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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!philabs!cmcl2!lanl!unmvax!cliff
From: cliff@unmvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Seat-belt laws
Message-ID: <630@unmvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 31-Jan-85 22:55:12 EST
Article-I.D.: unmvax.630
Posted: Thu Jan 31 22:55:12 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 8-Feb-85 01:03:13 EST
References: <321@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP>
Organization: Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Lines: 28

> Cliff Matthews writes:
> > I consistently "scream" at my "representatives" when they try to pass
> > motorcycle helmet or auto seatbelt laws.  Not only are they taking away
> > freedom, but they are encouraging people to be dependent on the state
> > for guidance away from safe practices....

> As I understand it, the purpose of seat-belt laws is not Big Brotherism but
> to reduce medical costs for third parties (insurers and taxpayers).
> 
> Richard Carnes

Great!  Force people to pay for other people's medical expenses and then use
that as an excuse to force more restrictions on everybody.  Now if medical
or insurance expenses were really the excuse, wouldn't there be an effort to
prohibit smoking?  How many costly cancer battles are subsidized by the tax-
payers when people decide to chain smoke.  Why should I subsidize such an
obviously harmful practice much less more subtle things like illness due to
a poor diet, etc?

BTW, if an insurance company wants to give discount premiums
for wearing a seatbelt there should be no regulations preventing it.  It would
be easy to "enforce" ... if someone claimed he was a seatbelt wearer and he
died in a crash w/o a seatbelt on he forfeits his claim.

Want to reduce medical costs for everybody?
Get rid of medicare and deregulate the medical industry.

					--Cliff