employed or had to pay an outrageous inheritance tax will agree. we could pull the IRS up by its roots and salt the ground.

Seatbelts: If you’re under 18, you HAVE to wear one. Otherwise, it’s your choice- but if you get killed or maimed in an accident, you (or your estate) can’t sue for damages.

14

Speed limits: Freeway: 85 except far left lane (no limit)
70mph minimum speed, STRICTLY enforced. Those signs that now read “slower drivers keep right” would be changed to “Slower Drivers SPEED THE HELL UP!”
Taxes: No income/property/death taxes (state or federal)
Only a 10% sales tax on ALL purchased items. The 10% would be distributed as 1% to the municipality item was purchased, 2% to the county, 3% to the state, and 4% to Unca Sam. The best way to insure freedom is to keep the guvment as poor as possible!

Drugs: All liquor, pot, and other minor drugs legal. No bar
closing times or restrictions on when stores can sell dope or booze.
Crime: Most felonies (even first time offenders & children)
punsished by death. All exuecutions are public and televised. Also, parents are responsible for their childrens behavior, and suffer the same fate as them.

Guns: MANDATORY! ALL adult citizens must be armed and
trained with the most effective weapons available, and may freely carry them openly or concealed ANY where. There will be no problems with criminals having guns because criminals will be dead, remember?

Work: With taxes reduced so much the work week will be
reduced to 16 hours per week after which overtime pay kicks in. Mandatory overtime is a felony, and any boss requiring it may be killed by workers in self defense.

Women: Will be respectful of men and in awe.
Men: Will remember that women will have guns. Be nice. :wink:

15

US-specific

All laws will be written in plain English.

Driving 1: 85th percentile of speed measured on road with temporary “establishing speed limit” signs, with adjustments where appropriate to avoid frequent speed limit fluctuations. Limited access highways – metric equivalent of 60 mph for urban, 70 mph for exurban, 80 mph for rural, 90 mph for middle of nowhere (i.e. I-10 between El Paso and San Antonio). Generally, permit higher speed limits, but STRICTLY enforced.

Driving 2: US highways mainted to same standards as German autobahns. Signage system (ASHTO) completely redesigned to be more uniform and “European,” (i.e. increased use of pictographs, diagrams and maps, decreased use of phrases like “TURN RIGHT” and “STRAIGHT AHEAD”), yet remain distinctly American wth regards to shapes, colors and typefaces.

Guns: Regulated like cars. Must take competency exam to be issued a license, which includes gun safety, ettiquite and a marksmanship test. Guns are registered like cars; you can own as many as you want. A bullet imprint test similar to that used in the Phillipines would be required. Posession of semi-automatic weapons requires insurance and additional tests. Felons disenfranchised from gun ownership.

Drinking: No age limit at home under parental supervision; otherwse, 18 to purchase and consume in public. Retail availability of beer and wine available at any retail outlet; “hard stuff” in liquor stores.

Drugs: 21 to cultivate, purchase and partake in “grown” drugs like marijuana, peyote, and so on. Retail sales in liquor stores. “Manufactured” drugs will still be banned – penalties range from drug rehab (for use and posession) to prison (for large dealers and traffickers).

Elections: National election board regulates local, state and federal elections. Uniform voting methods used scross the country – photo ID voter registration and touch screen voting machines. For Presidential elections, popular vote wins; instant runoff if no candidates receive 50% of vote; all polls close at 11:00 PM EST.

Land use: Comprehensive plans, zoning and subdivision regulations, and enforceable growth management policies required by all local, county and state governments. Pole signs taller than 10m and all billboards prohibited when visible from a Federal Aid highway. National farm and ranch preservation act. Creation of “Buffalo Commons” on Great Plains. Increased grazing fees for use of federal land. Logging okay, but clear cutting is prohibited. Religious institutions and non-profit organizations required to pay “municipal service and impact fee” in lieu of property taxes.

Taxes 1: Sliding gas tax based on proximity to urban areas (since rural residents are more dependant on personal vehicles), to a maximum of $1, with 40% of proceeds spent on upgrading national highways, 30% on Amtrak, and 30% on local public transit systems.

Taxes 2: VAT for corporations. Moderately sliding federal income tax (10% to 30%)with no deductions excepting interest on mortgages and college tuition; otherwise, replace income tax with national sales tax. No capital gains or inheritance tax.

Health care: Uiversal coverage, single payer care system, with $10-$20 deductible for office visits to prevent abuse.

Corporate welfare: Banned, from farmer subsidies to tax breaks offered by local communities in the name of economic development.

Broadcasting: Individuals or corporate entities can own no more than five outlets (TV, radio), with no more than two within one 100 km diameter area. FM band expanded into Channel 6. LPFM broadcasting for educational organizations and community groups permitted. Religious entities not regarded as educational or community broadcasters. US HDTV standard abandoned; European standard adopted. Satellite/terrestrial DAB/DVB system adopted for use in United States.

Schools: Implement voucher system to encourage competition and improve the quality of schools.

Weights and measures: Complete adoption of the metric system. All road signs will change on a specified day. Metric measurements must be more dominant than Imperial measurements on consumer products. (Can’t control measurements when used in the media; it would be cosnidered a restriction on free speech.)

Internet: Spam illegal. All pornographic sites must be located in *.xxx hierarchy.

16

Speaking on a cell phone while driving will get you a month in the hole. As will using your high-beams on the freeway.

If you pull a sneaky move to avoid the line of cars waiting to use the on-ramp, etc. it will be legal for the outraged citizens to pull you from your car and beat the snot out of you.

The only guns allowed will be rifles and shotguns. No sawed-off barrels.

More to come…

17

“All laws, including this one, shall be illegal.”