There Oughta Be a Law!

Have you ever heard that?  I think we all have.  And it is usually against something, not very often do we have a law that is for something.  But is that what we really need, more laws, ordinances, statutes, regulations, rules and guidelines?  How can anyone know what all of the official laws of one state (not to mention federal and local) are AND understand and conform to them.  No average person can keep up with all of the old and new laws written.  Add on top of that the regulations that carry the same weight as law but are not really on the books as passed law.  Most legal codes are now online but the last published set of laws only for the State of Iowa was nearly 10,000 pages long.  Whew, our legislators have been busy.
We all want some measure of achievement.  What is my profit?  How much did my crop yield?  How much work did I produce?  Did I run a race faster than the week before?  It boils down to how can we chart that achievement to attract numbers (people) and money?  This includes politicians, they want some sort of achievement to show their town, district, state or country what they have done.  I think this is the wrong approach and that same theme I wrote about earlier is true here also, less is more.
I can imagine someone spitting on the sidewalk and passerby saying in disgust "Yuk, there oughta be a law against that!"  The opportunistic politician jumps out from behind the bushes with the immediate idea to make voters happy and be against something disgusting that most of them will also find disgusting.  Pretty soon the idea catches on as politicians from other areas see the wisdom of getting voters behind them in stopping this disgusting act.  A law is passed.  Parades and celebrations are held.  Euphoria!  Until someone who has a medical problem with spitting sues the State, wins on medical grounds, and then the law must be changed or amended.  Now we start to get more complicated with more sub-rules from the original.
Did there really need to be a law?  Is this the only way or measurement a politician can justify their continued existence?  I think that someone who wants to truly improve the lives of those around them would attempt to make life and law simpler, easier to understand and not more complicated.  Not more expensive.  Not more intrusive.
When any politician promises at any level to pass another law I am already uneasy and asking where in this 10,000 pages of stuff is this not covered?  My hope is that a new generation of those put in place to watch out for our public trust can begin to inform people that they have reduced or simplified the number of rules by 10 pages, or 20 pages, or 2 laws, or 5 rules.  That will be the best measure of progress, simpler for everyone to understand, and a freer life for all of us.