the government has the memory of a goldfish.

i just heard on the radio today that the government of Maryland is considering charging EZPass users a $1.50 monthly fee, whether they use the pass or not.

what???

i don’t have an EZPass, i don’t even live in Maryland, and i avoid toll roads at all costs (pardon the approximate pun), but i still think this is outrageous. one of the reasons the gov likes an EZPass system so much is that it reduces the cost of collecting tolls. so what they’re saying is, “hey, yeah, i know we all encouraged you to sign up for this to save us money and increase usability of our toll roads, but now we’re going to punish you for that privilege. cos all that money we saved? er, we kinda blew it.”

in brainless government news a little closer to (my) home, the VA state House passed, and the VA state Senate has sent back, a law banning cell-phone use while driving unless a hands-free device is used.

ahem. what???

clearly, the twits either are illiterate or simply don’t remember reading the numerous studies that show it is not HOLDING the phone that causes distraction, it is the CONVERSATION on the phone. i am at just as much risk HOLDING (not talking on) a cell phone as i am holding a bacon cheeseburger. if they really want to save people from distracted drivers, they need to ban ALL use of cell phones, hand-held or hands-free.

but all this is a moot point anyway, in my opinion, because we already have laws to punish distracted drivers. they’re laws against reckless driving, and they encompass pretty much anything an officer thinks you’re doing behind the wheel that would endanger yourself or others, and the punishments are wide-ranging, depending on how serious the court finds your infraction.

it’s almost enough to make a girl a libertarian.