The US constitution gives the federal government the power to regulate interstate commerce. Reasonable enough, but the definition of regulating interstate commerce has been stretched beyond belief to expand federal powers way beyond the original intention. Here’s an example from today’s Chron, involving a carjacking. Two creeps carjacked a woman’s rental car in San Francisco.

“Bibbs and Watson are facing federal charges because the rental car was made in Michigan, sold from a dealership in Oklahoma and shipped to California during interstate commerce.” Not that I have any affection for carjackers, but that should be a purely local matter. The carjacking has nothing to do with interstate commerce. This kind of tortured association has justified an expansion of federal power which is a major reason why the US is so screwed up. Washington is too far away to be managing the prosecution of street crime in San Francisco. Accountability is vague and diluted, costs run away and effectiveness is minimal.

It would have been a better pun if the crime had occurred in the Mission. Unfortunately, it was in Potrero Hill. Close, but no cigar.