Libertarian Commentary on the News, 28 May to 03 June, 2006 -- Page 2

Stupid Government Tricks

Veterans official steps down after theft
USA Today
"A Veterans Affairs deputy assistant secretary who didn't immediately notify top officials about a theft of 26.5 million veterans' personal information is stepping down, citing missteps that led to the security breach. Michael McLendon, deputy assistant secretary for policy who supervised the VA data analyst who lost the data, said he would relinquish his high-level post on Friday. The data analyst also will be dismissed while the acting head of the division in which he worked, Dennis Duffy, has been placed on administrative leave, VA Secretary Jim Nicholson said Tuesday." (05/30/06)

Finally.

Mama's Note: Unfortunately, this doesn't fix the problem or even remotely reduce the chance it will happen again. The mass collection of data by those with no incentive to protect it is the problem.

FBI comes up empty in search for Hoffa
Lima News
"The FBI said Tuesday it found no trace of Jimmy Hoffa after digging up a suburban Detroit horse farm in one of the most intensive searches in decades for the former Teamsters boss. The two-week search involved dozens of FBI agents, along with anthropologists, archaeologists, cadaver-sniffing dogs and a demolition crew that took apart a barn. Louis Fischetti, supervisory agent with the Detroit FBI, said the tip that led agents to the farm was the best federal authorities had received since 1976." (05/30/06)

Stupid, eh? I thought the Feebs were short on manpower and money. Sounds like they've still got too much of both, to waste their time like this. This sort of thing should be left to the Dan Browns of the world.

Bush taps Paulson for Treasury Secretary
Alexandria Town Talk
"Goldman Sachs chief Henry Paulson was tapped Tuesday to be the next Treasury secretary by President Bush, who turned to a 32-year Wall Street veteran to help breathe new life into his economic agenda and revive his troubled presidency. It marked the latest in a string of major changes in the president's personnel lineup that started two months ago with the replacement of Bush's chief of staff and has grown to include his CIA director, budget chief and top trade representative." (05/30/06)

What bothered me the most about this new appointee is that he is on the board of The Nature Conservancy, that pseudo-conservation/preservation organization that has made a culture of special deals for rich people and sometimes seems to be seeking a return of all private land to government ownership (except for that owned by their board members and their buddies, of course).

Former Abramoff partner testifies on ties to GOP lawmakers
CNN
"A former congressional aide and lobbyist described Tuesday how he obtained insider information, advice and assistance from Bush administration procurement chief David Safavian to advance two projects for Republican influence-peddler Jack Abramoff, who then took the official on a lavish golf trip to Scotland. The aide, Neil Volz, who was a partner of Abramoff's at the time, also outlined how the Abramoff team received assistance from several Republican congressmen including, Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, and Rep. Steven LaTourette, R-Ohio." (05/30/06)

Wonder if they are going to ask about ties to Democratic congrus-kritturs?

DC closer to gaining full voice in House
Boston Globe
"The District of Columbia is making historic and startling progress in its effort to gain full voting rights in the House of Representatives, as a compromise between Democrats and Republicans to permanently increase the size of the House to 437 members gains momentum. A Republican, Representative Tom Davis of Virginia, is brokering a deal that would give the district's delegate full representative status , a change that would give the overwhelmingly Democratic district a vote in the House. In exchange, another seat would be awarded to Utah, a heavily Republican state expected to gain a new seat in Congress after reapportionment following the 2010 Census. The size of the House has been fixed at 435 since 1911, except for 1959-1963, when it was increased to 437 to give new states Hawaii and Alaska a vote each. The House returned to 435 members after districts were redrawn based on 1960 Census data." (05/30/06)

This article makes me sick - these congressmen are so unable to understand the idea of federal government and the difference between states and a federal district that they turn it into a political trading game. I fail to understand how this can be accomplished without a series of constitutional amendments, but these idiots are apparently trying to make the constitution even more of a dead letter than it is. Yet, notice how quick they are to claim "constitutional protection" when they get caught with their hands in the till. Solution: DC was a part of Maryland: if people who live in DC want to be represented in Congress, add them to Maryland and let them be one or more congressional districts in Maryland. For people in DC for only a few years, like various government employees, treat them like we do military overseas: they maintain voting rights in their home states, not in DC. And get rid of the DC government entirely: contract out the whole thing under GSA, and allow private companies to provide utilities etc. to non-government properties.

CA: Sheriffs find gold mine in double-dipping
San Francisco Chronicle
"It pays to stay in law enforcement, even when you retire. Just ask the elected sheriffs in Contra Costa and Alameda counties, each of whom is pulling in more than $300,000 a year in pay and retirement benefits while working full time. Contra Costa County Sheriff Warren Rupf, 62, hopes to keep his double-draw going for another four years by winning re-election to a fourth term next month. Alameda County Sheriff Charles Plummer, who is 75, however, will call it quits in January after 54 years in law enforcement -- the last 19 1/2 as sheriff. For both men, the longevity has paid off big-time." (05/29/06)

More and more states are establishing term limits to end this kind of thing. But the local governments could also end it in a heartbeat by prohibiting double-dipping.

US to repeal phone tax, refund billions
MSNBC
"The U.S. Treasury Department Thursday conceded a legal dispute over the 3 percent federal excise tax on long-distance telephone service and said $13 billion would be refunded to taxpayers. The telecommunications industry hailed the decision in the long-fought battle to kill a 1898 law, established as a luxury tax on wealthy Americans who owned telephones and to help finance costs of waging the Spanish-American war. ... 'So taxpayers won't have to spend time digging through old telephone bills, we're designing a straightforward process that taxpayers may use when they file their tax returns next year,' said IRS Commissioner Mark Everson. 'Claiming a refund will be simple and fair.'" (05/25/06)

An "emergency" tax that lasted 107 years - and will probably be reenacted by this Congress or the next one. Yet, most laws define "perpetual" as being somewhere between 30 and 50 years - when it comes to providing government guarantees.

Mama's Note: Anything the government says will be "simple and fair," needs to be watched closely. It is apt to be neither one, of course, and most people won't get much of anything. At least it will be nice to have one small tax repealed, even if only for a short time.

Repairman unleashes terror on Capitol
CNN
"A House office building reopened Friday afternoon after investigators determined a report of gunshots in a parking garage probably came from worker using an air hammer, according to sources. The Rayburn House Office Building was locked down Friday morning after a congressman reported what he thought were gunshots in the building's garage, prompting armed police to conduct a room-by-room search of the complex. ... At one point, he said, an FBI SWAT team arrived and ordered everyone to put their hands over their heads -- including members of Congress -- and 'frog-marched us out of the committee room' to be run through a metal detector." [Editor's note: Uh, you think our leaders are getting a bit, well, paranoid? Thanks to Strike the Root for the headline - MLS] (05/26/06)

I thought that Congress didn't have to obey orders of the FBI? I suppose it makes a difference if they have guns drawn?

Bush orders seized congressional documents sealed
Ithaca Journal
"President Bush stepped into the Justice Department's constitutional confrontation with Congress on Thursday and ordered that documents seized in an FBI raid on a lawmaker's office be sealed for 45 days. The president directed that no one involved in the investigation have access to the documents taken last weekend from the office of Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., and that they remain in the custody of the Justice Department's solicitor general." (05/25/06)

This seems like a compromise doomed to fail. Either congress-critturs have to obey the law and be subject to the law like anyone else, or they are above the law and the Constitution is a worthless piece of paper (or once more proven to be such, in the view of many).

Dems Blast Plan to Use Rose Garden to Boost Marriage Amendment
CNS News.com
The White House has yet to confirm the event, but President Bush's reported plan to use the Rose Garden as the backdrop for a Federal Marriage Amendment push next week has the Democratic National Committee crying foul...

Of course, ANYTHING Bush does has the DNC screaming foul. So?

Mama's Note: The pot calling the kettle black. It would be nice if they both just shut up and went home...

Women's Groups Complain About Less $$ for Contraceptives
CNS News.com
The United States has one of the highest rates of unintended pregnancy in the industrialized world, and it needs to put prevention (access to contraception) first on its political agenda, according to the National Council of Women's Organizations...

Another example of how welfare has become a right - and just how did "unintended pregnancy" get to be such an evil thing, anyway? Do we want to be like Europe, where there are lower rates of "unintended pregnancy" and more and more pregnancies are ended by abortion, and countries are literally unbreeding themselves out of existence?

Mama's Note: We certainly don't need more "unintended" births, but more real families who have children they truly want and plan to educate, etc. More dysfunctional people are no answer. Far better that those who will not take responsibility for themselves "unbreed themselves out of existence."

Reid says he won't accept free tickets
Attleboro Sun Chronicle
"Reversing course, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid's office acknowledged Wednesday night he misstated the ethics rules governing his acceptance of free boxing tickets and has decided to avoid taking such gifts in the future. The Nevada senator still believes it was 'entirely permissible' for him to accept ringside seats for three professional boxing matches in 2004 and 2005 from the Nevada Athletic Commission but has nonetheless decided to avoid doing so in the future, his office said." (05/31/06)

Reid once again demonstrates he is hopeless. Solution: boot him out. Hopefully without the fortune he has gained over the years from "misstating ethics rules" to accept gifts in various forms.

Bush energy plan whacks conservation
Christian Science Monitor
"A few years ago a little-known US Energy Department program helped produce a design technology for lightweight cars and trucks that in 2004 alone saved the nation 122 million barrels of oil, or about $9 billion. Even without that breakthrough, the tiny Industrial Technologies Program routinely saves the United States $7 worth of energy for each dollar it spends, proponents say. So, with energy prices spiking and President Bush pushing for more energy research, the ITP would seem a natural candidate for more funding. In fact, its budget is set to get chopped by a third from its 2005 level. It's one of more than a dozen energy-efficiency efforts that the Energy Department plans to trim or eliminate in a $115 million cost-saving move." (05/31/06)

I cannot believe that a libertarian news digest site chose to write a headline like this - a government agency is NOT a solution for anything, much less energy conservation. For one thing, I don't believe the cost-benefit "study" that claims a 7-to-1 return on this ITP's budget. Second, eliminating $115 million of the US DOE budget is a small, but GOOD, step in the right direction. A government agency responsible for energy efficiency improvements is as foolish as a government agency responsible for protecting your rights from the government. Solution? Multiply this cost-saving by 100 and we'll start to see some improvements in energy and the economy in general. A complete abolition of DOE is an even better idea: sell off its assets to private business and get rid of a hundred thousand pages of regulations, guidelines and policy. End central control of the energy economy.

Mama's Note: Amen, and the same for every other aspect of the economy.

"Millions" seized by Treasury agents in "counterfeiting bust"
World Net Daily
Secret Service agents today threatened a Denton, Texas, evangelist with arrest for counterfeiting and seized 8,300 gospel tracts designed as "million-dollar bills." Three Secret Service agents visited the Great News Network offices about 1 p.m. asking staffer Tim Crawford if he was responsible for printing "the million-dollar bills." Crawford suggested they talk to his boss, Darrel Rudus, the founder of the organization that trains evangelists from around the country in the techniques of witnessing their faith.

Ever heard of something so stupid? Supposedly, someone tried to "deposit" one in their bank account, which triggered this little comic operetta routine. Supposedly, the Secret Service is short on manpower and funding - wonder why? Meanwhile, the US ignores North Vietnam, Iran, and other countries who produce bogus $100 bills and flood the world with them, truly devaluating our currency. This reminds me of a similar "million-dollar" bill that the Libertarian Party has used for Tax Day awareness - but ours wasn't as pretty as this, so I guess we don't get busted. Solution? First, get rid of the bizarre Federal Reserve System and go back to commodity-based money, let financial institutions issue banknotes only against reserves on-hand, and let private firms design and produce the notes. Then, indeed, a high-denomination bill might exist (this would be a bank note equal to about 140 Troy pounds of .999-fine gold at today's prices), but it would also have high-tech safeguards to make counterfeiting unprofitable.

Stupid People Tricks

Even a Loss Will Be A Win, Democrats Say
CNS News.com
(Next Tuesday, voters in the San Diego area will head to the polls in a special election to replace Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, a Republican who is serving time in prison for bribery. Democrats say no matter what happens, they've won - because Democrat candidate Francine Busby "has put Republicans on the ropes in a district they bragged was theirs for the taking."

Lemonade out of lemons - or silk purses out of sow's ears. But we should get used to this kind of twisted logic as November draws nearer.

Microsoft launches security for Windows
Berkshire Eagle
"Security software makers, the 800-pound gorilla has landed. Microsoft Corp. was to announce Wednesday that it is releasing software that aims to better protect people who use its Windows operating system from Internet attacks. The move pits the world's largest software maker head-to-head with longtime business partners Symantec Corp., McAfee Inc. and others. Windows Live OneCare, which will protect up to three computers for $49.95 per year, marks the latest step in Microsoft's effort over the years to make its operating system less vulnerable to crippling Internet attacks." [Editor's note: Some sick dogs you take to the vet; others, you just take back behind the barn and put out of their misery - TLK] (05/30/06)

Oh, brother. Just what we need - Mocrosift getting into a new line of business, and one dedicated to fixing the problems it often created.

Father upset Army son must buy own uniform
Raw Story
"Americans everywhere paused to honor fallen heroes Monday. But a father in Wright City is questioning the Army's treatment of those who put their lives on the line for our country. Bob Simmons wears a shirt that proudly shows his son defends freedom. Jebadiah, 19, serves in the army and will soon be headed to Bosnia, minus a little extra of his spending money. 'About a week and a half two weeks ago he found out the army's changing over to the new uniforms and they're going to make them buy them themselves and I was astounded,' said Simmons. The Army changed to new, lighter uniforms in April. The cost for the uniforms is about $200. Workers at Uncle Sam's, which sells the uniforms, say other solders have lamented about paying for their uniforms as well." [RRND Editor's note: So far as I know, active duty military personnel have always paid for their own uniforms -- the initial issue is deducted from their basic training pay, and part of their subsequent paychecks is a "uniform and clothing allowance" on top of base pay to cover the purchase of new uniform items. It does suck when there's a sudden change (been there), but I don't recall hearing many complaints about receiving about the "clothing allowance" ... just about having to actually spending it on, um, clothing - TLK] (05/30/06)

Tom's comment is right on the mark. But in a world where one government (Australia - see "GRTF School section) is providing welfare to parents to buy school uniforms and paper and pencils for their children for school, why should we be surprised that Simmons expects everything be handed to his son? As a veteran myself, I've spent thousands of dollars on uniforms and equipment - officers receive a one-time uniform allowance when commissioned (unlike enlisted men who have an annual allowance). After that, if you wear it out, you have to replace it out of your own pocket. And if new uniforms are necessary, you again, pay. Just like most private businesses. But expect some politicians, anxious to buy votes, to jump up and offer to change this.

CA: Techies get tough with underground fight club
Fox News
"They may sport love handles and Ivy League degrees, but every two weeks some Silicon Valley techies turn into vicious street brawlers in a real-life, underground fight club. Kicking, punching and swinging every household object imaginable -- from frying pans and tennis rackets to pillowcases stuffed with soda cans -- they beat each other mercilessly in a garage in this bedroom community south of San Francisco. Then, bloodied and bruised, they limp back to their desks in the morning. 'When you get beat down enough, it becomes a very un-macho thing,' said Shiyin Siou, 34, a Santa Clara software engineer and three-year veteran of the clandestine fights. 'But I don't need this to prove I'm macho -- I'm macho enough as it is.' Inspired by the 1999 film 'Fight Club,' starring Brad Pitt and Ed Norton, underground bare-knuckle brawling clubs have sprung up across the country as a way for desk jockeys and disgruntled youths to vent their frustrations and prove themselves." (05/30/06)

So? If they can't do their jobs the morning after, fire them! Otherwise, it is not the business's business, is it? Or anyone else. But it is a sign of an increasingly sick society, and of decay at all levels.

Six six six: Significant or not?
Fox News/Live Science
"If you're just a bit more cautious on a Friday the 13th, wouldn't fly on Sept. 11 or could never live in a house numbered 666, you are not alone. With 06/06/06 looming (June 6, 2006), authorities in some cities are worrying prophecy theorists or hate groups might read something ominous into the date and use it as an excuse to stir tension. Some expectant mothers are making birthing appointments to ensure they avoid the date, according to the Sunday Times in London. For others, it is a marketing opportunity. Twentieth Century Fox's remake of 'The Omen' and Ann Coulter's book, 'Godless: The Church of Liberalism,' will both come out June 6 (05/26/06)

Superstitions are always very difficult to deal with - but if we don't take it into account in dealing with people, we have big problems.

Mama's Note: This date can join Y2K in the historic dust bin of mythical catastrophes.

DOJ puts squeeze on Internet firms
CNN
"During a meeting last week with some of the nation's leading Internet service companies, the attorney general and the FBI director asked a variety of customer information and other data be kept for two years, much longer than the companies do now, the Justice Department confirmed Tuesday. Companies have varying policies regarding what information is kept and for how long. One thing the Justice Department wants is some type of subscriber information, such as the Internet address assigned to a person when logging on to a service provider, two sources familiar with the meeting told CNN." (05/30/06)

Yet another effort to strip off more privacy protections - the ISPs could just say, "We won't play your silly games." But I don't expect them to.

Tech and Medical News Items

Sleeping Pill May Reverse Comatose Patients, Study Says
CNS News.com
Scientific researchers have revealed in the medical journal NeuroRehabilitation that a commonly used sleeping pill, zolpidem (brand name Ambien), can be used to temporarily awaken brain-damaged patients. The discovery has attracted the interest of The Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation for Health Care Ethics...

This reminds me of the effect that caffeine has on some people (including those with some types of ADHD) - it puts them to sleep. It would be good news if this works.

Mama's Note: This has to be the ultimate new wrinkle in the old joke of nurses waking a person up to give them a sleeping pill. Nurses all over the world should get a laugh out of this, even if it doesn't really work.

Asimov's first law: Japan sets rules for robots
Live Science
"Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is working on a new set of safety guidelines for next-generation robots. This set of regulations would constitute a first attempt at a formal version of the first of Asimov's science-fictional Laws of Robotics, or at least the portion that states that humans shall not be harmed by robots." (05/26/06)

Can we trust a government agency to implement the Three Laws - or anything else necessary to protect people? Hardly. Solution: let the market drive such matters as safety guidelines, and let private organizations like Underwriters Laboratories or ASTM develop guidelines and standards.

DHS says RFID for human identification offers little benefit
Homeland Security News
The Department of Homeland Security's Emerging Applications and Technology Subcommittee says that using RFID in human applications "appears to offer little benefit when compared to the consequences it brings for privacy and data integrity." The Smart Card Alliance begs to differ. "We disagree with the report's conclusion to "disfavor" all RFID technologies for applications involving human identification," the industry group said in a published response to the subcommittee report.

Interesting - for once I agree with DHS, and find the private companies in the Smart Card Alliance (admittedly, a bunch of Beltway Bandits) to be in the wrong.

UK: Magic mushroom users turn to exotic alternatives to get high without breaking law
Independent [UK]
"Dozens of new and ancient types of 'legal highs' -- derived from herbs, plants and cacti from South America and Asia and synthetic stimulants from New Zealand -- are available. They can be bought, often at low prices, from internet-based companies and an increasing number of high-street 'head' shops." (05/30/06)

One of the problems with the War on Some Drugs is that government efforts, to the extent that they succeed in limiting the supply of illegal items, first drive up the price (making it MORE lucrative to get in the business) and second, cause human creativity to try to find or develop substitutes or ways of extending the effect of a limited supply. And so the vicious circle continues. Solution? Stop trying to outlaw things people eat, drink, or smoke. To the extremely limited extent that government or any "public service" agency should be involved, concentrate on providing information, and help to those who ask for it.

Mama's Note: And pay for it, or at least have it funded by voluntary action, not theft.

World Wars

Fighting, looting erupt in East Timor
MSNBC
"Fighting and looting erupted in East Timor's capital on Tuesday as its leaders held urgent meetings to find a way out of the worst crisis in the young nation's seven-year history. Australian peacekeepers struggled to keep order as thousands of desperate people crowded around a warehouse in Dili to receive free rice. Tens of thousands of residents have fled their homes to escape the violence in the smoldering capital." (05/29/06)

So the invasion by the Aussies hasn't helped much, has it?

Belarus to ban US, Canadian flights
International Herald Tribune [France]
"The [Belarus] government will bar overflights by U.S. And Canadian airlines, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday, citing those countries' refusal last month to allow Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky's plane permission to refuel during flights to and from Cuba. It was not immediately clear how many flights would be affected -- most direct flights from North America to Russia, for example, fly to the north of Belarus -- nor was it clear if the ban affected both commercial and official flights. ... The West has intensified its criticism of President Aleksandr Lukashenko, describing his landslide reelection in March as blatantly rigged. As a result of the vote, Lukashenko has faced EU and U.S. sanctions. He and as many as 30 top government officials face the seizure of financial assets and a visa ban." (05/26/06)

Sounds like just upping the ante a bit more.

'Great Game' Heats Up in Central Asia
CNS News.com
Hailing its "unprecedented" level of strategic cooperation with Russia, China is preparing to host a summit intended to further tighten the two countries' bonds with each other and with the oil-rich Central Asia region, which has key strategic importance to the United States...

One of the most critical geopolitical mistakes the US has made in the last century is getting drawn into Central Asia as we are now. For all its many faults, one mistake the Wilson Administration avoided was accepting a League of Nations Mandate over Armenia, but starting with WW2, the US has been sucked more and more into an area that can be honestly nicknamed "the graveyard of empires." Good review article worth reading.

Activists Rally Around 'Torture Awareness Month'
CNS News.com
June is "Torture Awareness Month," by declaration of various human rights, civil liberties and faith organizations, which say they are responding to "growing evidence that the United States government is engaging systematically in the use of torture and inhuman treatment as part of the 'war on terror.'"

This is a good idea. All I hear is talk about evidence, but the evidence never seems to be on display - and often what is claimed to be "torture and inhuman treatment" seems to be on the level of prosecuting parents for spanking their children. Maybe Torture Awareness Month will get some hard evidence provided for public review by all these advocates (besides 3-year old pictures from Abu Graib).

Lithuanian government collapses
CNN
"Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas has said that he and his coalition government were stepping down after Labor, the biggest government party, withdrew from the minority coalition. Analysts said they now expected lengthy efforts to build a new coalition government, with the possibility of fresh elections if that proved unsuccessful. Whatever government emerges, little change is seen in the pro-western foreign policy of the Baltic state, which joined the European Union and NATO in 2004." (05/31/06)

Sounds like Italy. Maybe Italy will welcome another country in the EU who has more problems forming governments than Rome does.

Land reform plan angers Bolivian elite
Yahoo! News
"Bolivia's government took out full-page newspaper ads on Wednesday announcing its aim to redistribute nearly a fifth of the country's territory as angry landowners vowed to form land-defense groups. Leftist President Evo Morales has pledged an 'agrarian revolution' to redistribute idle farmlands to the impoverished country's landless peasants -- a move that has highlighted divisions between the poor majority and the rich elite. Many landowners in the agricultural heartland of Santa Cruz are bitterly opposed to the land reform. At an emergency meeting on Tuesday, they resolved to 'set up land-defense committees to protect our farming heritage.' Some said they would be willing to take up arms to defend their land. The government warned armed vigilante groups would not be tolerated." (05/31/06)

It may bother the elite (you can tell the headline was written by a left-leaning type), but whatever you call it, it is theft by government. The way in which the "elite" got the land in the first place might be suspect and rooted in historical injustice, but two wrongs do not make a right. Solution? Supposedly, Bolivia's government is now rolling in money (admittedly from nationalizing their oil and minerals - another case of theft by government), so let them go on the market and buy land from freely-willing owners and then, if they wish, give it away to the "poor majority." Or take the large percentage of the country that is still owned by the state (a legacy of Spanish imperial government) and distribute THAT to the poor. Or let a free-market economy develop that will absorb the "impoverished landless peasants" into a growing economy where they won't want to try and live on a five-acre subsistence farm because they can live on income from a 40-hour week.