Back to basics

What causes crime? Oh, come on, that's an easy one: Laws cause crime. "Crime" is an activity that the appropriate governing body puts sanctions on in order to discourage the activity. Remove the sanction, and it's just another activity. Reduce the number of laws, reduce the amount of crime.

Those of us with libertarian inclinations have been arguing for years that governments -- state, local and especially federal -- should make the law more effective by weeding out unneccessary or overly fussy rules and strictly enforcing the few remaining most serious ones, for each offense against each offender. The law works best when it is simple and specific and direct and therefore understood. We should all have the belief that the law makes sense so that we know absolutely each day what we may and may not do. The way it is now, too many people feel -- correctly, unfortunately -- that the law is a purposely vague and convoluted minefield that can trip up the unsuspecting at any turn.

Governments haven't really heeded that call, but maybe somebody will -- the NCAA:

On the second and final day of the governing body's presidential retreat, 56 presidents and a handful of other university leaders spent nearly four hours discussing ways to simplify the massive 439-page Division I rulebook and punish those schools with the most serious violations.

"I think there is a very strong sense among presidents and chancellors that we need to be very clear and very severe where infractions do exist and that we want to send a message about certain behaviors," said Oregon State president Ed Ray, chairman of the NCAA's executive committee. "There needs to be very serious penalties for very serious violations."

[. . .]

If all goes well, things could be changing a lot more.

There is a general consensus, Ray said, that the rules need simplification.

"For example, instead of 1,000 or 10,000 rules, we need to determine what are the 100 most important things," he said after the morning session.

Ray has plenty of support.

The NCAA's leadership council said last week it is working on a formal proposal to deregulate electronic communications and allow unlimited contact between coaches and recruits after Aug. 1 of the player's junior year.

It's a message that has resonated among the presidents.

"There is a lot of interest, energy and enthusiasm about reform," Indiana University president Michael McRobbie said.

Weed out, then get tough. Pretty simple. Pretty effective. The NCAA, in large part because of its 10,000 rules, has had a pretty bad reputation lately. A lot of people feel they let the big things slide, then try to make amends by overly punishing people for the petty stuff. This could make it a well-respected group again.

Well, more respected than Congress anyway.