You could be breaking the law at this very moment!

Well, we avoided the fiscal cliff. Thank-you Congress. You can now go home and stay there. Don’t come back!!

You’re probably thinking that I’m not grateful for all the hard work that Congress does on our behalf, and you would be right.

Every day that Congress is in session, they are creating more and more laws and legislation and regulation, not to mention that Congress employs an army of more than two million bureaucrats who are highly compensated, with salaries and benefits more than double what most employees in the private sector earn. These bureaucrats monitor daily life and attempt to extinguish all risk, choice and to enact laws in pursuit of societal perfection.

The Competitive Enterprise Institute reported in 2010 that the total number of

federal rules, totals 81,405 pages.

Moreover, the Heritage Foundation found that the number of criminal offenses in the U.S. Code increased from 3,000 in the early 1980s to 4,000 by the year 2000, and to over 4,450 by 2008.

Scores of federal departments and agencies have created so many criminal offenses that the Congressional Research Service (the research arm of Congress) admitted that it was unable to even count all the offenses.

Here’s what this means for you and me: You’ve probably already broken the law at some point this week. I broke the law on New Year’s Eve driving past a police car who then pulled out behind me and followed me a ways before he turned on his lights and motioned me over. Was I speeding? No. My offense was not wearing my seat belt. Thank-you for the citation and my donation of $25.00 to the city treasury. You could have given me a warning, but that would not fill the city coffers, would it?

The workplace is subject to a web of federal regulations. Where "public accommodation" is involved, such as a retail store or doctor's office, there must be ramps, special bathrooms, widened doors, and curb cuts in the sidewalks. Even carpeting is scrutinized to make sure it is accessible. There are rules involving wages, taxes, health benefits, pension benefits, working conditions, environmental conditions, human resources, union elections, financial practices, and record-keeping. The vending machines on the premises are regulated. Each vending machine must have a "sign close to each article fo food or selection button disclosing the amount of calories in a clear and conspicuous manner."

This is just for starters. I’ll give you some more hair-raising examples next time. Until then, watch your back, check your rear-view mirror, and get yourself a copy of the U.S. criminal code so you can begin reading all the laws and rules to discover which ones you are breaking each and every day. It’s just a matter of time before Uncle Sam finds out and either fines you with a severe penalty, or arrests you, where you are presumed guilty until you can prove your innocence! Think I'm kidding. Stay tuned for my next post.

Is this a great country, or what?!!