There is a natural tendency for government to go too far. Good intentions can quickly be subverted by a desire for control, for power, with a tendency to over-enforce, over-regulate, or over-litigate. It is the proverbial solution in search of a problem fiasco. Fortunately, our Founding Fathers established a brilliant system of checks and balances to hold these urges at bay.

Coastal elites in California and New York are trying to re-order the entire economy through litigation against major energy and manufacturing companies. These job creators are purportedly violating “common law” because they have allegedly contributed to global warming, which constitutes a “public nuisance,” and therefore owe the litigious cities billions of dollars. Do not be mistaken, these suits by New York, San Francisco, Oakland and others are not about the law, they are wanton attempts at jackpot justice in order to fix local deficit problems and set national energy policy. The hubris is astonishing.