Simplify Laws

Surely, good laws and regulations are essential in ensuring orderly societal direction and providing for the public good. A just, sound legal system can, in many ways, foster entrepreneurship and international trade. And by protecting the rights of minorities, they exemplify the best that Western civilization has to offer.

One idea for simplification would be to abolish progressive taxation and institute a single flat tax on all personal and business income. The Bible teaches us to tithe 10 percent of our income. It does not ask one person to tithe more of his income if he is rich and less of his income if he is poor. By tithing 10 percent, each pays to the common trust an equal proportion of his means. This practice alone would virtually eliminate the need for the army of accountants, tax lawyers and government agencies dedicated to enforcing the laws of this country.

The second approach would be to simplify the legal process. A common citizen should not need to hire a lawyer simply to enforce a contract or vindicate some other legal right. He should be able to enter a court of law with the full confidence that his argument will be heard.

Dismissive tort judgments against corporations should also be eliminated. Of course, corporations should have to pay compensation for wrongs committed in the course of doing business, but the consequences should be foreseeable, fair and closely tailored to redressing the harm committed. As it stand now, class-action lawsuits and excessive jury awards end up making lawyers rich at the expense of justice itself. They create bitter, intractable legal battles that tie up court resources and increase the complexity of the system.

Visit www.armstrongwilliams.com .