So sayeth NC Rep. Fred Steen (R-Rowan)–even ifit’s stupid and runs up the already too high cost of government.
There area already laws on the books about theft. There are also laws on the books about the possession of stolen goods. So making it “illegaler” is going to help?
Also, there will be unintended consequences. This week, my son took a small amount of copper and brass to a local recycler. This was simply odds and ends generated from a rewiring of our house and some plumbing changes, plus bits and pieces from the cleanup at his grandfather’s place. He got almost $90 from that, money which he has already put into the hands of the local video game seller.
(Personally, I was shocked–I know how much he took, and it wasn’t much. No wonder ammo is out of reason!)
If I’d had to go to the sheriff to get a permit, that metal would have went to the dump in the trash. It would have been buried, rather than recycled, my son would have been out the money, the video game seller would have lost a sale, and the state a bit of sales tax.
But of course, the politicians all know better than we.