Posted on 10/20/2011 6:20:02 PM PDT by RobertClark
Cold hard cash. It's good everywhere you go, right? You can use it to pay for anything.
But that's not the case here in Louisiana now. It's a law that was passed during this year's busy legislative session.
House bill 195 basically says those who buy and sell second hand goods cannot use cash to make those transactions, and it flew so far under the radar most businesses don't even know about it.
"We're gonna lose a lot of business," says Danny Guidry, who owns the Pioneer Trading Post in Lafayette. He deals in buying and selling unique second hand items.
"We don't want this cash transaction to be taken away from us. It's an everyday transaction," Guidry explains.
Guidry says, "I think everyone in this business once they find out about it. They're will definitely be a lot of uproar."
The law states those who buy or sell second hand goods are prohibited from using cash. State representative Rickey Hardy co-authored the bill.
Hardy says, "they give a check or a cashiers money order, or electronic one of those three mechanisms is used."
Hardy says the bill is targeted at criminals who steal anything from copper to televisions, and sell them for a quick buck. Having a paper trail will make it easier for law enforcement.
"It's a mechanism to be used so the police department has something to go on and have a lead," explains Hardy.
Guidry feels his store shouldn't have to change it's ways of doing business, because he may possibly buy or sell stolen goods. Something he says has happened once in his eight years.
"We are being targeted for something we shouldn't be."
Besides non-profit resellers like Goodwill, and garage sales, the language of the bill encompasses stores like the Pioneer Trading Post and flea markets.
Lawyer Thad Ackel Jr. feels the passage of this bill begins a slippery slope for economic freedom in the state.
"The government is placing a significant restriction on individuals transacting in their own private property," says Ackel.
Pawn shops have been forced to keep records of their clients for years. However under this bill they are still allowed to deal in cash.
The purpose is not to track criminals.
Its purpose is to make criminals of law abiding citizens so they can be monitored.
Sometimes my tinfoil hat gets the better of me and I start to fret.
With e-books, laws such as this and schools moving away from bound books—will we end up without books at some point?
Have a society that has forgotten how to read?
It would be similar to that movie *The Book of Eli*
Yeah, yeah, I know that’s ridiculous drama but I do worry about what we are losing.
This law makes no sense at all in a free country. The profligate spending of the government is what is causing metals to be worth stealing and selling in the first place. THEY have so devalued the Federal Reserve Note called a Dollar, that copper pennies are worth $.025, instead of $.01. Now they want their foot in the door to all transactions of cash. That is what this is.
If it survives in LA, we can look for other states to try similar nonsense.
Around here 10 to 15% for cash is not unusual, a buck is a buck, maybe.
I am a first hand business,e I provide my services for cash, gold or guns - business will survive
How about...IGNORE THE GOVERNMENT AND DENY EVERYTHING.
They can kiss my southern ass. I pay cash out of pure spite now that they have proclaimed it illegal.
Government asswipes.
Shucks... looks like I am not going to be able to buy Okra from y’all
Garage Sales??? What a bunch of morons. I can see the rubber checks bouncing now.
Many people who go to second hand stores and Goodwill cannot afford the cost of a checking account. Did anyone think of that?
I predict this law has a short shelf life.
Why not just require RECEIPTS for cash transactions? They could use the books that have an original that is given to the customer, and a copy that's retained by the store.
I can hear it now: That's racist! What do you mean that I can't spend the cash proceeds from my drug dealing in the manner that I see fit?!?
What is legal tender?
I'll take worthless green paper stamped Federal Reserve Note for 2000, Alex.
Because unless they make a copy of a DL or something, a receipt or ledger entry, whatever, doesn’t really give the cops anything to go on but what somebody said their name and address were. So the cops (I think) attempt to kill two birds here- discourage sellers who don’t want a record of the transaction (them cashing or depositing a check) and provide the info they need to easily find someone who does take the check.
if you are an illegal, do you just use the stolen id of the ss# u r usiing to buy stuff?
Life "might" contain risks. Deal with it.
The United States Congress says that cash is legal tender. The Louisiana legislature says no it is not for resale transactions.
Want to bet that the US Congress wins this one. Not only will they, but they should.
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