Al Gore could become world's first carbon billionaire

Actually, Derryl, laws for the benefit of Bigger Money would be "the OLD normal" - as old as 1791.  Read up on the Whisky Tax passed by the 1st Congress, or see my cute little summary in a post on DIRTBAGS IN CONGRESS HIDE DEBT CEILING INCREASE:

MikeinAz asked, " Who was the first congressional idiot to bury other crap in bills?  Why is this practice allowed?"

 Mike, it's worse - and older - than you probably want to know.  RICO statutes, anyone?  Not only did mixed-subject bills start early, so did "administrative" seizure of assets, and the dispossessed person had to prove their innocence in court, not the government having to prove them guilty.  The Whiskey Act was repealed in 1803 mainly because it was so difficult to enforce, but the principle was well-established and similar tax measures introduced ever since.

In the second session of the 1st U.S. Congress was passed March 3, 1791: Whiskey Act, ch. 15, 1 Stat. 199, which triggered the Whiskey Rebellion.  It is 15 closely-written pages, with 62 sections, equivalent to a bill as currently printed of about 60-80 pages [EDIT: modern usage as defined by the 1990-pg Health Insurance Act would have made the Whiskey Act ~105 pages].

The actual legislation covered several subjects, including in the mishmosh the outrageously classist and unfair tax on small business (and an extra tax on non-urban distillers) vis-a-vis large importers and large distillers.  Large producers and exporters were mainly Northern, with President Washington a rare Southern exception, and were taxed (after the complex rules, rates and rebates/loopholes were all reckoned) at about 60% of the rate applied to smaller distillers, and rural stills were nailed with nearly double the rate paid by Northern urban distilleries.

The official title of the legislation: "An Act repealing, after the last day of June next, the duties heretofore laid upon Distilled Spirits imported from abroad, and laying others in their stead; and also upon Spirits distilled within the United States, and for appropriating the same."

Section 1.  Revised tariffs on imported spirits (new rates);

Section 3.  Revised rules on payment (used to be all due at landing):  small importers, all due immediately; medium importers (duties <$500 but >$50) can defer payment by 4 months by posting a small bond;  large importers, 6 months grace.

Section 4.  Revised collection districts, composed of each State, but that can be subdivided by Presidential order, with Senate-confirmed supervisors and lower customs officers.

Sections 5–7.  Revised qualifications and required behavior of customs officers.

Sections 8–13.  Revised reporting-in by Ships' Masters on making port, getting a customs-approved manifest, regulations on going thence to other US ports, and rules for forfeiture.

Section 14.  New Tax (the first Internal Tax) on domestic distillation (not sale, production) of spirits using any amount at all of "molasses, sugar, or other foreign materials" at rates per gallon based on alcohol content (30 cents/gal for >20% = > 40 proof).

Section 15.  New Tax (the first Internal Tax) on domestic distillation (not sale, production) of spirits using entirely domestically-produced materials at rates per gallon based on alcohol content (25 cents/gal for >20%).

Sections 16–17.  Duties to be paid to same customs agency as for imports, must be paid AT the distillery BEFORE removing the spirits from the distillery, or to post a bond with an abatement of 2 cents per 10 gallons.

Sections 18.  Customs to survey and "attend" [read: haunt] every still in his district to ensure prompt payment of the tax by distillers,

Section 19.  Customs to officially record and stamp every cask filled, and issue a certificate, required so that it may thereafter be lawfully moved, "describing each cask by its marks, and the persons for shose use, and the places to which removed and the time of each removal, and the amount of duties"; without such "brand" and certificate, casks subject to forfeiture to Fedzilla along with "the horses or cattle, with the carriages, their harness and tackling, and the vessel or boat with its tackle and apparel employed in removing them, shall be forfeited, and may be seized by any officer of inspection."

Section 20.  Cannot move spirits "at any other times than between sun rising and sun setting" unless Customs agrees, on pain of forfeiture.

Sections 21–23.  Any stills "in any other place than a city, town or village" must also pay an annual tax of 60 cents per gallon of still capacity, but it must be paid semi-yearly.  "And in the case of refusal or neglect to pay, the amount of the duties so refused... may be levied by distress and sale of goods of the person or persons refusing or neglecting to pay."  That turned out to include houses and farms confiscated and sold at auction and the people turned out onto the mercy of others.

Section 24–62.  And on and on and on, with gobs more rules governing every aspect of life near a whisky cask and LOTS more ways to forfeit the whisky, personal possesions, fines of $100 dollars (that's $40,000 in today's money) for all sorts of persnickety reasons, more rebates and breaks for large distillers and especially large exporters (all conveniently located in Northern States), jail time, houses and other property that can be seized without trial, guilty on the charge of customs officers until the defendant proves innocence in court.