Libertarian Commentary on the News for the week before Christmas -- Page 2

Stupid Government Tricks
As is often the case, this is the place I put stories that don't fit into some other category very well, or don't seem to be a major theme in events this week. We have twenty-one juicy stories this week, including five dealing with the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) - one of the more idiotic fusses clogging our arteries this week.

Australia: Anxiety mounts over scope of laws
Sydney Morning Herald [Australia]
"NEW laws giving police increased powers to handle riots have gone too far, create the potential for abuse and intrude into privacy, the NSW Council for Civil Liberties says. The council's vice-president, Pauline Wright, said one of the most disturbing features of last week's legislation was that police themselves could declare an emergency situation and give themselves the additional powers. "In other situations like a state of emergency, it is for the minister or Parliament itself to make the decision, which then gives power to state agencies to do things that are extraordinary," she said. By last night police had confiscated 37 mobile phones and 15 vehicles since the new laws came into force. They had arrested 149 people and charged them with a total of 264 offences. Police said a final tally of phones searched for incriminating text messages was not yet available. Nor was a figure for the number of weapons seized. The exercise of such powers, particularly in searching mobile phones for text messages, caused uproar yesterday, with callers to talkback radio accusing police of walking onto buses and randomly asking for phones." (12/20/05)

No, really? Australia continues to slide into tyranny at an increasing rate. Of course, this is very similar to the debate going on in the States, but with one big difference: many more Americans are armed and willing to fight for their privacy, if necessary. It may not be much of a check, but it is something.

Mama's Note: I suppose it's too much to hope for, but if the once proud and self sufficient people of Australia finally get enough of this insanity, they may wake up and throw off their chains. Perhaps the parallels won't be totally lost on the American public - those who read the truth instead of the media propaganda, of course - and they will be more inclined to throw off their own chains. It could happen.

Frist's AIDS charity paid close associates
Washington Times
"Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's AIDS charity paid nearly a half-million dollars in consulting fees to members of his political inner circle, according to tax returns that provide the first financial accounting of the presidential hopeful's nonprofit. The returns for World of Hope Inc., obtained by the Associated Press, also show the charity raised almost all of its $4.4 million from just 18 sources. The donors gave between $97,950 and $267,735 each to help fund the Tennessee Republican's efforts to fight AIDS. The tax forms do not identify the 18 major donors by name. Frist's attorney, Alex Vogel, said Friday that he would not make their names public because tax law does not require their public disclosure. Frist's office provided a list of 96 donors who supported the charity, but it did not say how much each contributed." (12/18/05)

What do we expect from a politician? If you don't get loyalty one way, you get it another. And this is seemingly no different from far too many "charities" which suck up much of the donations they receive for "overhead."

WTO negotiators reach trade deal agreement
MSNBC
"WTO negotiators cut a last-minute deal Sunday on ending farm export subsidies and other trade barriers, claiming modest progress toward their goal of forging a global trade pact by late 2006. The agreement was a badly needed breakthrough for the World Trade Organization, whose credibility was on the line following devastating collapses of two of its last three key meetings. Past WTO gatherings served as a battlefield for anti-globalization protests, but Hong Kong authorities managed to prevent violent clashes between police and activists from spoiling the talks." (12/18/05)

Notice how little they talk about the "violent clashes" which DID result in some really nasty little goings-on, just as happens in the rest of China. I expect it will be several weeks before the full word of what happened gets out, and it will be an excuse for Beijing to further crack down on Hong Kong in specific and its dissidents in general.

Mama's Note: Of course, the only way to end trade barriers and ensure exponential prosperity for the entire world is to get rid of ALL the treaties, organizations, quotas and subsidies, etc. altogether. Let ALL people trade freely and openly with all other people and get government out of it altogether. Real free trade would eliminate most wars and most of the poverty in the world in short order. It's just so hard to understand why almost everyone fails to see this and clings to the insanity we live with now. (Read this excellent article from Ludwig von Mises for some insights on this subject.)

California: UC Davis cuts deal to avoid bias suit
San Francisco Chronicle
"When UC Davis Vice Chancellor Celeste Rose resigned under pressure last summer, the university gave her a new job with a new title, a $20,000 a year raise -- and very little responsibility. In fact, Rose, 55, isn't required to do any work at all. As part of a secret legal settlement negotiated to avoid a potentially embarrassing lawsuit, UC Davis promised to keep Rose on the payroll as the 'senior adviser to the chancellor' for two years at an annual salary of $205,000, plus all the benefits of a senior manager, including health care, severance pay and a growing pension. Yet her new job has no formal job description or regular duties. She gave up her office on campus. And UC promised not to fire her, no matter how little she does. If Rose quits, she is still entitled to receive the remainder of her two years' salary under the agreement." (12/19/05)

Nice golden parachute, huh? Some kind of files she must have. Let's privatize the entire system - I expect we'll be able to establish a couple hundred real "institutions of higher learning" after the bankruptcy sales of the newly independent, "can't hose out the taxpayers' pockets" UC system.

A push for animal-friendly roads
Christian Science Monitor
"A stream of traffic flows along Picture Rocks Road, past two roadside culverts where Natasha Kline is checking for animal tracks. The tunnels, intended to drain a sandy wash, are serving instead as lifesaving byways for wildlife along this busy commuter route through Saguaro National Park. As a park biologist, Ms. Kline knows such crossings can be crucial. A recent study counted as many as 53,000 animals killed on Saguaro's roads each year. 'It's a huge problem,' she says, 'and our issue will be every park's issue in 10 years or so.' Efforts to solve the problem have spawned a new discipline called road ecology. The practice brings together transportation planners, scientists, and wildlife activists who plan new road projects to minimize impacts on animals. By using a variety of strategies -- from lowered speed limits in wildlife areas to high-tech, vegetated overpasses where cameras monitor animal use -- they hope to reduce the number of animals killed and improve road safety for drivers." (12/19/05)

This hits a hot button for me: if a road can be designed efficiently for its primary use (allowing the safe passage of the vehicles which fees (gas taxes, mostly) pay for it and include "animal-friendly" items which also improve the safety (as they should), then I am all for it. BUT! If there are additional measures that wildlife lovers (or even hunters of wildlife - also lovers of wildlife in their own way) want that are NOT directly related or are NOT efficient, then they should pay for it, not the drivers and owners of the motor vehicles. Same thing goes for bike paths, walking paths, "roadside art" and all the other add-ons that contribute more with each passing year to the deteriorating state of our highways, because they divert money from highway maintenance.

Mama's Note: I love animals very much - mice and other varmints aside - so don't get me wrong, but what a crock... How do they intend to teach the animals to use the tunnels? Another non-issue from the animal freaks.

Iran: Ahmadinejad bans western music
Cincinnati Enquirer
"Hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has banned all Western music from Iran's state radio and TV stations -- an eerie reminder of the 1979 Islamic revolution when popular music was outlawed as 'un-Islamic' under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Today, though, the sounds of hip-hop can be heard blaring from car radios in Tehran's streets, and Eric Clapton's 'Rush' and the Eagles' 'Hotel California' regularly accompany Iranian broadcasts." (12/19/05)

Ah! Even the Enquirer has now decided that Ahmadinejad is "hard-line." Nice. Of course, when we talk about banning music, that is very closely related to advertising and media in general, so now their ox is being gored.

Fedgov finances still tied in knots
Arizona Republic
"The federal government isn't sure what it owns, where to find it, what it cost or how much it's still worth, whether it was acquired properly, how much is owed on it or, perhaps most important, how to pay for it. Says who? Says the federal government itself, or at least its comptroller general, who is required by law to conduct an annual audit of the behemoth. For the ninth consecutive year, auditors reported last week that major parts of the nation's financial picture in fiscal 2005 remained so muddled that they were unable even to say whether anyone could rely on their findings. In a scathing assessment of rising expenditures and ballooning debt, the report said, 'It seems clear that the nation's current fiscal path is unsustainable and that tough choices by the president and the Congress are necessary (to avert a financial meltdown).'" (12/20/05)

As many have pointed out, the Indian trust fund scandal is just the tip of a very, very large iceberg. But will anyone listen to the beancounter? Really.

Mama's Note: But don't decide to suddenly stop paying your taxes. Somehow they manage to keep track of that a little better than the rest. Again, how can people think government is competent to do anything? I just remind myself of the old saying, "Be glad you are not getting all the government you are paying for!" Thank God they are not efficient.

State Budgets Boosted by Bush Tax Cuts, Analysts Say
CNSNews.com
After battling red ink for the past few years, state officials are watching their revenues increase to create budget surpluses, a development some analysts attribute to the financial growth caused by the tax cuts signed into law by President Bush in 2003...

As I recall, similar things happened after both the Kennedy and Reagan tax cuts.

Mama's Note: Ah yes, while the rest of us watch our money devalue and our own savings disappear. Why are tax cuts always discussed only in light of the effect on government revenues? God forbid the productive people of this country should get a little relief from the red ink!

S.F. Mayor: Soon no homeless on welfare
San Francisco Chronicle
"The ranks of homeless people on welfare in San Francisco shrank 84 percent over the last 18 months through the city's Care Not Cash program, and by next May, there should be no homeless people left on the rolls at all, Mayor Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday in his second annual State of Homelessness address. The best news about that development, he told a cheering crowd of city workers, homeless people and social service providers, is that about half of the 2,106 homeless people who left welfare -- 1,101 of them to be precise -- are now living in newly created housing, Newsom said. And at a time when crucial federal funding for housing and other social programs is either being cut or put in danger of cuts, that's 'not bad,' he said. 'I remember my critics saying there is no way there will be a decline in (welfare) rolls with Care Not Cash,' Newsom said. 'Well, now that's 84 percent. ... We've done a very good job with that program.'" (12/21/05)

I suspect that there are other factors at work here - perhaps as simple as loading folks up in a bus and shipping them to Nevada or someplace else. Newsom appears either subject to fits of enthusiasm (like many other mayors) or has a high opinion of the gullibility of his people (not necessarily an inaccurate opinion), if he really is saying no homeless by May of 2006 (or he has confidence in the "persuasiveness" of his cops); San Fran hasn't been without homeless people since the day the US Navy sailed in and claimed it and the rest of Alta California.

Mama's Note: And where did this "newly created housing" come from? Welfare by any other name is still the distribution of stolen goods. They just steal in more creative ways sometimes. The other problem is that some people actually prefer to be "homeless" and won't stay in the fancy digs, even for free. Yes Nathan, there will always be some homeless people in San Francisco, and everywhere else.

Senate OKs bill to cut deficit on 51-50 vote
Houston Chronicle
"The Republican-controlled Senate passed legislation today to cut federal deficits by $39.7 billion by the narrowest of margins, 51-50, with Vice President Dick Cheney casting the deciding vote. The measure, the product of a year's labors by the White House and the GOP in Congress, imposes the first restraints in nearly a decade in federal benefit programs such as Medicaid, Medicare and student loans." (12/21/05)

What a joke: $40B out of $500B? Please. As Chris Edwards of the Cato Institute said: "Passage of the ($40 billion spending reduction) bill is an important symbolic victory for fiscal conservatives in Congress, but the bill would reduce baseline spending by just a microscopic 0.3%. Note also that the bill would not actually 'cut' spending, it would just slightly reduce the explosive growth in programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Critics have complained about cuts for low-income programs in the bill. But many of the cuts are for unjustified middle-class giveaways such as student loan interest rate subsidies and nursing home benefits for middle and higher-income households."

Mama's Note: Of course they always make their "cuts" in things that people are emotionally attached to. That way "the people" demand that they put back the cuts and they can brag that they "tried." Nobody ever offers to cut things like military spending for totally unnecessary bases and troops in places like Japan, etc. Just bringing the troops home from around the world - even leaving Iraq out of it - would save enough money to help our economy substantially. They could also stop giving "foreign aid" bribes to hostile countries and toss out the UN. I can think of a dozen other ways to make real cuts that would benefit all of us. How about you?

Court rejects request to transfer Padilla custody
MSNBC
"In a sharp rebuke, a federal appeals court denied Wednesday a Bush administration request to transfer terrorism suspect Jose Padilla from military to civilian law enforcement custody. The three-judge panel of the Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said bringing criminal charges against Padilla in Florida after he had been held by the U.S. military for more than three years as an enemy combatant created the appearance the government may be attempting to avoid high court review of the controversial case." (12/21/05)

As I pointed out last week, you can't have it both ways. But I am surprised to find a judge agreeing with me.

New Jersey tourist slogan search bars sarcasm
Yahoo! News
"New Jersey, trying to overcome its reputation for corruption, traffic and toxic waste dumps, has rejected dozens of sardonic and sarcastic entries in a contest for a new tourist slogan. A list of five possible slogans released on Wednesday leaves out "New Jersey: We can always use another relative on the payroll," and "Come to New Jersey: It's not as bad as it smells." Voters get to pick the winner in the competition launched after Gov. Richard Codey nixed "New Jersey: We'll Win You Over," created by a consultant who was paid $260,000. .... The five finalists are: "New Jersey: Expect the Unexpected," "New Jersey: Love at First Sight," "New Jersey: Come See for Yourself," "New Jersey: The Real Deal" and "New Jersey: The Best Kept Secret.'" (12/21/05)

I assume that New Jersey polling places come with barf bags? And pins for your nose?

California: Court blocks video game censorship law
San Francisco Chronicle
"A federal judge on Thursday blocked a law banning the sale of violent video games to minors from going into effect on Jan. 1. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law earlier this year a bill by Assemblyman Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, that bans the sale or rental of especially violent video games to children under 18 years old unless there is parental approval. U.S. District Judge Ronald Whyte said the video game industry showed that they had a reasonable chance of winning their case based on the fact that the law violates the First Amendment rights of minors. He also questioned whether there is evidence that violent video games cause violent behavior and therefore deserve to be regulated by the state. 'The plaintiffs have shown at least that serious questions are raised concerning the states' ability to restrict minors' First Amendment rights in connection with exposure to violent video games, including the question of whether there is a causal connection between access to such games and psychological or other harm to children,' Whyte wrote in his decision." (12/22/05)

This might be an imperial court story, but the judge raises good questions that I don't think can be answered properly. Of course he also raises questions that the constitution has clearly answered, such as it is not government's business to regulate something just because it might cause violent behavior (or any other kind). Still, for now, this trick is dead, or at least in abeyance.

Russia passes NGO limits
Washington Times
"Russian lawmakers yesterday approved a widely criticized bill on nongovernmental organizations, paving the way for the Kremlin to impose strict controls on human rights groups and other civic organizations. The lower house, or State Duma, voted 376-10 in favor of the bill, which was condemned by domestic and international NGOs and the United States and other Western governments as a serious threat to democracy and civil rights. The bill, approved in a first reading in late November, still must be passed in a technical third reading tomorrow, but substantive changes can no longer be made. President Vladimir Putin called for the bill to be rewritten in the wake of international criticism, but NGOs said that after 74 pages of amendments, the bill remained draconian. 'Only the most outrageous, truly inadmissible limitations on the rights of international organizations were dropped,' said Oleg Orlov, chairman of Memorial, Russia's most prominent rights group. 'The bill still provides for widespread and arbitrary repression of Russian and international NGOs.'" (12/22/05)

I really can understand WHY they are doing this - NGOs as a rule are a bunch of busybody do-gooders which should be as welcome as the plague. And how can ANY organization have "rights"? (People have rights as individuals, not as groups.) But it makes it clear that Russia is running away from any pretense of democratic institutions.

India: Fall in love, risk a police thrashing
Reuters
"Outrage and protests mounted in India Wednesday after TV channels showed police officers repeatedly slapping, punching and pulling the hair of young women on a date in a public park in a north Indian city. ... Since Tuesday, shocked TV viewers in India have been watching images of female officers pummeling and abusing crying young women in Meerut in what the media is calling 'moral policing.' TV footage also showed male policemen with sticks surrounding the scared women and taking them to women officers who beat them. Several of their male companions were beaten also. The police operation, termed 'operation Romeo,' in a popular park in Meerut Monday was touted by police as a move to prevent sexual harassment of women. It turned out to be something very different. In Meerut, students shouting 'Down with police dictatorship' have staged demonstrations and burned effigies of police officers." (12/21/05)

This is an example of why such "moral policing" is a bad idea: it too easily turns into an abusive, aggressive, "do it my way" sort of thing, instead of allowing people to make their own choices even if they hurt themselves.

House GOP work on oil and gas exploration bill
Houston Chronicle
"House Republican leaders worked late tonight on a bill that would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northern Alaska to oil and gas exploration. The GOP leaders had to quell a rebellion of moderate Republicans to pass a Defense Department spending bill that included language that would grant energy companies access to what's believed to be the largest, untapped oil deposit left onshore in the United States. The real battle could come this week over in the Senate, where Democrats have vowed to try to strip the drilling language from the legislation." (12/18/05)

This week was big in the continuing saga of ANWR. We had, ala soap opera, daily episodes, starting with this.

House OKs budget cuts, ANWR oil drilling
Detroit Free Press
"The House voted to cut a thin slice off federal deficits and sink oil drills into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge early Monday, quelling Democratic opposition in a marathon struggle ending near dawn. The votes sent both bills to the Senate, where the GOP leadership vowed to clear them for President Bush's signature with a year-end flourish." (12/19/05)

Everyone on the right got excited. But as we shall see, the GOP "leadership" (is that now an oxymoron?) failed, as usual.

ANWR battle rages in Senate
Fairbanks News-Miner
"House of Representatives approval of oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was less than five hours old Monday morning when senators took up the debate .... When the Senate opened its floor session at 9:30 a.m., Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., asked how his colleagues could even consider approving the same bill. The conference committee that merged the House and Senate versions Sunday clearly violated a Senate rule by adding the ANWR rider, he said. ... A successful point of order would block the bill's passage. To avoid that result, Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens and other pro-drilling senators are expected to try to reject the parliamentarian's ruling, a move that would mock the Senate's own rules, Feingold said. Stevens agreed that the Senate rule prohibits the addition of the ANWR language. However, he said, other rules also allow senators the flexibility to temporarily waive the restriction by rejecting the parliamentarian's decision." (12/20/05)

As the saga continues, the propaganda machines and the "me Senator, me smart; everyone else stupid" syndrome kicks in.

Senate blocks defense bill over ANWR provisions
Fox News
"The Senate blocked the defense spending bill Wednesday in order to force out provisions on oil drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. The measure had been put into a must-pass defense spending bill in an attempt to get the drilling through the Senate despite opposition. Drilling supporters fell four votes short of getting the required 60 votes to avoid a threatened filibuster of the defense measure over the oil drilling issue. Senate leaders were expected to withdraw the legislation so it could be reworked without the refuge language. The vote was 56-44." (12/21/05)

The drama continues - will the filibuster work? Stay tuned! Note, the first signs of the usual GOP chickening-out have been sighted.

Senate blocks Alaska refuge drilling
Indianapolis Star
"The Senate blocked opening the nation's largest untapped oil reserve in an Alaska wildlife refuge Wednesday, denying President Bush his top energy priority and delivering a victory to environmentalists who said drilling would threaten wildlife. It was a stinging defeat for Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, one of the Senate's most powerful members, who had hoped to garner more votes by putting the measure onto a defense spending bill. That forced senators to choose between supporting the drilling measure, or risking the political fallout from voting against money for the troops and hurricane victims." (12 /21/05)

The latest, for now (Holiday break, remember) as the propagandists chalk up a temporary victory, at least.

Stupid People Tricks
Heaven forbid that the people of this nation (or any other, for that matter) leave stupidity to the government. We have loads of all kinds and flavors of stupid acts this week. Ten articles this week, with the New York transit strike for dessert. Yum!

Bill, Melinda Gates, Bono "Persons of the Year"
MacWorld
"Time Magazine has named Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates, his wife Melinda and musician Bono as its 'Persons of the year' for their charitable work, it said over the weekend. The three grace the cover of the Dec. 26 edition of Time Magazine, which goes on wide sale from Monday. They received the magazine's annual honor 'for being shrewd about doing good, for rewiring politics and re-engineering justice, for making mercy smarter and hope strategic and then daring the rest of us to follow,' it said." (12/19/05)

If TIME ever had any integrity, this puts the last nail in its coffin. To consider any of these people as role models is sick, sick, sick.

Bush's approval rating rises
Indianapolis Star
"According to the latest Washington Post-ABC News Poll, Bush's overall approval rating rose to 47 percent, up from 39 percent in early November, with 52 percent saying they disapprove of how he is handling his job. His approval rating on Iraq jumped 10 percentage points since early November to 46 percent, while his rating on the economy rose 11 percentage points to 47 percent. A clear majority, 56 percent, said they approve of the way Bush is handling the fight against terrorism -- a traditional strong point in his reputation that nonetheless had flagged to 48 percent in the November poll. But a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll taken before Bush addressed the nation Sunday night shows his job-approval rating was 41 percent, a bit higher than his low of 37 percent last month. According to this poll, his approval rating on Iraq was 37 percent." (12/20/05)

Poll numbers are nothing to be trusted, whether they go up or down, whether you support or hate the president, or just disagree with him. And except to the extent that he might have a bearing on his replacement, they really don't make any difference. Nobody gets to vote on him for anything again, and fortunately impeachment is not a popularity contest.

Donors underwrite DeLay's deluxe lifestyle
Cincinnati Enquirer
"As Tom DeLay became a king of campaign fundraising, he lived like one too. He visited cliff-top Caribbean resorts, golf courses designed by PGA champions and four-star restaurants - all courtesy of donors who bankrolled his political money empire. Over the past six years, the former House majority leader and his associates have visited places of luxury most Americans have never seen, often getting there aboard corporate jets arranged by lobbyists and other special interests." (12/20/05)

This may (but I doubt it) vary in DEGREE from what virtually every other Kongrus-krittur enjoys, but certainly not in KIND. As far as 90% of Americans are concerned, Senators and Representatives DO live like royalty, or at least very wealthy nobility.

Delay files for reelection to 12th term
Houston Chronicle
"U.S. Rep. Tom Delay, who relinquished his House leadership post after he was indicted on money laundering charges, officially filed today for election to a 12th term representing the 22nd Congressional District in suburban Houston. Rather than pay a filing fee, the Sugar Land Republican filed by petition to the state GOP, delivering nearly 1,000 signatures from registered voters in the district, twice the number required." (12/20/05)

I fully expect his constituents to reelect him - they've got a good deal going, indicted or not.

Indicted lobbyist's web extends to the Pacific
MSNBC
"Indicted former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff was secretly hired by Guam to fight a proposal in Congress to reorganize the Pacific island's judicial system, according to an audit just released by Guam's public auditor. Abramoff received payments of nearly $325,000 for his lobbying efforts. The disclosures about the payments to Abramoff came in an audit of the Guam Superior Court's Judicial Building Fund. The court's building fund was the source of the money that was channeled to Abramoff." (12/20/05)

Speaking of a good deal - what's a little government-to-government lobbying and bribery between friends? Guam is well known for this sort of thing, and maybe it would be odder if Abramoff hadn't found a way to skim a little gravy off of them.

Jury awards millions to Wal-Mart workers
CNN
"A California jury on Thursday awarded $172 million to thousands of employees at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. who claimed they were illegally denied lunch breaks. The world's largest retailer was ordered to pay $57 million in general damages and $115 million in punitive damages to about 116,000 current and former California employees for violating a 2001 state law that requires employers to give 30-minute, unpaid lunch breaks to employees who work at least six hours." (12/22/05)

Although this seems to me like a very stupid state law that impairs private contracts, this kind of class-action lawsuit is usually a cover for a bunch of scheming lawyers and other lowlife types. I suspect that virtually all of this money will go to attorneys and a few "key" players while the workers who were harmed (if indeed they were) get almost nothing.

Mama's Note: A relative of mine has worked for many years at WalMart. She says this is absolute bunk. I've worked in many places where I was forced to leave my post for a "lunch break" when I didn't want or need to. I've also worked in situations where I just marked the lunch period on the time card and got on with my work, sometimes taking off half an hour earlier so I could get home sooner. People are going to do that kind of thing no matter how many "laws" are passed. I can guarantee you this was simply a blood sucking operation by the lawyers and a few greedy employees at WalMart.

New York City: Transit workers strike
Sarasota Herald Tribune
"Subways and buses ground to a halt Tuesday morning as transit workers walked off the job following days of acrimonious labor talks. The walkout threatened to plunge the city into chaos by forcing more than 7 million daily riders to find new ways to get around. Authorities began locking turnstiles and shuttering subway entrances shortly after the Transport Workers Union ordered the strike. The city began bracing for a rush hour filled with disorder. At one subway booth, a handwritten sign read, 'Strike in Effect. Station Closed. Happy Holidays!!!!'" (12/20/05)

We got treated to a blow-by-blow series of reports on this, which I admit just made me again congratulate myself on promising NEVER to live within 100 miles of NYC.

Court fines NYC transit union $1M a day
Las Vegas Review-Journal
"Commuters trudged through the freezing cold, rode bicycles and shared cabs Tuesday as New York's bus and subway workers went on strike for the first time in more than 25 years and stranded millions of riders at the height of the Christmas rush. A judge slapped the union with a $1 million-a-day fine. The sanction was levied against the Transport Workers Union for violating a state law that bars public employees from going on strike. The city and state had asked that the union be hit with a 'very potent fine.'" (12/20/05)

Aren't you glad you don't live in Greater New York? (Well, I assume that most of my readers don't live there - and if you do, as I say to parents with kids in GRTF schools: get out!) Masses of people stacked on top of each other, a nanny government of the most nannyish, unions like nowhere else, even in UWMA country, and a very fragile infrastructure: too much for me.

NY Transit Union Risking Workers' Jobs, Group Says
CNSNews.com
A right to work group said New York City's transit workers union is not only holding the city "hostage" by authorizing an "illegal mass transit strike" that shut down bus and subway service, but the union is also risking the jobs of transit workers...

After several days, the antiunion forces got in gear.

Jail possible for strike leaders
Forbes
"The city and state stepped up their pressure on striking transit workers Wednesday in hopes of forcing them back to work, and a judge said sending union leaders to jail was a "distinct possibility." State Supreme Court Justice Theodore Jones, who is hearing several legal issues related to the strike, directed attorneys from the Transport Workers Union to bring president Roger Toussaint and other top officials before the court Thursday to answer to a criminal contempt charge. He said he may sentence the union leaders to jail for refusing to end the strike, calling such a scenario a "distinct possibility." (12/21/05)

Escalating on both sides, as New York loses another day of profits.

Spying and the USA Patriot Act
A big issue in the news this week, as it should be: the revelations about spying and other forms of police state activities came up as a royal fuss erupted in the House and Senate, finally, over renewal of the infamous act, which will someday, I am sure, be discussed in the history books along with the Alien and Sedition Acts.

These articles could go in "Stupid Government Tricks" or in "Home Front" and several other places. The entire business of government spying in various ways and the USA Patriot Act renewal are all kind of linked together and was prominent in the news for the entire week. We have 13 stories, nine dealing with the spy business, and three with the renewal business.

President Bush Takes Questions on Secret Wiretaps
CNS News
As the commander in chief, President Bush said he has the authority and responsibility to protect the country. At a Monday morning press conference, he said he "absolutely" had the legal authority to order warrantless wiretaps on American citizens with al Qaeda connections, surveillance that was subject to strict limitations and Congressional consultation, he added...

I will agree that combat intelligence has generally been considered NOT to be subject to the same constitutional limitations that "police" intelligence has - but if that is the case, it would mean that legal/judicial action based on that information would be prohibited - although it would be clear that overt combat action COULD be taken. The last time we really faced this issue in the United States was in the War Between the States, and many people have rightly condemned Abe Lincoln for his cavalier attitude towards the constitution, whatever his claims for justification. And for the most part, combat took precedence over court action: even after the South surrendered, neither the soldiers nor officers were prosecuted for either their "traitorous actions" nor for what would normally be considered crimes, including murder, theft, arson, and even "disobedience of state officials." I don't think you can have it both ways: either someone is an enemy combatant and not subject to any but the laws of war, or they are a civilian and subject to the civil and criminal laws - AND entitled to all protections for the accused as well.

Politicians Question Bush's Domestic Spying Effort
CNS News
Democrats and some Republicans want Congress to investigate President Bush's decision to authorize the National Security Agency to secretly monitor the communications of suspected terrorists inside the United States -- without court approval...

This got a lot of coverage this week, obviously. While I'll reserve most of my comments for the separate article, suffice to say that sometimes people can rise above their partisan political labels to say "This is wrong." Sadly, too many do not, and far too many Demos are opposing this because it is Bush, NOT because it is wrong in and of itself.

Wiretap criticism goes bipartisan
Boston Globe
"Lawmakers from both parties yesterday questioned the legality of the Bush administration's secret wiretapping -- done without court approval -- of US citizens and foreign nationals, even as the White House continued to defend the intercepts as critical to stopping potential terrorist attacks. Three prominent Republican senators -- Arlen Specter, John McCain and Lindsey Graham -- appeared on Sunday talk shows and called for investigations into the matter, intensifying public pressure on the Bush administration, which has stuck by its decision to allow domestic spying. The senators said the wiretapping might violate the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which requires special federal court approval of any surveillance of US citizens conducted for intelligence purposes on American soil." (12/19/05)

The next story in the series, as more and more publicity is generated.

FBI watched activist groups
NY Times
"Counterterrorism agents at the Federal Bureau of Investigation have conducted numerous surveillance and intelligence-gathering operations that involved, at least indirectly, groups active in causes as diverse as the environment, animal cruelty and poverty relief, newly disclosed agency records show. F.B.I. officials said Monday that their investigators had no interest in monitoring political or social activities and that any investigations that touched on advocacy groups were driven by evidence of criminal or violent activity at public protests and in other settings. .... One FBI document indicates that agents in Indianapolis planned to conduct surveillance as part of a "Vegan Community Project." Another document talks of the Catholic Workers group's "semi-communistic ideology." A third indicates the bureau's interest in determining the location of a protest over llama fur planned by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals." (12/20/05)

Supposedly Friends (Quakers) were also targeted. This is the result of the above actions and the laws discussed below, and if people cannot see what kind of a nation we have become as a result of this sort of thing, there is almost nothing we can do to convince them that they have lost much of what is considered "freedom."

Judge resigns to protest Bush spying program
USA Today
"A federal judge has resigned from a special court set up to oversee government surveillance, apparently in protest of President Bush's secret authorization of a domestic spying program on people with suspected terrorist ties. U.S. District Judge James Robertson would not comment Wednesday on his resignation, but The Washington Post reported that it stemmed from deep concern that the surveillance program Bush authorized was legally questionable and may have tainted the work of the court." (12/21/05)

If this judge (and many others) hadn't made such a hash of this entire business, we might see this as a more serious protest. Still, at least SOMEONE with some power had some guts to do something serious to say "this is wrong."

Bush Had 'Constitutional' and 'Statutory' Authority, Some Say
CNS News
The administration's line on the "domestic spying" flap is this: both the Constitution and the law allowed President Bush to authorize wiretaps, without a court order, on Americans with ties to al Qaeda. Both Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales have used that defense in the past 24 hours...

Such tap dancing! I've had a lot more thoughts on this, so look for a separate article to be published on TPoL. This brings us back to an issue never really answered in all of US history: who is REALLY responsible for interpreting the Constitution? And when is enough enough?

Mama's Note: The constitution doesn't NEED any "interpretation." It is written in very plain English and there is no real question what any of it means. Only a moral population, bound by strict personal integrity, could hope to follow such a document. History is the best proof that such a population does not exist now. I don't know that it ever did - or ever will this side of heaven.

Bush vigorously defends domestic spying
Las Vegas Review-Journal
"Accused of acting above the law, President Bush forcefully defended a domestic spying program on Monday as an effective tool in disrupting terrorists and insisted it was not an abuse of Americans' civil liberties. Bush said it was 'a shameful act' for someone to have leaked details to the media. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said it was 'probably the most classified program that exists in the United States government' -- involving electronic intercepts of telephone calls and e-mails in the U.S. of people with known ties to al-Qaida and other terrorist groups." (12/19/05)

"Black is white." "War is Peace." "Love is Hate." "Domestic spying on Americans does not abuse American's liberties." Please. Not that I believe that the judge has any standing to complain about false dealing - his record smells to high heaven.

Mama's Note: Just why would anyone be content to allow such spying "with the approval of a judge?" Who do the judges work for? They work for the government and answer to those who wish to snoop into private lives. There is no protection there. Most "search warrants" are now blank checks, given out in handfuls - or truckloads for all I know. The cops fill in the details AFTER the fact - when they bother at all. What makes anyone thing permission to spy on people would be any different?

Bipartisan call for wiretapping probe
CNN
"Three Democratic and two Republican senators have sent a letter to the leaders of the Senate's Judiciary and Intelligence committees, asking for an 'immediate inquiry' into President Bush's authorization of a secret wiretapping program. 'We write to express our profound concern about recent revelations that the United States government may have engaged in domestic electronic surveillance without appropriate legal authority,' says the letter, which was signed by Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein, Carl Levin and Ron Wyden, as well as GOP Sens. Chuck Hagel and Olympia Snowe." (12/20/05)

Unfortunately, neither Hagel nor Snowe are conservatives, who so far are conspicuous by their absence.

Roberts "puzzled" by Rockefeller's concerns
Washington Times
"The chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence yesterday scathingly disputed claims by Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV that he harbored deep concerns about the Bush administration's warrantless domestic surveillance program when he was briefed on the matter. Sen. Pat Roberts, Kansas Republican and chairman of the normally apolitical committee, said he was 'puzzled' by a letter that Mr. Rockefeller, West Virginia Democrat and vice chairman of the committee, said he sent to Vice President Dick Cheney in 2003 after one such briefing. 'In his letter ... Senator Rockefeller asserts that he had lingering concerns about the program designed to protect the American people from another attack, but was prohibited from doing anything about it,' Mr. Roberts said in a statement yesterday. 'A United States Senator has significant tools with which to wield power and influence over the executive branch. Feigning helplessness is not one of those tools.'" (12/21/05)

My oh my, you don't suppose a Rockefeller could be padding his resume, do you? I think this is "hand in the cookie jar" talk.

Bank fined for poor performance as government spy
CNN
"U.S. bank regulators and supervisors announced Monday that ABN AMRO Bank N.V. will have to pay an $80 million penalty in connection with findings the bank failed to comply with U.S. anti-money laundering laws. The Federal Reserve, New York and Illinois state bank supervisory agencies, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control said they had found defects in the bank's internal controls against money laundering in branches in New York and Chicago." (12/19/05)

Gee, it might cut into their profits. If they didn't abide by the laws, it is almost certainly because they made a lot more money by ignoring the laws, and figured that they would do so even after paying the fines (which are just another cost of doing business) - I've never known a bank who wasn't willing and eager to pass on every conceivable government regulation to its customers.

Bush ratchets up Patriot Act pressure
CNet News
" President Bush and his allies on Wednesday lashed out at senators, both Republicans and Democrats, who want to include civil liberties reforms in any long-term renewal of the Patriot Act. In remarks to reporters outside the White House, Bush said that "this obstruction is inexcusable" and warned that "the expiration of this vital law will endanger America." .... In an attempt to ratchet up pressure on the Senate for a longer, four-year extension, administration functionaries echoed Bush's remarks in a series of public appearances Wednesday. Bush spokesman Scott McClellan accused Senate Democrats of "putting politics before our national security" and playing "pure obstructionist politics." McClellan indicated that Bush would not sign a temporary renewal. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff also held a press briefing to urge a speedy vote." (12/21/05)

Baloney of the richest and smelliest kind. But it appeared to work as we see later in the week.

Senate compromises, passes 6 month Patriot Act extension
Yahoo! News
"The Senate passed a six-month extension of the USA Patriot Act late Wednesday night, hoping to avoid the expiration of law enforcement powers deemed vital in the war on terror. .... The Senate vote Wednesday night capped several days of backroom negotiation conducted against the backdrop of presidential attacks on critics of the legislation. The extension gives critics - who successfully filibustered a House-Senate compromise that would have made most of the law permanent - more time to seek civil liberty safeguards in the law. Democrats and their allies had originally asked for a three-month extension, and the Senate's Republican majority had offered a one-year extension. The final deal split the difference. .... President Bush, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Republican congressional leaders have lobbied fiercely to get the House-Senate compromise passed, and issued dire warnings of what would happen if the Patriot Act expires. Most of the Patriot Act - which expanded the government's surveillance and prosecutorial powers against suspected terrorists, their associates and financiers - was made permanent when Congress overwhelmingly passed it after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington. Making permanent the rest of the Patriot Act powers, like the roving wiretaps which allow investigators to listen in on any telephone and tap any computer they think a target might use, has been a priority of the Bush administration and Republican lawmakers." (12/22/05)

Not much of a victory, but something. But wait! It ain't over yet! See the next story.

Congress approves shorter Patriot extension
USA Today
"Congress on Thursday approved a one-month extension of the Patriot Act and sent it to President Bush in a pre-Christmas scramble to prevent many of its anti-terrorism provisions from expiring Dec. 31. The Senate, with only Sen. John Warner, R-Va., present, approved the Feb. 3 expiration date four hours after the House, with a nearly empty chamber, bowed to Rep. James Sensenbrenner's refusal to agree to a six-month extension. Congress can pass legislation with only a few lawmakers present as long as no member of the House or Senate objects. The Senate session lasted four minutes." (12/22/05)

The last step in the saga - for now. Of course, maybe Bush will have a senior moment and veto it out of spite.

Ohio: Pols threaten public with state "Patriot Act"
Yahoo! News
"One state representative said it resembles Gestapo-style tactics of government, and there could be changes coming on the streets of Ohio's small towns and big cities. The Ohio Patriot Act has made it to the Taft's desk, and with the stroke of a pen, it would most likely become the toughest terrorism bill in the country. The lengthy piece of legislation would let police arrest people in public places who will not give their names, address and birth dates, even if they are not doing anything wrong. WEWS reported it would also pave the way for everyone entering critical transportation sites such as, train stations, airports and bus stations to show ID. 'It brings us frighteningly close to a show me your papers society,' said Carrie Davis of the ACLU, which opposes the Ohio Patriot Act." [FND editor's note: "Frighteningly close," my a** -- we're there already - TLK] (12/22/05)

This concludes our USA Patriot Act section - this particular story (and location) sounds like old War Between The States days, doesn't it? Ohio's record (like Indiana's) during that War was rather more ignominious than is reported in 99% of the text books, because this sort of goonism was par for the course then. Expect other states to follow.

New York: Police infiltrate protests
New York Times
"Undercover New York City police officers have conducted covert surveillance in the last 16 months of people protesting the Iraq war, bicycle riders taking part in mass rallies and even mourners at a street vigil for a cyclist killed in an accident, a series of videotapes show. ... The officers hoist protest signs. They hold flowers with mourners. They ride in bicycle events. At the vigil for the cyclist, an officer in biking gear wore a button that said, 'I am a shameless agitator.' She also carried a camera and videotaped the roughly 15 people present. Beyond collecting information, some of the undercover officers or their associates are seen on the tape having influence on events. At a demonstration last year during the Republican National Convention, the sham arrest of a man secretly working with the police led to a bruising confrontation between officers in riot gear and bystanders." (12/22/05)

As I said, Ohio is not the only one. New York has been tarred with this sort of thing quite often, going a long ways back - in fact, once more I am reminded of the War Between the States and the deadly draft riots which convulsed New York for weeks in 1863, and then election riots in 1864.

Miscellaneous News
We have a "theft by government" article from Arizona, a few tech and medical items, and a few updates from the War on Some Drugs this week. Lots of fun - but expect more of these kinds of things after the first of the year.

Arizona: Tribe plays hardball over freeway
Arizona Republic
"Though Ahwatukee residents want the proposed South Mountain Freeway built on Gila River Indian Community land, there is little evidence that tribal leaders are ready to make a deal allowing the $1 billion freeway to be built on the reservation. Even if state highway planners eventually begin discussions with the tribe, and there is no sign of that now, a lingering history of tense relations between tribal and non-tribal governments and complex land-ownership rules on the reservation make building the freeway on tribal lands a long shot. On planners' maps for 20 years, the road would loop south and west of South Mountain to connect Interstate 10 in the southeast Valley with I-10 in the West Valley. The last leg of Loop 202, it was designed to unclog downtown freeways by diverting some I-10 traffic around central Phoenix. The long-envisioned route slices through what are now heavily developed communities south of South Mountain. While Ahwatukee homeowners and businesses do not want their properties razed to make way for the freeway, a majority of tribal members do not want it on their land either." (12/19/05)

Tribal sovereignty may keep this theft from taking place, but when you look at the campaign contributions, don't be surprised to see Congress (once more of how many thousands of times) steal some more Indian land.

'Landmark' Embryonic Stem Cell Claims Unraveling
CNS News
The world's biggest "breakthrough" in embryonic stem cell research is in doubt after South Korean cloning scientist Hwang Woo-suk, having already admitted unethical research practices, reportedly confessed to faking key parts of his data...

Wholesale fraud, apparently, (see the next story) including using photos from other peoples' research - which makes this a big disappointment to many people. And despite Don Ho's touting of his salvation by stem cell techniques, we still don't have a clear understanding of what this will gain over non-embryonic research.

Panel: Scientist faked stem cell results
Cincinnati Enquirer
"South Korean researcher Hwang Woo-suk faked results of at least nine of 11 stem-cell lines he claimed to have created, a deliberate deception that has undermined the credibility of science, his university said Friday. The announcement by Seoul National University of results so far in its investigation into Hwang's work were the first confirmation of allegations that have cast a shadow over his entire list of breakthroughs in cloning and stem-cell technology." (12/22/05)

It is very sad when this sort of thing happens. Unfortunately, it is more common than we realize.

Mama's Note: I really don't understand why scientists would do this. One of the major parts of any research project is publication so that other scientists can replicate the results. Replication is the ONLY acceptable proof of research and no further funding could be obtained until others could duplicate the results of the earlier work. If that safety loop has been removed, and I don't know why it would be, all research is compromised. What a shame.

Australia Urged to End Ban on Embryonic Stem Cell Cloning
CNS News
A three-year-old ban in Australia on the cloning of human embryos for their stem cells should be lifted, a major report prepared for the government has recommended. It said the government should permit, under license, human "somatic cell nuclear transfer" - a scientific term for the manufacturing in a lab of an early-stage human being, whose stem cells are then removed for research...

This call was a result of the success of the South Korean research, but even though that now appears to be bogus, don't hold your breath expect this call to be withdrawn.

Generic AIDS drug gets initial approval
Arizona Republic
"A generic version of a pediatric AIDS drug received preliminary approval Wednesday from the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA said it was giving tentative approval for Stavudine, an anti-retroviral drug considered child-friendly that is manufactured by Aurobindo Pharma Ltd. of Hyderabad, India. Stavudine for oral solution is the first generic version of the previously approved Zerit for oral solution, manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb. The generic version meets FDA manufacturing, safety and efficacy standards but will not be marketed in the United States for patent-exclusivity reasons, the agency said. The approval does mean, however, that the generic version can be used by relief organizations outside the United States funded by President Bush's $15 billion AIDS-relief plan." (12/22/05)

Good news, if it really is working. But it still sounds as if a lot of people who did a lot of work are getting stiffed.

Mama's Note: There is significant evidence to show that the drugs kill far more people than the disease they're supposed to be treating. The pharmacological people are gaining far too much control over the lives of people through their governments, while raking in billions of mostly taxpayer money. The whole thing has a very, very bad smell to it.

Customs agents seize counterfeit Tamiflu
Cincinnati Enquirer
"Customs agents have intercepted more than 50 shipments of counterfeit Tamiflu, the antiviral drug being stockpiled in anticipation of a bird flu pandemic, marking the first such seizures in the U.S., authorities said Sunday. The first package was intercepted Nov. 26 at an air mail facility near San Francisco International Airport, said Roxanne Hercules, a spokeswoman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Since then, agents have seized 51 separate packages, each containing up to 50 counterfeit capsules labeled generic Tamiflu." (12/18/05)

I will agree that counterfeit medicines are a serious problem, and potentially can kill people or let them die. But leaving it up to government to prevent or stop them is just asking for trouble. It should be pharmacists and the patients who are paying attention and taking action, NOT a bunch of customs burro-rats.

Mama's Note: I suspect that the only thing counterfeit about this stuff was the label. Government has, once again, manufactured a "crisis" and lots of people will get very rich providing stuff like this. The alarming thing is that Tamiflu is not likely to be much use in the event of a major epidemic.

California: Pot club owners' home raided
San Francisco Chronicle
"About a dozen federal agents raided the home of a couple who operate a local medicinal marijuana club early today, seizing 122 plants and an estimated $20,000 in assets. Shortly after noon, several agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration remained in vans outside the club at 223 Ninth St. in the South of Market [San Francisco] neighborhood, apparently waiting for a warrant to search it as well. A crowd was growing around the club, including protesters carrying signs supporting the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. California voters legalized medicinal pot use in 1996, but it remains against federal law. No local law enforcement officers took part in the raid on the home of the club's operators, Steve and Catherine Smith, activists said. The raid happened at 6:30 a.m. on the 200 block of Clara Street, a few blocks away from their Hopenet Co-op. The club is next door to the California Marijuana Party, an organization that lobbies for the national legalization of medicinal use of the drug." (12/20/05)

The federal effort continues, but at least local and state agencies didn't participate directly.

Federal study: Teenage drug use continues to drop
Washington Times
"Teenagers' use of illicit drugs continued to decline in 2005, with sharp drops in the use of methamphetamines and steroids, an annual national survey reported yesterday. Misuse of household products, which some teens inhale, and prescription drugs, which teens obtain in homes or over the Internet, were areas of renewed concern, government officials said. The overall decline in teen drug use is 'quite remarkable news,' Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said at a press conference on the 30th Monitoring the Future survey." [FND editor's note: The only sad part is, NIDA and other meddlers will now claim they did it, rather than the parents and peers whose influence and actions made it happen.- SAT] (12/20/05)

This is, I agree with Steve, good news. But let us see if the trend continues, and see if people can really figure out why.

Utah: Partygoers consider rave class action suit
Daily Herald
"Legal proceedings against Utah County officials over two law enforcement raids on large raves this summer could expand to include allegations that officials violated the rights of all the people who attended the parties."We're considering filing a separate lawsuit for the people in attendance," said Brian Barnard, a Salt Lake City attorney who is representing the plaintiffs in the case. The organizers of the raves, which took place July 16 and Aug. 20 in Spanish Fork Canyon, and the owners of the property where they occurred already have filed suit in federal court, alleging the Utah County sheriff's officers went too far when they shut down the rave and forced everyone off the property. "The current lawsuit is on behalf of the landowner and the promoters," Barnard said. "It essentially asks the sheriff to leave them alone." (12/21/05)

This might go in several sections. We've included this incident and its aftermath several times, but it will be dragging on for years.