Everyone is a suspect in a police state

Rep. Rex Damschroder's bill to eliminate our front license plate makes sense. The police don't like it because we are all guilty of something until proven otherwise. Someone needs to remind the FOP and the OHP that they work for us, not vice versa.

Link to story here

Protected class on highways

Awhile back a new law was passed requiring motorists to move over or slow down when approaching emergency vehicles along a roadway. Now, we've added another protected class to this list, tow truck drivers.

2 comments:

1. Are law enforcement personnel, EMT and now tow truck drivers live's more valuable than anyone else that is parked along side the roadway?
2. Why not take the leap of a law requiring folks to move over or slow down when anyone is parked along the roadway? If we keep adding new requirements all the time, that will be the result because we can't remember who we have to pull over / slow down for and who we don't.

OK, 2 more comments:

1. Isn't it a good practice to pull over into the other lane anytime you approach a parked vehicle on a roadway...no matter who it is? Yes, we can do that even if there is no law requiring it.
2. We need to emphasize that slowing down (if there is not an opening to move over) is an option. I've been almost wrecked twice when driving in the left lane and the driver I'm passing in the right lane sees emergency lights ahead and swerves to the left without looking....one time when motioned to do so by a Highway Patrolman. Maybe law enforcement doesn't realize that once they give folks a hand signal to do something, generally, they just do it, without thinking....apparently just trusting the officer to know what he's doing. Slowing down would be a good option under these circumstances.

Are we asking too much of our drivers? After all, we have to send text messages, talk on the cell phone, read the paper, drink our coffee, eat our breakfast and tailgate the car in front for crying out loud!

Ohio Highway Patrol has issues with just enforcing the law

What is it with the Ohio Highway Patrol that they feel like they need to have a say in law making?

Remember awhile back their opposition to the concealed carry law gave Governor Taft cover for not signing the bill for quite some time?

http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-27604.html

"Since taking office in 1998, Taft, a Republican, has opposed concealed weapons bills introduced in two sessions of the Legislature. He said he could not support any bill that was opposed by law enforcement groups.

The Fraternal Order of Police, the state's largest police union, and the Buckeye State Sheriffs Association, whose members would issue the permits, previously dropped their opposition.

However, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police have remained opposed."

The Patrol finally dropped their opposition to the bill (after it was extremely watered down) and they then allowed Governor Taft to sign the bill.


Now they are against raising the speed limit on rural highways.

nbci4.com story here

Don't we (the citizens of Ohio) elect State Representatives and Senators to represent us? They are the lawmakers on our behalf. Then law enforcement (which the Highway Patrol is part of) enforces the laws that the general assembly passes and the Governor signs.

However, lately anyway, it seems the Ohio Highway Patrol wants to make the laws also. This seems highly....unseemly.