BrianGarst.com

That paper money in your wallet only has “value” because people accept it and says it does. It has no intrinsic worth, nor backing by anything that does. So what happens to that value when governments, such as the state of Louisiana, start telling you that cash cannot be used in certain situations?

…House bill 195 basically says those who buy and sell second hand goods cannot use cash to make those transactions, and it flew so far under the radar most businesses don’t even know about it.

“We’re gonna lose a lot of business,” says Danny Guidry, who owns the Pioneer Trading Post in Lafayette. He deals in buying and selling unique second hand items.

…The law states those who buy or sell second hand goods are prohibited from using cash. State representative Rickey Hardy co-authored the bill.

Hardy says, “they give a check or a cashiers money order, or electronic one of those three mechanisms is used.”

Hardy says the bill is targeted at criminals who steal anything from copper to televisions, and sell them for a quick buck. Having a paper trail will make it easier for law enforcement.

My what a pernicious argument. What is “easy for law enforcement” ought not be the guiding principle of government policy. It would be incredibly easy for law enforcement if they shoved tracking devices up our rectums, but that doesn’t make it a good policy. The needs of law enforcement must be balanced with the freedoms of law abiding citizens, and LA has utterly failed in this task. Consider the scope of this law:

Besides non-profit resellers like Goodwill, and garage sales, the language of the bill encompasses stores like the Pioneer Trading Post and flea markets.

Lawyer Thad Ackel Jr. feels the passage of this bill begins a slippery slope for economic freedom in the state.

“The government is placing a significant restriction on individuals transacting in their own private property,” says Ackel.

Overgovernment, at its worst.

Overgovernment