The Power of the Purse

The early 1970's was a time of great change for the US, it's Economy and government. Vietnam was winding down, Nixon functioaries were perpetrating the Watergate scandal, and OPEC reacted to US support for Israel with the oil embargo.

In a desperate attempt to protect our economy from ourselves the OPEC embargo of the early 70's led to the Federal government enacting the National Maximum Speed Law of 55mph. Aside from inspiring Sammy Hagar's "I can't Drive 55" (most excellent tune I must say!) the NMSL was an exercise in big government Nanny State futility.

Since the Feds lacked any ability to enact or enforce the limit on the ground these roles fell to the various state and local governments since they already had the mechanisms in place.

Now why, you might ask, would state and local governments cooperate with this Federal overreach? Well see there is always a simple matter of money. Our money. Money taken in taxes, to be redistributed to the states for highway repair and maintenance. States which failed to comply would not receive their share of said funds, and of course, no state or local politician wants to prematurely terminate their career prospects by forsaking the Federal golden goose.

So for a little over 20 years, we were blackmailed into having an unrealistically low speed limit, for the sole purpose of reducing fuel consumption as a result of our dependency on outside entities which did not have our best interests at heart. Blackmailed with our own money, enacting laws which everyone ignored, which failed to achieve their objective of reducing fuel consumption.

Fast forward to 2011.

"NTSB members say the action is necessary to combat a growing threat posed by distracted drivers. While distracted driving has been a problem "since the Model T," in the words of NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman, authorities say it has become ubiquitous with the explosion in the number of portable smart phones. At any given daylight moment, some 13.5 million drivers are on hand-held phones, according to a study released last week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration." http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/13/us/ntsb-cell-phone-ban/index.html

While it is surely not a matter of national crisis like the OPEC oil embargo, it is guaranteed to tug at the heartstrings of many. It could rise to the level of ferocity we see in the various gun control organizations. In spite of Accident rates declining over the last 10 years, in spite of fatality rates declining over the same period, this Federal agency is beating the drum of the nanny state (no, we are not capable of taking care of ourselves, we need the help of some nameless faceless bureaucrat in DC).

In the same manner as with how the NMSL was enacted and enforced, the Federal government lacks the means to enact and enforce on the local level, yet they do still have the power of the purse, and local politicians are still inspired to keep their political careers alive with the support of the Federal Golden Goose.

I doubt there will be an attempt to enact legislation or regulation to effect this matter until after the 2012 election, but you can bet it is one of many oppressive and unmanageable tyrannical steps waiting for us should Barak Obama successfully coerce enough of the American electorate to support him in 2012.