Under pressure

For more than two years, lawmakers have declared the state's bludgeoned economy and plunging tax revenues are their sole political focus. We've been assured peripheral policy issues can't crack the 2011 agenda, not when Nevada has the nation's highest unemployment rate, most troubled housing market and bleakest prospects for recovery.

But the urge to save us from ourselves is simply too powerful for some politicians to resist. For people such as state Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas, there is never a bad time for more feel-good regulation -- no matter the consequence, no matter the cost. So Sen. Schneider is ready to commit the state's limited resources to -- get this -- mandate tire-pressure checks on vehicles.

"It's good for safety, and it saves gas and reduces air pollution," Sen. Schneider said during a Tuesday meeting of the Subcommittee on the Production and Use of Energy. The panel voted to draft a bill that requires auto repair and emission inspection businesses to check that customers' tires are inflated to the proper pressure.

"People never think of it," Sen. Schneider said, even though plenty of people obviously do. Otherwise, convenience stores and gas stations wouldn't bother putting air pumps -- some of which charge a few coins -- on their premises.

Yes, underinflated tires do reduce fuel efficiency and hinder a vehicle's handling. So do clogged fuel injectors and air filters and worn out shocks and brakes. These issues also require a driver's attention, and frequently aren't addressed until a car winds up in the shop -- where most mechanics check your tire pressure as a courtesy.

To be sure, this new mandate will impose costs -- on both small businesses and consumers.

How many state employees will be required to verify that shops are carrying out the mandate? And what happens if a customer doesn't want his tires inflated to a manufacturer's specifications? Will someone who prefers driving with tires at 1 or 2 psi higher or lower be allowed to refuse the service and leave? Will all shops be required to have both regular and nitrogen air pumps to accommodate motorists who inflate their tires with the latter?

And why stop here? Why not mandate full vehicle inspections every year so Sen. Schneider and his ilk can be confident that we're safe?

"The service station people can come in (at the 2011 session) and say what it would cost and if it is a burden," Sen. Schneider said.

In other words, Sen. Schneider has no idea what the unintended consequences of this silly mandate might be.

Sen. Schneider needs to take off his nanny skirt and leave us alone. We don't need a law to tell us to check our tire pressure. The 2011 Legislature shouldn't waste one minute on this overreach. How many times does it need to be said? Nevada businesses and consumers need relief, not more regulation.