Retarded city legislation: Atlanta edition

Droopy drawers are BACK!!!! For those of you who don't remember, the highlight of the 2005 session of the Virginia General Assembly was a bill, I kid you not, that would allow police to give fines to individuals whose underwear is visible. Virginia made the front page of newspapers in Australia and England, including this BBC story. The General Assembly eventually came to its senses and defeated the bill on the House floor.

Thongers, beware, John Q. Law is after you. Again. Thanks to the good folks over at Above the Law for this story. It appears that the Atlanta City Council wants to revive the droopy drawers legislation.

The ordinance claims saggy pants are an "epidemic" and have become a "major concern" in Atlanta and other cities around the country. [City Councilman C.T.] Martin says he wants children subjected to a higher standard of dress. "I don't want young people thinking that half-dressing is the way to go," said Martin. "I want them to think about their future."

Their future? Maybe if the Atlanta City Council did something to eliminate poverty, Atlanta citizens with baggy pants could look forward to a better future. Unfortunately, the Atlanta City Council also debated a bill in 2005 to ban panhandling. Also Atlanta police would round up homeless people and lock them up during the 1996 Olympics. So you can't panhandle, you can't hang out in the streets, and you can't wear baggy pants. Sounds like a great set of policy priorities.

Congratulations, Atlanta City Council, you are even dumber than the Virginia General Assembly. And that is no small feat, they did pass legislation establishing an official state bat (not Louisville Slugger, the creepy mammal).