Better Towing Information Systems Needed For "Get Your Stuff Back"

State Rep. Tom Hackbarth, R-Cedar, out of touch with reality.
(Image from a state government website, here under "fair comment and criticism")

I'm really interested in the fate of the "get your stuff back" bill, which means towing companies in Minnesota must allow the owners of impounded cars to, obviously, get their stuff back.

Though progress of the state transportation bill is complicated and I'm not sure where it is just right this second, one thing is clear...

And that is "get your stuff back" is a popular provision of the bill. An attempt to kill the provision with a hostile amendment FAILED. The hostile amendment was proposed by Rep. Tom Hackbarth, Republican, Cedar, who argued towing companies will be "stuck with junker cars" if owners are allowed to collect personal belongings from them, and towing companies will become "mini-welfare programs."

He also argued many towing companies already allow people to gather needed items from impounded cars. This argument by Hackbarth sounds completely bogus and out of touch with reality, like his argument companies will be "stuck with junker cars."

In fact, supporters of "let people get their stuff" pointed out junked cars have tremendous scrap value, a point that was rather obvious, except perhaps to Hackbarth who seems completely out of touch with ordinary human reality.

He was apparently out of touch with POLITICAL reality, too, because his suggestion to drop "let people get their stuff" failed by (as HometownSource.com described it) "a wide margin."

You really have to wonder who is stuffing what into Hackbarth's back pocket.

But here's the kicker, and it's funny Hackbarth couldn't come up with this point and find a way to twist it to his advantage: clearly this law, when passed, will push us in the direction of needing better towing information systems. People can't GET THEIR STUFF if the system can't FIND THEIR CAR, like the horror story told in the previous entry by Martin Rugeroni.