Time has come to end excessive regulations

In 2008, the Marine Patrol Deputy proposed a Bonner County ordinance designed to regulate certain houseboats. I opposed the regulation because it addresses a problem that doesn’t exist, it raises jurisdictional issues and, in my opinion, the nearly 200 pages, of existing boating laws, are already excessive.

Keep in mind that existing law allows enforcement officers to stop and board any vessel, any time, without any probable cause. Boaters have already given up enough freedom!

Fortunately, we were able to whittle down, the proposed two-page bureaucratic houseboat regulation, into a 1/2-page, straightforward law but the regulation is still unnecessary.

Nevertheless, the proposal was presented to the commissioners on Feb. 23 but Commissioner Joe Young was absent and Commissioner Cornel Rasor refused to cast the vote needed to pass the ordinance. As a result, the proposal was tabled until the commissioners meet on March 2.

Each year, Congress passes about 4,000 laws and state and local governments pass thousands more. Each one requires taxpayer dollars to enforce and many erode individual freedoms. Commissioner Rasor understands this. I wish every elected official did.

If we are ever going to stem the tide of excessive regulations, this would have been a good place to start. Unfortunately, the unnecessary law will probably pass when Commissioner Young returns and we will all lose another modicum of our cherished freedom.

LOU GOODNESS

Sagle