December 14, 2004

Bill of Rights Day is Wednesday - count your blessings and tell someone else! Isn’t it about time we started enforcing the law of the land? At least, that’s my opinion, and I think most everyone in RRND, FND, and TPoL will agree that enforcing the Bill of Rights is a good FIRST step.

Ohio: Groups protest vote by state's electors
Indianapolis Star
"As it has done for 200 years, Ohio's delegation to the Electoral College is to meet today to cast ballots for president and vice president -- but this time, there are demands that the electors wait until after a scheduled recount. The Electoral College's vote in the Ohio Senate chamber is expected to be accompanied by demonstrations by groups that don't accept that President Bush won the state by 119,000 votes, guaranteeing his victory over Democrat John Kerry." (12/13/04)

I was shocked to see a newspaper get it right - Ohio was admitted in 1803, so this IS the 200th anniversary of their first presidential election. But they are wrong in the second sentence - many of those protesting are not doing so because they don’t accept that Bush won, but because of concerns about the electronic voting methods used. As the next story points out, there are still some very strange questions to be answered, such as why 92,000 Ohioans did NOT vote for president this year.

Kerry lawyer requests visual inspection of 92,000 Ohio ballots
Dodge City Daily Globe
"Democrat John Kerry is asking county elections officials to allow his witnesses to inspect the 92,000 ballots cast in Ohio in which no vote for president was recorded, a Kerry lawyer said Sunday night. The request is one of 11 the Kerry campaign made in a letter sent over the weekend to Ohio's 88 county boards of election, which will begin recounting presidential ballots this week." (12/12/04)

Wall Street looks ahead to Fed meeting
Las Vegas Review-Journal
"Wall Street will be looking to the Federal Reserve in the week ahead, hoping the nation's monetary policy maker will issue a positive outlook on the economy and potentially give stocks a year-end boost. The Fed's Open Market Committee meets Tuesday and is widely expected to raise the nation's benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point, to 2.25 percent. The move assumes that the economy is healthy enough to withstand a higher rate." (12/12/04)

Wall Street pays far too much attention to government and not enough to the health and success of the companies whose future, supposedly, they are deciding by the buying and the selling. Just because the Fed may (or may not) raise interest rates or speak favorably of the way the guts of economy look after the incense has been burned and the magic incantation cast, doesn’t mean that Wal-Mart is going to suddenly stop selling junk, or that McDonalds will stop selling hamburgers. But as part of the superstitions of this modern age, the buyers and sellers of bits of paper (sometimes, imaginary bits of paper, to boot) will cause billions to be created or vanish, based on a few hurriedly composed paragraphs and mystical minutes of a meeting.

Kharzai: Bin Laden still in Afghanistan/Pakistan region
USA Today
"Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Sunday that Osama bin Laden is 'definitely' in the region and eventually will be caught, even though American and Pakistani generals admit the trail is cold. Speculation on bin Laden's whereabouts has long focused on the mountains along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the al-Qaeda leader slipped away from Afghan and U.S. forces three years ago." (12/12/04)

In today’s world, with the technology that we have, bin Laden could rather be any place. With his resources, he could, for example, be sitting in a convenient hotel room in Cleveland or Dusseldorf, with all the fake ID and everything else he needs, while laughing his head off at the soldiers humping over the mountains that Kipling wrote about.

Colorado: Smokers face 320% tax increase
Casper Star Tribune
"As of New Year's Day, Colorado smokers and tobacco users will pay 320 percent more in state cigarette taxes and 100 percent more in state taxes on other tobacco products to fund state health care programs. ... The new law approved by voters in November raises the tax on a packet of cigarettes by 64 cents, to 84 cents, to pay for several health care programs, including insurance for children whose families can't afford coverage, cessation classes and cancer screenings. It increases the tax on other tobacco products by 20 percent." (12/12/04)

It came as no surprise that Colorado voted for this, as it is indeed part of today’s politics - just as people constantly vote for income taxes that do NOT dip low enough to tax their income. The propaganda was good for this ballot issue - even as it told the voters some facts that should have gotten them to vote against this. Among those, it said that (paraphrased) “so far, anti-tobacco education was not effective in cutting tobacco use. So please vote for this measure to take MORE money to spend, among other things, on anti-tobacco education.” And lo, the people did. Well, there are some people that are rubbing their hands at the thought of this - cigarette sellers and stores and convenience stores in Cheyenne, and Raton, and outside Julesburg on I-76, and even on the Utah side of I-70 and US 491, to say nothing of the tribes in and near Colorado, who can make a mint off this law.

California: State power agency shuts down
KTLA 5 News
"State government rarely shrinks, but last week California's 3-year-old public power authority disappeared. Created by Democratic lawmakers in the tumultuous days of blackouts and price spikes, the agency sputtered to a halt after Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed its funding. ... the power authority was set up to build electricity generating plants to protect consumers from price-gouging. But it disbanded without constructing a single unit, buying any transmission lines or exercising its ability to borrow up to $5 billion. The Consumer Power and Conservation Financing Authority leaves behind $8 million in debt to utility customers and a couple of clean-energy programs handed off to California's remaining electricity bureaucracy." (12/12/04)

Good-bye. And good riddance! A tiny victory, but still, a victory.

Mama's Note: Very tiny, especially considering the amount of money it cost and will continue to cost as their "feel good" policies are implemented, but I'm glad anyway.

Record campaign funds raised
Richmond Times-Dispatch
"Whatever the reasons John Kerry and the Democrats lost the race for the White House, lack of money wasn't one. Tax-exempt pro-Democratic groups collected almost twice as much money as their Republican rivals in the presidential race, a study shows. The financial advantage comes in addition to record fund raising by Kerry and the Democratic Party. In all, nonparty political groups, known as 527s because of the tax code section that covers them, raised about $534 million and spent roughly $544 million in the 2003-04 election cycle, the analysis by the nonpartisan Political Money Line campaign finance tracking service found." (12/13/04)

No surprise here - but will anyone bother to learn from it? Watch 2008 and see these records broken!

Mama's Note: How did they spend 10 million more than they took in? Going into debt even after record contributions? How strange. No surprise indeed.

EPA lets refineries miss deadline -- again
Houston Chronicle
"Federal officials have quietly allowed the nation's oil refineries to miss court-ordered deadlines to reduce air emissions, prolonging the public's exposure to dangerous pollutants, a newspaper investigation has found. Nearly every time, the Environmental Protection Agency failed to tell the courts or the public about the deadline extensions, even when legal settlements required it to do so, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported today. Because of those extensions, the EPA's Petroleum Refinery Initiative has not achieved the air quality improvements that the agency has claimed, the newspaper found." (12/12/04)

If you thought the price jump was bad this last few months, on gasoline prices, just imagine - it could have been far worse if these deadlines had been enforced, and millions of barrels of production shut down at a critical time.

Aussie Police given computer spy powers
Sydney Morning Herald [Australia]
"Federal and state police now have the power to use computer spyware to gather evidence in a broad range of investigations after legal changes last week. The Surveillance Devices Act allows police to obtain a warrant to use software surveillance technologies, including systems that track and log keystrokes on a computer keyboard. The law applies to the Australian Federal Police and to state police investigating Commonwealth offenses. Critics have called the law rushed and imbalanced, saying police will be able to secretly install software to monitor email, online chats, word processor and spreadsheets entries and even bank personal identification numbers and passwords." (12/13/04)

But of course the POLICE would never misuse such technology - memories are so short!

UK: Attorney General defends burglars' rights
Guardian [UK]
"The government's top lawyer further stoked the debate over homeowners' rights to defend their property this weekend by saying that criminals must also have the right to protection from violence. In an interview with The Observer, Attorney-General Lord Goldsmith said that existing legislation was adequate to give home owners the right to repulse burglars using 'reasonable force.' 'We must protect victims and law-abiding citizens,' he said. 'But we have to recognize that others have some rights as well. They don't lose all rights because they're engaged in criminal conduct.'" (12/12/04)

Does this make you as sick as it makes me? The worst of two worlds - an aristocrat who is also a socialist - perhaps the worst kind of statist. It makes you wonder if Blair is just two-faced, or stupid, to have people like this man working in his cabinet.

Mama's Note: You can bet that this guy has solid security where he lives, but I'd love to see if he would cling to this nonsense if his home was invaded and his family threatened or harmed.

Pennsylvania: Grandsons thwart attempted break-in
Observer-Reporter
"Brian Reihner discounts any notion that he and his brother, Bob, are heroes. But North Franklin Township police Chief Mark Kavakich credits them for possibly saving their grandfather's life during a home invasion early Thursday. ... The brothers were armed with rifles. Wallace pulled out a .38-cal. handgun that police later learned had been stolen in Pittsburgh. 'He grabbed my brother's rifle and pulled him down,' Reihner said. 'I stepped back but kept my rifle on him. I told him to just leave.' Wallace left, telling the brothers that they did not know him. He was caught a short time later by Washington police after security officers at Washington Crown Center saw him running across the parking lot. He had the gun in his pocket." (12/11/04)

Good for these guys!

Connecticut: Gun collector visited by Waterbury police
Republican-American
"It never dawned on William Bechard that the two old Smith & Wesson revolvers he found for sale earlier this year in the Bargain News would get him arrested. The classified advertisement newspaper led Bechard, 52, to a man in Hartford who was selling a .32-caliber revolver and a .38-caliber revolver. Bechard, of Waterbury, is an avid gun collector and trader who owns nearly 100 rifles and handguns, nearly all of them more than 50 years old. ... Guns made before the late 1890s are considered antiques and don't have to be registered. Believing the guns were antiques, Bechard said he didn't give the matter a second thought until Thursday morning. Two State Police detectives knocked on his door Thursday around 7:30 a.m., Bechard said. They were there to arrest him for illegal transfer of a handgun. 'I said, 'I'm a law-abiding citizen,'' Bechard said. 'They said, Well, now you're not.''" (12/10/04)

The idea that it is a crime to buy a gun from a private person is just completely insane to me - and this state is a sick place. How can these troopers live with their disgusting acts?

Mama's Note: Too bad this guy wasn't a bit more careful. I'd think anyone who cares about their guns would be sure to understand the laws of the place where they live in order to preserve their rights and their collections.

Constitution Party seeks change in political landscape
Tennessean
"They say the war in Iraq is unconstitutional, they oppose the Patriot Act, gay marriage and the income tax, and they want to see 'true' pro-life judges appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Meet the Constitution Party. Representatives from around the country gathered yesterday at the Sheraton Music City Hotel on McGavock Pike to discuss the future at the party's semiannual national convention. 'It's about restoring constitutional government,' said Chuck Baldwin, the party's vice presidential candidate for the 2004 election. 'We must honor the contract, and all three branches of government have broken that contract.' Baldwin, a pastor from Pensacola, FL, said he believes the Constitution Party will pick up steam in the 2008 election as conservative Americans become disillusioned with President Bush." (12/12/04)

Unfortunately, the Constitutionalists just don’t seem to understand that they (1) go too far on some things, and (2) don’t go far enough on way too many things. Even if we believe the Constitution is the valid way to go, their seeming insistence on injecting mandatory religion into every aspect of government is certainly not itself constitutional. Worse, they weaken the freedom movement in general, by splitting it more than it already is split, because of their inconsistency.

New Jersey: School may ban "Silent Night" from concert
NBC4.TV [NJ]
"A South Jersey elementary school wants to ban 'Silent Night' from its holiday concert, over some parents' objections. Officials at the Slaybaugh School in Egg Harbor Township said that they may not allow kindergartners to sing the song. They claimed a Jewish resident allegedly complained that students should not be forced to sing a Christian song. Some parents interviewed by NBC were upset. 'I think it's ridiculous,' said parent Lynsey Paul. 'We're the United States of America, one nation under God, period, the end.' A decision on this issue is expected sometime next week." (12/12/04)

I never have found a teacher that FORCED a student to sing something of this nature, if the student had any reason not to, and if the parent told the teacher what the problem was. My own children face the same problem - and we ARE christians, but we don’t believe in Christmas as a religious holiday: we didn’t seek to ban anyone from singing or celebrating, and I can’t see why this man should, either.

Mama's Note: The problem isn't Christmas or singing. The problem is that government is involved with education of children at all. When only parents are involved, they will choose the kind of education that matches their religion - or lack of it - and nobody will be involuntarily "offended" at anything.

Tennessee: Income tax proposal spurs push for ban
Tennessean
"A study commission's recommendation for a state income tax has caused some lawmakers to step up efforts for a constitutional ban on the levy. Sen. Joe Haynes, who backed legislation in 2002 to create the Tennessee Tax Study Commission and said then he planned to sponsor the panel's recommendations as legislation, now says he's 'inclined to support' a state constitutional amendment banning an income tax. 'I've thought about doing that myself, and I've talked to some Democrats about it,' he said. 'You may see that come from the Democratic Caucus, as a matter of fact.' The House Republican Caucus already has proposed such a constitutional amendment." [Editor's note: Last I looked, the TN Constitution ALREADY prohibits such a tax; that is why several legislators have refused to even discuss the issue! - SAT] (12/12/04)

As I mentioned when this proposal first came up, the Tennessee Tax Revolt and their comrades in arms are going to be hot and heavy on this - and the “confusion” has their own unique stamp of madness and mayhem on it: get everyone riled up about something that is already there, and the idea of changing it (except to make it tougher) gets lost in the screams!

North Carolina: Strippers' gifts denied by housing project
Fox News
"A public housing complex [here] wasn't feeling the holiday spirit last week when the manager turned away what many boys and girls wish for this time of year -- Christmas presents. That's because in this case, 'Santa' takes her clothes off for cash. Last year, an adult nightclub called Teasers donated more than 500 gifts to kids in public housing for the holidays. But a newspaper photo of the presents being delivered prompted so many complaints from residents in the Bible Belt community that this year the local housing project is turning down the offer. 'They showed up with the gifts in a stretch limo with two of their dancers in the back,' Statesville Housing Authority manager David Meachem said. But now members of the community are criticizing the housing authority for being too judgmental during the holidays." (12/12/04)

A little bit of self-righteousness, here - like the man beaten on the road to Jericho refusing to accept any first aid from that dirty Samaritan who stopped to help him after the priest and the Levite passed him by. It is not judgmental - it is self-righteousness and stupidity that throws things like this in people’s face.

Mama's Note: I see that the "community" folks who stand to benefit from those gifts have decided not to be quite so judgmental "during the holidays". They don't mind the girl's occupation quite so much because it's Christmas or because there are goodies involved? They need to make up their minds.

Maryland: Most OB-GYNs sued at least once
Washington Times
"About 70 percent of Maryland's obstetricians and gynecologists have been sued at least once, with the average settlement exceeding $1 million, a study shows. The report -- titled 'Medical Malpractice: Is It Time for Tort Reform in Maryland?' -- also says that the average malpractice insurance premium for state OB-GYNs will reach $150,000 this year, though there is no evidence that those physicians were negligent. 'That is not atypical for the United States,' said the study's author, Michael I. Krauss, a professor at the George Mason University School of Law who specializes in tort reform and legal ethics. 'There are some states that are above 70 percent. Maryland's crisis is not an anomaly.'" (12/12/04)

No, it is not an anomaly - every state is suffering from an epidemic of lawyers, who aren’t content just to chase ambulances and must now chase baby-buggies and wedding processions as well. Until we can get rid of a good majority of the lawyers (at least AS lawyers - they might make good ditch diggers with enough practice and effort, or good backfill, if nothing else) - we will see this get worse and worse.

Mama's Note: Actually, this could turn out to be a good thing in some ways. Pregnancy is not a disease and usually doesn't require a doctor. If more women would deal with this as the normal body process it is, of course taking care to eat right, etc., they might find they have better outcomes all across the board. We have far too many doctors AND lawyers for our good health, that's for sure.

Massachusetts: AG seeks tougher penalties for elderly abuse
Boston Globe
"While pursuing an indictment against a Massachusetts nursing home aide accused of abusing residents -- including one 105 years old -- Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly is pushing for a law that would toughen penalties against those who assault the elderly. Legislation that could be approved in the House and Senate as early as next week would raise penalties for those convicted of assaulting the elderly or disabled and hold nursing home administrators accountable for systemic abuse. 'We are talking about protecting some of our most vulnerable citizens -- our seniors and the disabled,' Reilly said in a statement. 'Not only does this bill increase criminal penalties for cases of abuse, it will also help us more effectively prosecute nursing home supervisors who allow a pattern of abuse and neglect to occur in their facilities.'" (12/12/04)

I would be very surprised if there are not dozens of laws already on the books that can be applied to these crimes, without needing to add more - the legislature needs to find out why existing laws about theft, breach of contract, sanitation, and a dozen other things aren’t being enforced before they go passing new laws.

Mama's Note: I've been involved with many nursing homes (and similar facilities) over the years, and most of the laws that pertain to them are contradictory, irrational and almost impossible to follow now. The last thing they need is more of them! Did you know it was considered "assault" to simply touch a patient if they don't want to be touched, yet people who are confused and demented are not usually able to make such decisions rationally.

Of course there are some bad eggs, as with any other business, but most nursing homes are working against a tide of impossible demands with inadequate staffs already. They are required to keep the patients "safe", yet they can't restrain their mobility in any way and usually can't medicate them to prevent severely confused and combative people from trying to wander. The facility can get fined or shut down if they take the steps needed to keep the patient safe, and sued if the elder should fall or get out into traffic!

What most of these patients need is much more personal attention. If people really cared about their elders they would keep them at home and provide someone to be with them all the time. If that is impossible, they need to visit the facility often and find volunteers to sit with the patient. Many churches are willing to provide this kind of service and it is a wonderful project for scouts or private schools.

Health care of any kind is ultimately the responsibility of the patient and family. Demanding that government pass laws to make elders safe and happy has the same bad results as having government involved in any other aspect of medicine or education, etc. We reap what we sow.

LDS author disciplined for book questioning church history
Houston Chronicle
"A Mormon educator who wrote a book questioning whether the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints misrepresented his authority as a prophet was suspended from the church Sunday. Grant Palmer, 64, who wrote 'An Insider's View of Mormon Origins,' could have been excommunicated. Instead, he said the church 'disfellowshipped' him at a hearing, which means he will retain his membership but lose certain privileges, such as being able to go into temples or serve in an official church capacity. ... In the book, Palmer suggests that church founder Joseph Smith revised church scripture to his advantage." (12/12/04)

Palmer is not the first LDS to claim this, and won’t be the last. Clearly the Chronicle writer knows little about either the LDS church or churches in general, from the way he wrote this story. Nor does he know anything about LDS history, and its long series of charges and counter-charges. If, indeed, Joe Smith was a prophet as he claimed, certainly how could he have illicitly revised revelation?

Probe into Yushchenko poisoning reopens
Indianapolis Star
"Ukrainian prosecutors Sunday reopened their investigation into allegations Viktor Yushchenko was poisoned after doctors treating the opposition leader confirmed he had been slipped the toxic chemical dioxin. Yushchenko returned home to campaign for this month's presidential runoff vote. He said he did not want the poisoning issue to overshadow the Dec. 26 election, but the director of Vienna's elite Rudolfiner clinic said a potential criminal case could be involved." (12/12/04)

The photos make it very clear this man is sick, and if dioxin had been added to his porridge, no wonder. If this doesn’t lead to all-out civil war, I’ll be very surprised.

Mama's Note: It wouldn't take anything that nasty to kill him. A good big shot of insulin would kill a sick man without leaving a trace. There are many common medications that can kill someone easily if they are already sick.

Israel: Five soldiers killed in base bombing
Detroit Free Press
"Palestinian militants blew up an Israeli army base at the Gaza-Egypt crossing Sunday by sneaking more than a ton of explosives through a tunnel, killing five Israeli soldiers and wounding five in the largest Palestinian attack in the month since Yasser Arafat's death. Hitting back, Israeli helicopters fired at least five missiles at targets in Gaza City early Monday, witnesses said. There were no reports of casualties. One missile started a fire at an abandoned metal workshop, while the other target was an empty house near the Islamic University, they said." (12/12/04)

It is taking a while, but the thugs are getting back to normal, and the killing is going on. A new leader is unlikely to stop it.

Sources: NASA chief to resign
CNN
"NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe will announce his resignation Monday, CNN has learned. Sources inside NASA told CNN on Sunday that O'Keefe will accept an offer from Louisiana State University to be its chancellor. O'Keefe's decision, the sources said, was made for personal and financial reasons -- the LSU job pays significantly more money than the NASA job. O'Keefe's eldest daughter will soon head to college." (12/12/04)

Hard to imagine that the cost of his daughter’s education is a significant factor in O’Keefe baling out of federal service - but any excuse when you need to leave. NASA is on a downward spiral, again, and one of these times, it is going to bottom out. O’Keefe doesn’t intend that to happen on his watch.

Nathan Barton is a libertarian writing from the West. See Nathan's own blog, Liberty's Outpost.

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