How the Government Fights Against Energy Independence

#2. Sunset clauses are in desparate need for every law passed by CONgress. The # of laws grows every year, soon even breathing without a license will be cause for a fine, and then a jail term. (well into the future perhaps, but sooner or later?)

The problem is, if we introduced some blanket rule, such as "Any law more than 10 years old automatically expires unless explicitly reauthorized or exempted int eh text of the law", congress would either write an exemption into every law, or else have blanket extension votes every 10 years.

The real problem is that we legislate on matters we shouldn't. If we didn't have laws creating the TVA or granting low interest loans to power companies, we would not need to sunset them.

But, until we have a limit to the scope of government, I agree that sunset laws are the best solution we can hope for. As long as we craft them carefully to allow some minimal criminal codes to persist and to prevent blanket renewal of all laws, they may actually do what we hope.

Then again, we could just reign in the power of the state, limit it to a few essential functions, and not have to worry about sunset clauses.

Either is fine with me, though I like the latter much more.

complete agreement on the scope of power. enough is enough, and enough is too much.

I had a feeling you might agree.