"In Sacramento's immigrant neighborhoods last weekend, Laotian families celebrated ancient funeral rites, laying to rest elderly victims of a horrific bus crash that killed nine people on their way to a night of gambling at a Northern California Indian casino.

In the political world, meanwhile, another seemingly ancient tradition – the call for more regulation – had already begun.

It's understandable, given the details of the accident. More regulation, and better enforcement, might reduce the odds of another such tragedy. But neither would be a guarantee. Because ultimately, personal responsibility and integrity are what undergird any set of rules. If people want to evade them, they will, sometimes with disastrous consequences.

That appears to be the case with the Oct. 5 accident in Colusa County, north of Sacramento.

The bus in which the group was traveling was not properly registered in California. The driver – Quintin J. Watts – was a parolee with a record that included felonies, and he did not have a license to drive a passenger bus. He was the son-in-law of the bus company's owner, who had hired Watts the week before and apparently was training him even as the bus careened down a rural farm road. The boss – 68-year-old Daniel Cobb – was among those killed in the accident."

Get the Story:
Daniel Weintraub: Bus crash shows need for regulation, and limits (The Sacramento Bee 10/15)
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