Look!! I'm doing something (stupid)

More often than not when there is something that concerns voters legislators will pass a law just so it will look like they are doing something. The law usually does nothing that will cure the problem the voters are concerned about and just ends up making life difficult for them and costing money.

On the federal level we have the Homeland "Security" Department and the Patriot Act which are responsible for very little security and lots of inconvenience and loss of liberty for Americans.

In Oregon, like much of the US, there is a methamphetamine epidemic. The politicians of the state recognized that it had to look like they were doing something. So of course they did something really stupid.
Gov. signs new Ore. law requiring prescriptions for cold meds

Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed a new law Tuesday morning in Portland that makes Oregon the first state in the nation to require a doctor's prescription for all cold and allergy medicines that contain pseudoephedrine -- the key ingredient in the illicit manufacture of the highly-addictive street drug methamphetamine.

Kulongoski, a strong supporter of the measure, held a ceremonial bill signing at the offices of the Oregon Partnership -- a group that works to combat substance abuse. A second ceremonial signing was slated in the afternoon in Eugene.

Where to begin? I'll start with the upside, it was a bi-partisan effort. Republican and Democratic politicians can be stupid together. This measure will do little to stop the meth epidemic; it is estimated that less than 20% of the methamphetamine is home grown. Oregon had already joined other states in making you show ID to purchase medicines that contain pseudoephedrine and limiting the amount you could buy. An inconvenience perhaps but not unreasonable. Now you will have to have a doctors perscription meaning it will be necessary to contact a doctor everytime you catch a cold or an allergy strikes. In addition to being inconvenient it will be costly both for those without medical insurance and in the long term those who do have medical insurance as it will raise medical costs.

Well it least the politicians did something and as usual it was really stupid.