Life, liberty and the pursuit of properly inflated tires

“Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it; and to institute new Government …”
    — Declaration of Independence

If you thought government was created to secure the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, you haven’t been to Carson City lately.

Government, according to some of our lawmakers there, is supposed to take care of us, protect us from ourselves, force others to do our thinking for us, make sure we, their addlebrained children and wards of their state, never ever stub our toes or underinflate our tires.

On Tuesday state legislators agreed to draw up a bill to require auto repair shops, smog stations and oil change businesses to check the air pressure in their customers' tires.

We are not making this up.

"It's good for safety, and it saves gas and reduces air pollution," ratiocinated nanny state Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas.

Of course, they have only begun to legislate. They can’t possibly stop there. They’ll have to set the price for checking the tire pressure. Wouldn’t want those people to be profiteering. Then they’ll have to legislate that drivers can’t refuse to have their tires checked or decline to have their tires inflated.

And penalties for noncompliance? Misdemeanor. Felony. Fine or imprisonment. Confiscation of vehicle. Denver boot.

What about overinflation? That would constitute reckless (wreckful) endangerment.

These are the same know-better-than-we lawmakers who are requiring the power company to buy renewable power no matter what the cost or efficacy, no matter the impact on our electric bills.

Schneider said Tuesday about this and electric cars and such, "We don't need to expose our children to more air pollution."

But we will require them to pay the cost, because they can't be allowed to make such decisions.