Let's make laws to regulate everything

There was a letter to the editor in the Kansas City Star in reference to Overland Park ordinance PMV-2577.

The proposed ordinance that will go before the council next Monday.  Here is the basic premise behind the law:

People will not be allowed to park a commercial vehicle on their own property more than one time for a total of less than 24 hours every 30 days.  If someone does own such a commercial vehicle, it must be stored in such a way that no more than 10% of the vehicle can be viewed because it is obstructed from view.

When you read through what can be described as a commercial vehicle, this could include a LOT of vehicles that are used in light contruction, moving companies, utility workers driving company vehicles, etc.  For lack of a better explanation, it appears as if Overland Park is trying to put a ban on working class people.

It seems as if every time I turn around, there is a new law popping up trying to ban someone from doing something that one other person finds even mildly annoying: driving commerical vehicles, owning certain breeds of dogs, street performances, smoking in privately owned restaurants, etc.

The more of these types of nanny government laws I see, the more I want to agree with Mark Cubin's theory of government in that he votes for the person he thinks will do the LEAST while in office -- figuring that over the past 200 years of our nation's history, we've made plenty enough laws and that there is little reason to add more.

As a society, I think it's about time we stop asking government to interfere in every part of our lives.  While this law may only affect other people, the next one may be keeping you from driving your company work vehicle home from work at nights.

We don't need to regulate every single element of our lives...let's readdress this issue of freedom, shall we?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Turns out I missed an artilce from yesterday's KC Star.  Apparently, Coral Gables, FL has issued a citation to a man for parking his pickup outside his home. Now the man is lobbying a class-action lawsuite saying that the law is out there not to "ban pickups" but instead "This has to do with a certain class of people they don’t want in the city — people they see as being inferior — the blue-collar guy, the laborer — those people."

Two of the judges in the district court of appeals called the law "frightening". I'd say so. 

Comments

[eric]

I think there is a simpler explanation. It's yet another way for suburbs to discourage working class and low-income people from living there. It sends the message that plumbers, carpenter, construction workers, etc. are not welcome in Overland Park.

It's especially bad when you consider the other policies like that drive up housing costs - such as zoning laws, requiring wood shingle roofs, large lot sizes, etc. It's a way of redlining people based on income.

[Brent]

Oh yeah, that's exactly their goal...and as a society, we've decided that legislating against a relatively small group of people for no reason is ok...and sadly, we even encourage it.

There's no doubt that a lot of the large lot sizes/shingles/etc stuff that happens is to keep lower income people out -- but the vast majority of that type of thing comes from Home Owners Associations -- which can basically get by with ANYTHING -- including excluding sexual predators, felons, etc.

It's just really sad when we as a society will allow/encourage them to do it at a city level.