Each year I get a better understanding of why masks of politicians are so popular at Halloween. Government is scary.
Faced with a choice, I'd much rather race through a moonlit cornfield toward the sound of brain-eating, chainsaw-wielding zombies than toward Big Government. At least I know what to expect of the zombie. (My critics will argue I prefer the zombie because I have no reason to fear creatures that eat brains, but I digress).
I have to admit that after two decades of dealing with government agencies, I have a very low tolerance for vague and seemingly secret regulations enacted by government.
To put that statement into perspective, I'm a huge admirer of what former Idaho Congressman Helen Chenoweth-Hage did at the Boise Airport in 2004 - refusing an airport security pat-down unless she could see the rule requiring the practice. She couldn't. So she marched down to the rental car counter and drove the 400 miles to Reno.
This story has me bugged. I was not sure if I would write about it initially, but I really couldn't shake it. It's the story of Challis McAffee, who went to the Ada County Courthouse armed only with a video camera and an expectation that he could document government action. What happened next makes no sense, even though Ada County officials tried to explain it away.
Here's a small preview:
