How Much Taxpayer Money Is Wasted By Grandstanding Politicians On Unconstitutional 'For The Children' Laws?
from the way,-way,-way-too-much dept
For quite some time now, we've been pointing out how ridiculous it is that state after state after state passes "for the children" laws which clearly are unconstitutional. These laws are always thrown out by the courts. It's a total waste of taxpayer money, as the state needs to go to court to defend the law, only to have it thrown out (it's even worse when they go on to appeal). The politicians don't care. They just want to pass the law so they can show voters in their district that they're "protecting the children." Who cares if they're not actually protecting any children and actually really just wasting taxpayer money? The latest state to go through this process is Ohio -- and now reporters are finally starting to ask how much are these bogus laws costing taxpayers to defend in court? It probably won't stop politicians from passing these laws, but it's about time the press started asking this question directly to the politicians.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: for the children, ohio, politicians, unconstitutional
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
#1
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: #1
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Grr
The reporters nationally need to get on this and make a huge deal out of it.
I am sure throughout the whole country it would add up to be a ton.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
How 'bout "MUST PARENT" laws?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: How 'bout
My ills were all under my control so if someone is telling you that the MAN, Goverment, or a race of people is responsibile for your problems get a life
Before we go any further I do remember being taken to the High School bathroom and beaten for getting good grades because it was "acting white" like I said been there done that
there are a few things that will prevent poverty
Dont get pregnant until you finish school
Actually graduate from school
Dont get married until at least age 25
None of these things are controlled by government
Emmanuel O. Crawford SSgt USAF (ret)
Helpdesk Technician GS-9
A+ Net+ MCP
You come too late to tell me it cant be done...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: How 'bout
"Dont get pregnant until you finish school
Actually graduate from school
Dont get married until at least age 25"
Heck, don't get pregnant until you are established! I hardly think that the correct time to have a kid is just after graduating school and before entering a money earning career-path. If you CHOOSE to have a kid, have one when you know you can support it. Americans need to realise that kids are not puppies.
What does marriage have to do with this? How can being married benefit anyone in this day and age, especially when the divorce rate is at an all-time high!
And as for "Think of the children", that should be the thought taken right before sexual intercourse. You want a kid, thats fine - if you dont want a kid, both persons should use birth-control.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
State of Ohio Tobacco Tax .
For one , why don't they go after the Alcohol Distillers whose products cause countless Severe social problems and deaths on American roads , in American homes , etc . I would elaborate if space would allow .
For two , George w. Bush's OIL WAR is costing Billions and Billions of taxpayer dollars , not to mention all the young men who are not dying for our freedom , but for Bush's Agenda , do they all think we are stupid , or is it that as indivduals we no longer have any power as it states in the constitution ?????? He seems to have no problem cutting funding for those programs when they reach his desk .
Jerry L. Howe
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
constitution
shouldn't they be tried for perjury then... when they knowingly contradict the constitution with legislation?
politicians have no f*cking consequences... even when they do f*ck up they get little to no jail time and go back to a private life and a job with one of the companies they "helped out" along the way... i'm sick of it.. if these a**holes screw sh*t up they should suffer real, meaningful conseequences!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
'The Children' being the way we refer to the entire group of children in the US. Your parents should be protecting you, or they should not be having kids.
Our system is broken, we need a governmental overhaul to rid us all of the self serving politicians.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I am so sick of "THINK OF THE CHILDREN!", being the mantra for everything they want to ram down citizens throats. Regardless, of the merits or legitimacy of the program.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
If I am The Man why is everybody always keeping me
1. Do not have children until you are married.
2. If you do get married and have children, stay married.
3. Have a steady job and stay employed. Any job, nothing fancy.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Don't mix the issues!
If we could have a national health care system that at least made sure the next generation of Americans gets a fair start, thats great AND its constitutional.
You can't compare that to a law that says, Person A can't browse the web because under aged person B MIGHT see something inappropriate while trespassing in person A's house... Stuff like that is 100% BS and nothing at all like my 1st example.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
solution
Some idiot politician gets a law passed infringing on a Bill of Rights freedom, the Supreme Court says "no, that restriction is unconstitutional", no more law, somebody sues the pol who sponsored the law for misfeasance or something.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
constitution?
amazing thing is he is prolly the only congressman who would have the cojones to vote against a fer the chillren bill stickly on the constitutionaliy of it. of course he would vote against it even if it were const. because it would be spending tax money.
so lets put him in as president and enjoy the show. Id love to see his nickname switch from Dr. No to Dr. Veto
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Childrens future lost- for their own sake
Overall this problem is rooted in a fundamental break with constitutional law- Equality is for Everyone... not directed towards "Extra protection, help, support" for those we care the most about. What about the people we do not care about... are they not also equal? (old people, disabled people, homeless, or.. hey.. What about men who work their whole lives every day and have it ripped away by laws that do not see the evil of earlier laws?
(The man who is poisoned by his new wife, for example, cannot fight back, his wife so easily teary eyed, why, that man MUST have been poisoning HIMSELF, so there is no evidence! (and now reverse it.. man poisons woman... No problem- he is going to jail.)) (firsthand, yes)
The problem is (in essence) Children Become Adults. Adults do not DARE to sue for equality (much like whites dare not sue of equality comparative to minorities, or men sue for equality comparable to women) because it doesnt pull heart strings. It doesnt FEEL right.
Too bad nobody remembers laws were originally about really onerous injustices of Logic and Equality, not about FEELINGS. Obviously this phenom is just a symptom of the much more dastardly problem.
If we want our childrens future to be designed for them and THEIR children we had best stop FEELING and start THINKING or China, E.U., and Russia will run us over like an egg on the interstate.
All Hail Socialism and all it's feelgood dogma! (NOT!)
A La Genesis:
"I say, now... It's No Fun... Being an American US Citizen"
The freest among us is the illegal alien- able to walk in for free health care, a drivers license, handouts, tax free jobs, ability to sell drugs, injure, drunk drive, use the system.. and never pay a penny. Everything is now the opposite of what it should be- the worker is now just a turd to be flushed (financially) when anyone inconvenienced.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
-to protect us from terrorists
-fight the war on drugs (Drugs are here to stay)
-to support the troops (It displays ignorance when people mix this up with ending the war)
-protect intellectual property (What about current IP law?)
-to guarantee consumer choice (What about free market economy?)
-to protect against monopolies (What about oligopolies functioning as cartels? They have same impact)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
What's this have to do with Technology?
Can we stick to the tech topics that make this site something worth visiting.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: What's this have to do with Technology?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
YOUR COMPLETLY RIGHT
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Blame?
Maybe we should take a look at the people in America that would approve of an unconstitutional law in the first place. They're undoubtedly the same people who would allow their rights to be taken away in the guise of protection from [insert threat here].
Education is the cure.
I'm pretty sure Reality TV is the disease. :)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Another One
Guess what, its to 'protect the children'.
I will bet you any amount of money that the politician suggesting this knows somebody at the head of some sort of drink or snack place that wants to sell in schools (its a huge industry), and that they will mystically be the one chosen to sell there if that law passes.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re; #21 "Blame?"
Some politician, religious figure, celebrity or role model says "We need to do this because ___" and all the sheep out there say "Hey, I like that guy and I like protecting the __ so that must be a great idea!"
This will only stop when people wake up to the fact that we need to think for ourselves. Government is great, we need them to work for us, but NOT to think for us.
The moment someone is able to think *for* you they own you.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]