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Libertarian Commentary on the News, 22 - 28 July 2007
Heart of the summer is here, and the news seems to be heating up.
It’ll peak and the dog days of summer and the silly season (for news,
at least) will be upon us. Except that the silly stories are already here.
Not only did I screen out a steady diet of 2008 Presidential Campaign
news (and what a waste of time THAT is), but listening to news broadcasts
this week again seemed more like reading headlines while standing in line
at the supermarket checkout. The 21-year-old drunk who hadn’t even
been graduated a week from her alcohol abuse class, the latest news about
a decade-old “princess,” a pathetic excuse for a mother who
has turned her son’s death into a form of celebrity for herself,
and the phenomenal news of a new sighting (or was that, statue) of Eeelviiis”
in Hawaii are all items that didn’t make my news list this week.
Culture
wars:
CA: Despite her new life, he still
pays alimony
Arizona Republic
“A judge has ordered a man to continue paying alimony to his ex-wife
— even though she’s in a registered domestic partnership with
another woman and even uses the other woman’s last name. California
marriage laws say alimony ends when a former spouse remarries, and Ron
Garber thought that meant he was off the hook when he learned his ex-wife
had registered her new relationship under the state’s domestic partnership
law. An Orange County judge didn’t see it that way. The judge ruled
that a registered partnership is cohabitation, not marriage, and that
Garber must keep writing the checks, $1,250 a month, to his ex-wife, Melinda
Kirkwood. Garber plans to appeal.” (07/24/07)
Both sides
of the “marriage for homosexual to homosexual” debate can use
this to their advantage, but the real point here is that government has
so interfered with the entire field of marriage and divorce that the legislation
has left no room for common sense, and insanity is the rule of the day.
Government-run,
tax-funded schools:
Nigeria: Pupils browse porn on donated
laptops
Yahoo! News
“Nigerian schoolchildren who received laptops from a U.S. aid
organization have used them to explore pornographic sites on the Internet,
the official News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported Thursday. … ‘Efforts
to promote learning with laptops in a primary school in Abuja have gone
awry as the pupils freely browse adult sites with explicit sexual materials,’
NAN said.” (07/20/07)
Duh! If
they do it on purchased laptops, is there some magical incantation that
prevents it just because they were donated machines? The problem is, parents
have abdicated their parental duties to the teachers, who clearly either
don’t care, or can’t do anything effective (or both).
Government-run,
tax-funded schools:
Victory for Free Speech at Colorado
State University
Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
“In a resounding victory for freedom of speech, Colorado State
University (CSU) has completely revised three formerly unconstitutional
speech codes. The changes came after student activists at CSU, with help
from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), pressured
the university to uphold the constitutional rights of CSU students.”
(07/19/07)
A campus
libertarian group was in the middle of this – as the school tried
to ban things you see every day just a few blocks north on College, and
in Old Town.
Mama's
Note: Great! Now maybe they can work to restore their right to self defense.
Government-run,
tax-funded schools:
CA: Arrests in scam — grades
for cash
San Francisco Chronicle
“Nearly three dozen former and current Diablo Valley College students
involved in a scheme to change transcript grades for cash payments are
facing conspiracy and other criminal charges, Contra Costa County prosecutors
announced Tuesday. Arrest warrants have been issued for 34 students or
graduates of the Pleasant Hill community college who allegedly made the
changes on the college’s computer or paid to have the changes made.
The charges range from felony conspiracy and fraudulent computer access
to false use of a diploma, a misdemeanor. The suspects face up to three
years in prison for each felony count. About a dozen suspects have been
arrested. Prosecutors are still reviewing evidence against 21 other people.”
(07/25/07)
Considering
that public higher-education is increasingly nothing but a big scam, in
which more and more money is charged for less and less real teaching and
even less learning, this seems to be an overreaction on the part of the
prosecutor, doesn’t it? However, this is far from a victimless crime:
it is fraud and nothing less – but still pales in comparison to the
fraud that the California “education” system perpetrates every
day.
Mama's
Note: As a former community college teacher, I find it very hard to believe
that any of this scam could have taken place without cooperation from
at least one person in the faculty or administration. We didn't use the
computers this way when I was teaching, but I have trouble believing the
system has changed that much. Grades had to be sent - on paper signed
by the teachers - to the department head for approval, then sent to the
administration for recording.
Government-run,
tax-funded schools:
CO: Churchill fired
Chicago Tribune
“The University of Colorado’s governing board on Tuesday
fired a professor whose essay likening some Sept. 11 victims to a Nazi
leader provoked national outrage and led to an investigation of research
misconduct. Ward Churchill vowed to sue, saying ‘New game, new game,’
after the Board of Regents’ 8-1 vote was announced. Three faculty
committees had accused Churchill, a professor of ethnic studies, of plagiarism,
falsification and other misconduct. The research allegations stem from
some of Churchill’s other writings, although the investigation began
after the controversy over his Sept. 11 essay.” (07/25/07)
Good riddance
to bad rubbish. Let Churchill say what he will about 9-11; that is free
speech. But he is a lying wannabe that shouldn’t be teaching dogs,
let along young humans. And the Board of Regents made it clear (despite
the claims of him and his supporters) that the firing was not due to his
essay. I listened to a recording of the Board announcing its 8-1 decision,
and it is clear that Churchill is supported by a very high class of intelligent
backers: there was a constant chant of “F*** you,” addressed
to the Regents as the crowd tried to drown out the chairman.
Mama's
Note: OK, good... and now the big question is how this cretin ever got
hired in the first place.
Government-run,
tax-funded schools:
College students face rising birth
control prices
Wall Street Journal
“College students returning to campus in a few weeks will be greeted
by steep increases in one of the few items they have been able to buy
cheap: birth control. For years, drug companies sold birth-control pills
and other contraceptives to university health services at a big discount.
… But colleges and universities say the drug companies have stopped
offering the discounts, and are now charging the schools much more. The
change has an unlikely origin: the Deficit Reduction Act signed by President
Bush last year. The legislation aimed to pare $39 billion in spending
on federal programs, from subsidized student loans to Medicaid. And among
the changes was one that, through an arcane set of circumstances, created
a disincentive for drug makers to offer school discounts.” (07/26/07)
Maybe,
I say slyly, these students will have to keep their pants zipped. Why
should the government make up for their lack of responsibility and self-discipline?
And why should the Bush government be blamed for this?
Mama's
Note: Indeed! There is no reason at all why these people can't buy their
own "drugs" for birth control as easily as they buy aspirin
or their beverage of choice. The idea that college students must be subsidized
for anything is counterproductive.
Home front:
Chlorine attacks in Iraq [sic] spur
warnings in US
Boston Globe
“A spate of deadly chlorine bomb attacks in Iraq is prompting
the Bush administration to urge nearly 3,000 municipal water treatment
plants in the United States to make sure their chlorine gas is well protected
— spotlighting what Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff
has singled out as a ‘gap in our system of regulation.’ …
With chlorine bombs becoming a high-profile weapon of choice for terrorists
abroad, officials at the Department of Homeland Security fear that terrorists
might try to copy the tactic, making chlorine tanks at water plants, which
range from 150-pound cylinders to 90-ton rail tankers, an obvious target
for sabotage or theft.” (07/24/07)
It isn’t,
of course, “regulatory gaps” that we should be worried about,
but the fact that most water treatment in this country is done by government
agencies who are so incompetent that they can’t or won’t protect
their facilities from normal criminal mischief, let along would-be terrorists.
But there are millions of places with thousands of chemicals that could
be used in Mesopotamian-style terrorist attacks on US soil. So why hasn’t
it happened yet?
Home front:
NY:
Fiancee of police murder victim files suit
WCBS TV
“On Tuesday, Sean Bell’s fiancee is filing a wrongful death
suit against the NYPD in federal court in Brooklyn. It will accuse the
police of negligence and civil rights violations in the death of Bell,
who was killed on the morning he was to be married. It’s been eight
months since Bell and two his friends, Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield,
were shot by police outside the Kalua Cabaret in Jamaica, Queens. …
Detectives Michael Oliver, who fired 31 times, and Gescard Isnora, who
fired 11 shots, have been indicted on manslaughter charges in the case,
and Detective Marc Cooper faces reckless endangerment charges.” (07/24/07)
Even if
this case is won, it is very unlikely to change the attitude or methods
of NYPD. Of course, if RICO were applied to government organizations,
NYPD would have been broken up decades ago.
Home front:
Minimum wage boost first in 10 years
CNN
“The first minimum wage increase in 10 years takes effect Tuesday,
to $5.85 from $5.15 an hour, with two more steps over the next two years
taking base pay for millions of workers to $7.25. But the increase in
the federal minimum wage — signed into law in May after a lengthy
battle between Democrats in Congress and President Bush and Senate Republicans
— still sparks heated debate.” (07/23/07)
Of course,
_everybody_ noticed the sudden increase in retail trade in the stores
as a result of all these folks getting paid that additional 70 cents an
hour! Or will notice it next week at end of month payday, with millions
now able to take home more. You didn’t? You won’t? What, you
don’t think our leaders are right? Oh, dear.
Mama's
Note: And, of course, nobody thinks to include the OTHER relevant statistics
that go along with this bountiful gift from government... the longer lines
at the unemployment office, the jobs that now will not be created, the
jobs that will remain unfilled... And nobody even knows how to count the
amount of crime and suicide this benevolence creates - while everyone
cries over the fact that young people - especially minorities in the inner
city - can't find jobs!! Prosperity can't be legislated any more than
can the weather...
Home front:
Sheehan arrested while calling for
Bush, Cheney impeachment
CNN
“Antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested Monday at the Capitol
for disorderly conduct, shortly after saying she would run against House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi over the California Democrat’s refusal to try
to impeach President Bush. Sheehan was taken into custody inside Rep.
John Conyers’ office, where she had spent an hour imploring him to
launch impeachment proceedings against Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.”
(07/23/07)
Except
for the publicity of getting arrested, it is clear that Mrs. Sheehan pretty
much wasted her time at the Capitol. Congress has demonstrated its lack
of a spine almost weekly since the 2006 elections, even while boasting
of how tough they are.
Home front:
Injured Iraq war veterans sue VA head
Indianapolis Star
“Frustrated by delays in health care, injured Iraq war veterans
accused VA Secretary Jim Nicholson in a lawsuit of breaking the law by
denying them disability pay and mental health treatment. The lawsuit against
the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, filed Monday in federal court
in San Francisco, seeks broad changes in the agency as it struggles to
meet growing demands from veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.”
(07/24/07)
The VA
has been in the business of denying disability pay and care for decades
– all courtesy of Congress more than the people working in it. These
folks are suing, if not the wrong people, not enough people: they need
to start with 535 congressional thugs.
Home front:
CA: Police
roadblocks to remove unlicensed drivers challenged
Daily Breeze
”A controversial police technique to remove unlicensed drivers
from the roads is being challenged on civil rights grounds, and another
federal court decision is expected soon, it was reported today. Police
across California are using temporary roadblocks to find unlicensed drivers,
and impound their cars. But Latino rights groups say that practice is
discriminatory and aimed at undocumented workers, who are unable to pay
for their cars’ steep impound fees.” (07/23/07)
Although
I do not believe that governments should be issuing drivers licenses,
and roadblocks of any type except with a warrant are wrong, this claim
of “discrimination” is bogus – there are a lot of people
convicted of drunk driving out there driving without licenses, and I think
it is safe to assume that these are not limited to trespassers or “Latino”
persons.
Home front:
Airports get terror threat alert
Arizona Republic
“Airport security officers around the nation have been alerted
by federal officials to look out for terrorists practicing to carry explosive
components onto aircraft, based on four curious seizures at airports since
last September. The Transportation Security Administration distributed
the classified alert July 20 by to federal air marshals, its own transportation
security officers and other law enforcement agencies. The seizures at
airports in San Diego, Milwaukee, Houston and Baltimore included ‘wires,
switches, pipes or tubes, cellphone components and dense claylike substances,’
including block cheese, the bulletin said.” [Editor’s note:
Anyone who still flies, and has a warped sense of humor, is now giggling
- SAT] (07/25/07)
Is there
ANY legal basis to these goons stealing cheese? Or modeling clay? Are
any of these things like cellphones or parts or tubes illegal? And would
any of these things be used in this form to actually make a working bomb?
Speculation is that this is the work of “terrorist” groups conducting
trial runs to see what is detected and what is not – and the seizure
of these things (instead of simply noting them) actually aids the terrorists
(assuming it isn’t just pranksters). With modern techniques, real
aircraft-busting explosive devices will be able to be disguised as many,
many things far less noticeable than a block of cheese!
Mama's
Note: With all this hysterical paranoia, I wonder why any real "terrorist"
would even bother with an airplane at all. There are plenty of victim
rich targets available that would be much easier to strike.
Home front:
PA: Court throws out city’s Know-Nothing
law
Reuters
“A U.S. judge on Thursday struck down as unconstitutional a local
law designed to crack down on illegal immigration, dealing a blow to similar
laws passed by dozens of towns and cities across the country. U.S. District
Judge James Munley said the city of Hazleton, 100 miles north of Philadelphia,
was not allowed to implement a law that would fine businesses that hire
illegal immigrants and penalize landlords who rent rooms to them. ‘Federal
law prohibits Hazleton from enforcing any of the provisions of its ordinances,’
Munley wrote in a 206-page opinion following a federal trial in which
Hazleton’s law was challenged by civil rights groups.” [Hat
tip: KL] (07/26/07)
I frankly
don’t have time to read a 206-page decision, but I fail to understand
exactly how a constitutional provision stating that the FedGov controls
immigration keeps a town or county from making it illegal to do business
with someone who is breaking the law – whether federal, state, or
local law is being broken. If nothing else, the claim could be made that
doing business is aiding and abetting a fugitive from justice, just as
renting a room to a bank robber or deserter would be.
Mama's
Note: And how would you know that the person you rented a room to was
a bank robber or deserter? That doesn't make any sense. Unless the business
intrudes badly into other people's private lives and papers, they have
no way to tell.
Home front:
NC:
Couple charged for “defiling” flag, resisting thugs
Asheville Citizen Times
“A couple who said they were protesting the state of the country
by flying the U.S. flag upside down with signs pinned to it found themselves
in jail following a scuffle with a deputy Wednesday morning. Mark and
Deborah Kuhn were arrested on two counts of assault on a government employee,
resisting arrest and a rarely used charge, desecrating an American flag,
all misdemeanors. The Kuhns were released from custody Wednesday afternoon.
State law prohibits anyone from knowingly mutilating, defiling, defacing
or trampling the U.S. or North Carolina flags. Lt. Randy Sorrells of the
Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office said the Kuhns desecrated the flag
by pinning signs to it, not by flying it upside down. An upside-down flag
typically is flown as a distress signal. The Kuhns said they flew it this
way not out of disrespect but to symbolize the state of the country. Deborah
Kuhn said the signs pinned to the flag included an explanation on the
meaning of an upside-down flag and asked to ‘help our country.’
One of the signs was a photo of President Bush with ‘Out Now’
written on it, they said. The couple flew the flag for about a week before
Wednesday.” (07/26/07)
Flying
the flag upside down is one thing – pinning things to it is a stupid
thing to do, for any reason, just because of the reaction that will result
from a whole lot of people. You aren’t going to win many converts
to your way of thinking by doing that – which is the only purpose
I can see for doing it! The rest of the incident looks like it is enough
of a mess that it will, sadly, require a trial to be resolved: both the
deputy and the Kuhns say that THEY acted reasonably and the other party
acted unreasonably. I personally think that EVERYONE overreacted, based
on the info available.
Mama's
Note: The "flag" is a piece of cloth, presumably purchased by
the NC couple and therefor private property. Morally and constitutionally
they can do whatever they want with their piece of cloth. All of this
hysteria over a "flag" is insane.
Home front:
Senate
OKs border security [sic] deal
Raleigh News & Observer
“Senate Democrats and Republicans agreed Thursday to devote an
additional $3 billion to gaining control over the U.S.-Mexico border.
The move puts Congress on a path to overriding President Bush’s promised
veto of a $38 billion homeland security spending bill. The deal, approved
by an 89-1 vote, resurrects a GOP plan to pass some of the most popular
parts of Bush’s failed immigration bill. It includes money for additional
Border Patrol agents and fencing along the southern border.”
(07/27/07)
Apparently
the justification for Bush’s threat to veto this is that the pork
isn’t tied to amnesty. Not that I would object to the veto: this
money will join the trillions of pork which accomplishes nothing worth
stealing from people for.
Mama's
Note: NOTHING is worth stealing for.
Home front:
Botulism
recall expanded to 90 items
Medical News Today
“The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Castleberry’s
Food Company have expanded the recall of the food manufacturer’s
Hot Dog Chili Sauce and canned meat products to include 86 variously branded
products and also four canned pet foods because of the risk of botulism,
which can lead to paralysis and death if not treated quickly. The original
recall last week was for a much smaller range of products, after a couple
in Indiana and two children in Texas were admitted to hospital with potentially
fatal botulism from eating Castleberry’s Hot Dog Chili Sauce. No
new cases of botulism have been reported, but the manufacturer is extending
the recall as a precaution.” (07/26/07)
The panic
over food quality continues to ratchet up, week after week, with this
and the late-week “small pieces of metal in my bread” scare
in the SE. Now, it is nice that for the most part we don’t have to
worry about something nasty in our bread or chili sauce, but this world
isn’t perfect, and compared to even 40 or 50 years ago, the probability
of encountering nasties in commercially baked or canned goods in much,
much lower.
Local government:
MA: Hub to test concept of work for
tax break
Boston Globe
“Wanted: Retired Boston residents willing to do chores for the
city. Duties could include answering phones or anything from filing papers
to working in city gardens. Pay is a property tax break. With its eye
on the glut of baby boomers rapidly heading toward retirement, Boston
is launching a program to put them to work in jobs throughout city government
in exchange for discounts of up to $750 each on their property taxes,
a deal that officials hope will ease pressure on seniors being pushed
out of Boston by rising property values. In the three-year pilot program,
Boston is copying initiatives in communities such as Wellesley, Newton,
and Milton, which defray the property taxes of seniors who might otherwise
have to abandon houses bought long ago.” [Editor’s note:
Sweat-equity investments to keep what’s already yours? Hmmm! - SAT]
(07/25/07)
Although
I believe that property taxes are an immoral rent on property we supposedly
own. Like everyone, I pay or else, and I support this type of relief from
some of the evil. My father, obviously a “senior,” has been
doing this for several years: working as a teacher’s aide a few hours
a week to get a significant cut in property taxes on his house. It is
a win-win. He was a teacher once himself and so enjoys the interaction
with the kids, I think the teachers learn from him as well, he gets out
of the house more, and the cut in taxes is something.
Mama's
Note: I'm with Steve. No thanks!! It makes far more sense to sell the
high "value" houses in the high tax areas and buy something
where property taxes are very low. That's what I did when I came to Wyoming.
I'm retired... but I'm too busy to work for government, even if I could
stomach it... which I could NOT. But if that works for you... go for it,
of course.
Local tyranny:
CT: Towns feel effect of casinos
Boston Globe
“Since casinos opened in two small, rural Connecticut towns in
the 1990s, there has been a sharp increase in local traffic, police calls,
and drunken driving arrests, according to a Globe analysis, and the changes
have spilled over into neighboring towns as well. Over the last six years,
calls to the Ledyard Police Department, a short drive from the Foxwoods
Resort Casino, have almost tripled , according to local authorities. And
in Montville, where Mohegan Sun is located, calls to police are up 38
percent overall since 1997.” (07/22/07)
The mainstream
media has to make out many more things are bad: most people would consider
increased local traffic to be good for business. Admittedly, police calls
are usually not something you want to see climb, nor are DUIs, but the
police calls aren’t necessarily related to the casinos and the DUIs
might be due to increased prosperity and traffic.
Mama's
Note: It would be interesting to see just what sort of things all those
calls to police involve. How many are a direct result of disarming the
people? How many are directly related to the "war on drugs?"
One can be arrested for "DUI" with an alcohol level that could
hardly be detected by a blood test years ago. How many of them are truly
"drunk" or really dangerous?
How
many of these calls are related to the socialist's destruction of the
family and all the evils of government schooling that make teen agers
criminals instead of productive members of their community? I suspect
the casinos have very little to do with it at all.
Local tyranny:
TN: Parks police to stick with jackbooter
garb
Tennessean
"The officers who patrol Metro parks might look like they're ready
for combat. They wear loose-fitting olive and camouflage uniforms, and
tall, black jackboots, which parks officials say allow officers to stay
mobile and safe, whether they're chasing a suspect through tall grass
or keeping order on paved roads. But a Metro Shooting Review Board found
that the camouflage and olive colors could confuse the public, and might
have been a factor in a controversial shooting of a motorist at Centennial
Park. More than a year and a half after the report, the military-style
uniforms are still being worn and parks officials say they have no plans
to change." (07/23/07)
Sounds
like just another gang of terrorists to me – just because they don’t
wear masks when attacking travelers in the parks, doesn’t mean it
might not be more appropriate if they did.
Mama's
Note: TN "metro parks" sound like a very good place to stay
out of. Why, oh why do people insist on living in such places?
Our right
to defend ourselves:
Army corporal killed after
firing on policeman
MSNBC
“An Army corporal out on the town opened fire on a police officer
who was working overtime as a security guard early Sunday, then was fatally
shot in return, police said. The officer was not injured. Cpl. Alexander
E. Larkin, 25, who was stationed at Fort Meade, was club-hopping before
the gunfight with Officer Jared Stern in a parking garage shortly before
2 a.m., said Officer Nicole Monroe, a police spokeswoman.” (07/22/07)
Even off-duty
cops have a right to defend themselves, but it's still kind of bizarre
why the corporal would decide to start a fight.
Mama's
Note: As with so many others... seems there must be a lot more to this
story than we're being told.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
OR: Foster parent gun rules shot down
The Oregonian
“Oregon’s child welfare agency did not anticipate the firestorm
it would create when it issued new rules regulating guns in state-certified
foster homes. Now the agency is backtracking. The National Rifle Association
is on alert. And the Oregon Legislature is likely to get involved in the
politically volatile matter of balancing an individual’s right to
have a gun vs. the state’s need to protect its most vulnerable children.”
(07/20/07)
Another
sneaky, sideways attack on our rights – a foster home where the foster
parents are armed is a better home; they can protect their charges where
a “gun-free zone” cannot. And to have rules like this would
soon make the “gun-free” status of a foster home as obvious
as if they put one of TPOL’s stickers/posters on their door.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
FL: Killing looks like self-defense
Florida Today
“Titusville Police said this afternoon they’re confident
William Herring shot two men with a handgun — one fatally —
in self-defense after they broke into his garage and attacked him with
a pipe and tire iron. Herring was working in his garage at 908 S. Washington
Avenue in downtown Titusville when he spotted two men on his property
‘in an area they didn’t belong,’ Assistant Police Chief
John Lau said. The two men attacked Herring, who grabbed a gun and fire[ed]
three shots, Lau said. Herring then called 9-1-1 to report the shooting.
When officers arrived at 12:30 a.m. they found 44-year-old William Wade
Hose of Mims dead.” (07/22/07)
I suppose
the wounded one is just an “alleged attacker”? Sounds like Mr.
Herring make the right decisions – saw something was fishy and went
prepared to fish or cut bait, so to speak.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
TX:
Man questioned in fatal Dallas shooting
Star Telegram
“Dallas police say a couple was moving out of their apartment
in the 9500 block of Forest Lane when the wife saw ‘an individual’
walking down the street. She told her husband that the person had robbed
her of her cell phone on Saturday, Dallas police spokesman Jamie Matthews
said in a statement. The husband told police that he confronted the alleged
robber on the street and that the person reached for a gun. The husband
pulled his own gun and shot the victim in the head, he told police.”
(07/22/07)
This incident
might require a bit more adjudication than most: did the husband approach
the man properly, or in a threatening way? In approaching someone whom
he knew had used force against someone else in committing a crime, should
he have made it clearer that he was armed? Or would that have been deemed
threatening? The way the man reacted to the accusation, though, however
it was worded, appears (from the story, at least) to be clearly aggressive,
and the husband’s response at that point was reasonable.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
TX: Homeowner
shoots drunken intruder
Click2Houston
“A homeowner shot a man who broke into his Atascocita home early
Tuesday, officials told KPRC Local 2. Harris County Precinct 4 deputy
constables said the homeowner’s wife heard a noise outside their
home on Devlin Drive near Match Play Drive at about 2:45 a.m. Detectives
said the man, who is partially blind and hearing impaired, appeared to
be intoxicated. The man claimed the home was his and argued with the homeowner,
officials said. “The homeowner discharged one round from a shotgun
with a birdshot, giving the intruder a superficial wound to the side of
the head,” Lt. Michael Young said. Deputies said the man lives in
the area and this was not the first time he has entered a wrong house.”
(07/24/07)
Clearly
the intruder has a problem, which was almost solved permanently for him.
Someone who already has to live with being partially blind and partially
deaf should not go out and further disable himself on purpose: he needs
to do it at home (the right home) or with friends and family to keep him
safe when not sober. But apparently he refuses to take responsibility
for his own actions…
Our right
to defend ourselves:
CO: Business
owner holds crook at gunpoint
KKTV News
“A business owner takes the law into his own hands and holds a
suspected crook at gunpoint until police arrive. The suspect was allegedly
breaking into cars at a business complex on North Cascade. …. Just
after midnight, something strange was going on outside the businesses.
“He had taken a transformer off of Roger’s truck and was beating
on a car window. That was thumping noise I heard,” Kristi Lyons told
11 News. Her husband, Mike, grabbed his gun and ran outside. They knew
there was an intruder when they saw the plastic window on their car sliced
open. Kristi said the suspect was caught red-handed, hiding behind and
underneath cars in the parking lot.” Mike had him at gunpoint. He
said, ‘We can do this the easy way or the hard way.’ I called
police.” She was on the phone for about 5 minutes while she watched
Mike go after the suspect.”Mike had the kid at gunpoint. He started
advancing toward Mike with a knife and Mike fired off a shot to let him
know that he wasn’t kidding.’ (07/24/07)
No shots
fired in this Colorado Springs incident, until the criminal decided to
up the ante. I don’t think a warning shot was the right response
according to the self-defense courses, but it worked in this case.
Mama's
Note: Read this to understand why it is vital for all of us to "take
the law into our own hands!"
Isn’t the Law Already In Our Hands? by
Wilton D. Alston
And
NO, a "warning shot" is not a good idea. It may be suicide because
you may only get ONE chance to defend yourself. The only warning an attacker
will get from me is the drawing of my gun. They can run or continue the
attack and get shot. Their choice.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
FL: Shooter
claims self defense
News4Jax
"A man who pulled the trigger, fatally shooting a 17-year-old
early Monday, said he acted in self-defense. Investigators said 28-year-old
Robert Brown told them his car was being followed by another vehicle with
several people inside and that he thought they wanted to rob him. ...
Homicide investigators said Brown thought he was being followed and pulled
into the parking lot, followed into the parking lot by three people in
a minivan. When they got out of the van and approached Brown's car with
a gun, he shot one of the subjects in the chest, police said."
(07/23/07)
And how
long will this “investigation” take? It will of course depend
on witnesses available, but the case seems pretty straightforward. As
in the next story, Brown doesn’t need more trauma.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
NC: To shoot
or not to shoot?
WBTV News
"On Monday, a suspected thief was shot to death at a convenience
store on Tom Hunter Road. According to police, a man entered the Fast
Mart just after 10 a.m. He indicated that he had a weapon and demanded
money from the female clerk. Police say the clerk then confronted the
would-be robbery [sic]. She allegedly fired one shot as the robber came
toward her. As WBTV's Steve Crump reports, police and the district attorney
must now determine if this was a case of self-defense." (07/23/07)
As I’ve
often said before, this seems to be the job of a coroner’s jury,
preferably meeting on Tuesday after the killing on Monday. The clerk does
not need the additional trauma of a lengthy investigation.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
ID:
ATF says gun shop manager harassed agents
Magic Valley News
“A federal agency has accused a local gun shop manager, who is
also the Twin Falls City Planning and Zoning Commission chairman, of posing
a credible threat to its agents’ safety by harassing and intimidating
them. The accusation is the latest incident in an increasingly tense relationship
between Red’s Trading Post and federal firearms regulators. U.S.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ audits of Ryan
Horsley’s family-owned gun shop became more frequent since spring.
The agents’ inspections into the store’s gun sales turned up
increasingly minor record-keeping violations. And with each new violation
the ATF bolstered its case for revoking Red’s license. Horsley started
videoing the audits and allowed a private photographer and a photographer
from the Times-News to take pictures of the agents when they were visiting
his store. In his Web log, Horsley supplied agents’ full names, home
city and the hotel where they were staying, and described their rental
car. An anonymous response to his blog on July 17 appeared to advocate
killing ATF employees by hanging them from a tree.” (07/25/07)
More garbage
from BATFE. IF the BATFE agents are following the law and not doing anything
wrong, they should be the very first to demand videotaping: after all,
many jurisdictions now routinely videotape traffic stops. And if journalists
and commentators are to be held accountable for the responses to the information
that they provide, then most of the “professional” MSM types
would be in jail right now. At least this guy is publishing the truth.
Mama's
Note: Read more about
this:
BATFE to Red's: Stop Exposing Us! Despite
having won an injunction to keep their business running, Red's is still
being harassed, seemingly because owner Ryan Horsley continues to speak
publicly about the situation. On Tuesday of this week, David Codrea revealed
that BATFE agents "...had threatened [Ryan Horsley] that he needed
to cease all blogging and keep their agents and inspectors free from being
photographed or observed, or they would go to the judge and file a complaint
of harassment."
Our right
to defend ourselves:
TN:
Dogs help woman fight off intruder
WSMV News
“Police said a mother and her family pets fought back a gunman
who tried to rob her at her south Nashville home. The incident happened
on Martin Street, just a few blocks from the state fairgrounds around
10 p.m. Tuesday. Ronda Hill said she, her 2-year-old son and her mother
were walking inside their house when a man jumped a fence, pointed a gun
at them and demanded their belongings. Hill said her dogs then went after
the intruder. “When they attacked him, he dropped the gun, and I
picked it up, and I fired at him. He then took off running,” said
Hill.” (07/25/07)
Dogs are
no substitute for being armed yourself. An intended victim shouldn’t
have to arm themselves from a criminal’s dropped gun.
Mama's
Note: Amen!! She's very fortunate to have such dogs, and mighty lucky
to get hold of the gun. Now she needs one of her own, and some training
to use it effectively. She's already got the right attitude!
Our right
to defend ourselves:
WA:
Would-be victim sends armed robbers running
Seattle Times
“A 57-year-old Leavenworth man turned the tables on two armed
robbers who invaded his home Tuesday. Authorities say that when two masked
men armed with handguns got into the man’s home Tuesday night, he
confronted them, grabbed one of their guns and shot one in the hand. The
two masked men then fled.” (07/25/07)
Again,
I say, an intended victim shouldn’t have to arm themselves from a
criminal’s dropped gun. This man was incredibly lucky.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
MO:
Man shoots grandson in self defense
Detroit Free Press
“A man shot and killed his grandson this morning after the teenager
began stabbing him and his wife, authorities said. William Andrew Nation,
18, came to his sleeping grandparents’ bedroom in their home about
20 miles south of Ava. He shouted that he couldn’t take it anymore
and then started stabbing them with a kitchen knife, said Chief Deputy
Trampus Taylor of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. Jerry Garrison,
took a handgun he kept by the side of his bed and shot his grandson several
times, killing him, authorities said.” (07/25/07)
How often
have we heard of something like this but with a far different and sadder
outcome because the intended victims were unarmed?
Mama's
Note: Oh, what a horrible pity! These people are all products of the state
indoctrination centers called "schools," and quite possibly
some unknown evil in that young man. But he is ultimately responsible
for his own life and behavior, and so he paid a high price for it all.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
KS: Robbery
foiled when clerk beats robber to the draw
WIBW News
“A robbery quickly turned sour for the robber late Wednesday night
when the cashier got to his gun faster than he could. According to Jim
Cormier, who was working the register that night, the man came into Cormier
Liquor, 2611 SE California, around eleven o’clock carrying a black
gym bag. When the man reached into the bag and began to reach for his
gun, Mr. Cormier showed his own. The suspect took off running and headed
south down the alleyway.” (07/26/07)
Well, neat!
No shots needed. Of course, the guy who ran isn’t a “suspect”
– all he is, is a failed robber.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
MS: Ridgeland clerk, robber exchange
gunfire
Jackson Clarion-Ledger
“Just after dark, a man entered the North Park Package Store at
134 Dyess Road, and pointed a gun at a clerk, Ridgeland Police Department
Lt. John Neal said. The clerk then pulled out a gun and pointed it at
the robber, he said. It is unclear who shot first, but both the robber
and clerk fired shots at each other, Neal said. Neither was hit. The suspect
fled the scene empty-handed in a tan sedan.” (07/26/07)
As Mama
pointed out, this guy needs a whole lot more range time; you don’t
expect a crook to shoot well, but a store clerk in a liquor store should!
Mama's
Note: They couldn't have been more than a few feet apart, if that. It's
amazing to think anyone could miss at that range! But it does demonstrate
the fact that such a stressful situation all but destroys fine motor control
and - all too often - basic judgment. That is what serious training and
practice can help overcome.
Stupid
business tricks:
MySpace deletes 29,000 alleged sexual
offenders
C|Net
“Popular Internet social network MySpace said on Tuesday it detected
and deleted 29,000 convicted sex offenders on its service, more than four
times the figure it had initially reported. The company, owned by media
conglomerate News Corp., said in May it had deleted about 7,000 user profiles
that belonged to convicted offenders. MySpace attracts about 60 million
unique visitors monthly in the United States. The new information was
first revealed by U.S. state authorities after MySpace turned over information
on convicted sex offenders it had removed from the service. … The
service has come under attack over the past year after some of its young
members fell prey to adult predators posing as minors. The families of
several teenage girls sexually assaulted by MySpace members sued the service
in January for failing to safeguard its young members.” (07/25/07)
First,
29K out of 60 million is a very low number. Second, it is the parents’
responsibility, not some company probably located thousands of miles (if
just a few keystrokes) away. Third, even convicts have some rights –
wouldn’t it be better to just allow a user (or parent) to cross-check
against a list to see if a person is a convict, or have a pop-up state
“This user was convicted on 4/4/04 of molesting 8-year-old girls.”
And finally, what about convicted con artists, used car salesmen and poor
spellers? Aren’t these also threats to our children AND to the elderly?
Should MySpace allow them on?
Stupid
government tricks (Downunder):
Australia:
Boy, 11, rapes preschoolers ... no charges filed
The Australian [Australia]
"An 11-year-old boy forced two pre-school-aged girls to have sex
with him, infected them with sexually transmitted diseases, but will not
be prosecuted by Western Australian authorities. Police yesterday confirmed
that criminal charges would not be laid against the boy from Balgo, a
troubled indigenous community in the northeastern reaches of the Great
Sandy Desert 100km from the Northern Territory border, despite his being
above the age of criminal responsibility under state law. Although the
incident is part of a continuing investigation, senior police have decided
to treat the issue as a health matter, not a criminal one." [Editor's
note: Contrast this to Portland, OR, where two teen boys are up on "sexual
assault" charges for slapping a few behinds in the corridors - SAT]
(07/23/07)
Any vigilante
action against this evil little monster would, of course, be racist, as
well as “child abuse” and hard with a disarmed Australian public,
to boot. So this sick situation is likely to happen again… and again,
and again.
Mama's
Note: Probably, given that such behavior is condoned this way... but don't
discount the possibility that SOME parents might "take the law into
their own hands." This little monster could easily have an "accident."
The mothers of these innocent victims are not apt to forgive and forget...
and I assume neither will their fathers.
Stupid
government tricks:
Japan
to allow UN inspection of damaged nuclear plant
International Herald Tribune [France]
“Japan will allow investigators from the United Nations nuclear
monitoring agency to inspect a nuclear power station that was damaged
last week by a powerful earthquake in order to address international safety
concerns, an official said Monday. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant —
the largest in the world in terms of capacity — suffered a number
of radioactive leaks and malfunctions during the earthquake on July 16,
which had a magnitude of 6.8 and killed 11 people and injured more than
1,000. On Thursday, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency,
Mohamed ElBaradei, had offered to have agency experts inspect the damage,
but Japan rejected the offer, saying it could handle the safety check
on its own. Local officials then petitioned the central government to
accept the inspection, saying the plant’s problems and leaks had
stirred ‘great unease’ among residents and were tarnishing Japan’s
reputation abroad.” (07/23/07)
The Japanese,
of all people, are competent enough to inspect their own – this is
a clear surrender of sovereignty to the UN, and a bad precedent, caused
by panic on the part of local leaders, and a lack of will on the part
of the national “leaders.”
Stupid
government tricks:
Official takes blame for passport
mess
Lima News
“The current passport mess is rare among government foul-ups:
A top federal official has publicly taken the blame and expressed regret.
‘Over the past several months, many travelers who applied for a passport
did not receive their document in time for their planned travel.’”
(07/22/07)
In this
case, the original trick is the stupid one: passing a law and having no
way to meet its requirements; I still have to wonder if the Mainstream
Media somehow messed up this report – surely a top official isn’t
accepting responsibility?
Mama's
Note: Well, bureaucratic "taking responsibility" just isn't
the same as the real thing in business... They can whine and posture all
they want, but it doesn't alter the facts or make the problem go away.
It's just talk.
Stupid
government tricks:
No indictment
in Katrina hospital deaths
Associated Press
“A grand jury Tuesday declined to indict Dr. Anna Pou, the surgeon
accused of killing four seriously ill patients in the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina. Pou and two nurses were arrested last summer after Attorney General
Charles Foti’s investigation concluded they gave four patients a
‘lethal cocktail’ at Memorial Medical Center amid the chaotic
conditions that followed the August 2005 storm. Lawyers for the three
said they acted heroically by staying to treat patients rather than evacuating.
Charges against the nurses, Lori Budo and Cheri Landry, were dropped after
they were compelled to testify last month before the grand jury under
legal guidelines that kept their testimony from being used against them.”
(07/24/07)
I fail
to see why their own testimony would be needed to convict them of cold-blooded
murder, and certainly their “heroism” should not take away the
fact that they murdered helpless people. Government again carries out
its responsibility to protect people from evildoers – right. The
only thing we can hope for is that these people will never again be put
into a position of responsibility for sick people: they should be shunned
and publicly marked as the killers that they are.
Mama's
Note: I have to disagree with you on this one. I read all of the accounts
very carefully, as well as the statements of these people where available.
I have an intimate understanding of pain management and end of life care.
These people were all in a most horrible and unendurable situation, and
their first priority was the COMFORT of these patients. It's so easy for
others to second guess them, but the fact is that it is only due to the
grace of God that ANY of them survived.
These
people are also INNOCENT until proven guilty. I suspect that if there
had been sufficient evidence to indict them, they would have been tried
in court. I hope, rather, that none of them are ever placed in such a
terrible and thankless position again. They may well not be "heroes,"
but they are not "killers" either.
Stupid
government tricks:
IL: Blagojevich signs smoking ban
Chicago Tribune
“Smokers throughout Illinois soon will have to step outside or
into a private setting to light up after Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Monday
signed into law a smoking ban that extends to nearly all public places
across the state. The governor’s action, which state health officials
said makes Illinois the 19th state with a broad smoking ban, culminated
nearly two decades of intense efforts by anti-smoking advocates to curtail
smoking in public. The law will take effect on Jan. 1, stitching together
a patchwork of local smoking bans passed mostly in the Chicago area in
recent years.” (07/23/07)
People
who harm themselves by smoking will be punished, but murderers (see above)
get away with nothing done to them?
Stupid
government tricks:
FEMA keeps selling toxic
trailers despite report
MSNBC
“The Federal Emergency Management Agency will keep selling and
donating surplus disaster-relief trailers despite concerns that they may
have unhealthy levels of formaldehyde, the agency said. The U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Homeland Security’s
Office of Health Affairs plan to test the air quality in the trailers.”
(07/23/07)
Why should
they bother or worry about contamination of buyers? After all, FEMA and
the judges all work for the same outfit – an outfit that most of
the time cares not a mil for taking care of the people who supposedly
own and control it.
Mama's
Note: As far as I can see, this whole "toxic trailer" thing
is a hoax and a scam by the enviro-whackos. Millions of these "trailers"
are produced and purchased by people around the globe today (I lived in
one for 17 years), and if they were truly "toxic" we'd be hearing
a lot about it from those who buy them. Seems strange to me that it's
only the ones purchased by FEMA that are supposed to be so evil. I don't
have any use for FEMA, obviously, but this is bunk - and I smell tort
lawyers gathering to make another killing.
Stupid
government tricks:
Argentina: Google Earth helps tax
thugs
Raw Story
"Argentina's tax authorities are using satellite images generated
on the Internet by Google Earth to track down fraud [sic], local media
said Friday. According to Buenos Aires province tax official Santiago
Montoya, images of properties from the sky can help square the actual
size of properties with that declared by taxpayers to make sure the proper
amount of taxes is being paid, the reports said. The online Google Earth
service, which assembles detailed satellite pictures together with maps
so that users can view specific locations and buildings, is also used
by the Buenos Aires authorities to check if taxpayers may have expanded
their homes in ways that would increase their value for taxation."
[Editor's note: Consider that is about penalizing people for improving
their own property, but the story refuses to call this "oppression"
... just "catching tax cheats" - SAT] (07/23/07)
This story
is about using generally free public services to support an immoral activity.
It becomes another tool in the constant battle between the tax goons and
people who think that the land they own really belongs to them. If it
weren’t Google Earth or Terraserver or some other web-based site,
it would be aerial photography or buying satellite images from EROS.
Stupid
government tricks:
AZ: County may owe rent of more than
200 roses
Arizona Republic
"Franklin County may be centuries behind in rent on two of its
public buildings -- having accumulated a debt of more than 200 roses.
County officials were reminded of the debt after the recent death of Chambersburg
resident John F. George, a descendant of community founder Benjamin Chambers.
Benjamin Chambers established the local rose rent tradition by requiring
three churches that settled in Chambersburg to give his family one flower
a year in return for land. The congregations consistently have paid the
annual floral rent. But George had said for years that a deed transferring
two lots for use as a county courthouse and jail also required the county
to pay his family one rose a year. The deed, dating to 1784, is kept in
the courthouse and can be viewed on microfilm." [Editor's note:
What's the interest rate on that, in petals? - SAT] (07/23/07)
More to
the point – the government has forfeited any right to use the land
by consistently failing to live up to the contract: seems like the family
could simply reclaim the property.
Stupid
government tricks:
FCC indicates support for “open
access” to airwaves
Wilmington Star
“A majority of the Federal Communications Commission told a House
subcommittee Tuesday that they support an ‘open access’ requirement
on one swath of airwaves that will be auctioned early next year. The provision,
put forth by FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, would allow cell phone customers
to use any device they would like on a new network encompassing about
one-third of the 60 megahertz of spectrum to be auctioned. … A broader
open-access provision, however, supported by Google Inc., received limited
support from the two Democrats on the commission and was opposed by Martin.
Tuesday’s hearing was Martin’s first opportunity to speak publicly
about the rules that will govern the so-called ‘700 megahertz’
auction. The highly coveted spectrum is being made available thanks to
the transition to digital television. It is considered especially valuable.
Signals that utilize it can travel long distances and easily penetrate
walls.” (07/25/07)
Like current,
practical definitions of “free trade” and “fair taxes”,
the way the FCC uses “open access” is an offense against the
English language. It is no more “free access” than a fee of
$100 would be “free admission” to a circus, which the FCC resembles.
Stupid
government tricks:
US must pay $101.7 million to men
framed by FBI
CNN
“A federal judge Thursday ordered the government to pay more than
$101 million in the case of four men who spent decades in prison for a
1965 murder they didn’t commit after the FBI withheld evidence of
their innocence. The FBI encouraged perjury, helped frame the four men
and withheld for more than three decades information that could have cleared
them, U.S. District Judge Nancy Gertner said in issuing her ruling Thursday.”
(07/26/07)
Why should
justice take so long? Two of these men are DEAD, dying in prison for a
crime that they did not do.
Mama's
Note: And, sadly, the paying of all this money stolen from taxpayers isn't
going to change anything. Those who committed this crime will never be
held accountable in any way, nor the FBI "leadership." They
will continue to do the same thing to anyone they wish.
Stupid
government tricks:
“Superheroes” united in
stamps
Arizona Republic
“Endowed with superhuman strength, yet looking different as day
and night, the Amazing Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk will stand shoulder-to-shoulder
as the Postal Service launches its latest set of ’superheroes’
stamps. The 20-stamp set premieres today at Comic-Con, the comic book
and pop culture show in San Diego. The 41-cent stamps honor the creations
of Marvel Comics and include Sub-Mariner, the Thing, Captain America,
Silver Surfer, Spider-Woman, the Invincible Iron Man, Elektra and Wolverine.
In addition, 10 of the stamps highlight covers of comic books featuring
the characters. Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man, the X-Men, Fantastic
Four, the Hulk and others said he is ‘thrilled’ to have his
characters on postage stamps. ‘The only problem is this won’t
get me a discount at the post office,’ he joked.” (07/26/07)
The USPS
tries to act like a real business, but we all know it is NOT. At the same
time as they offer neat things like this (and yes, we’ll probably
add some of these to our stamp AND comic collections in my family), they
continue to offer poorer and poorer service. A few recent and personal
examples: a check (very large check) which was mailed on 2 MAY and took
until 4 JUN to travel 200 miles; a report mailed on 3 JUL which took until
18 JUL to travel 35 miles; and a package which sat in a local post office
undelivered for two weeks because no notification was made to the rural
address expecting it. Let us end the USPS monopoly NOW!
Stupid
government tricks:
TN: Prison visitors face new ban on
revealing lingerie
Tennessean
“Arousing undergarments such as thong underwear and bust-enhancing
‘water brassieres’ won’t be allowed into state prisons
after Aug. 1, when a newly revised set of visitation rules takes effect.
Prisoners ‘don’t need any help getting turned on’ or out
of hand, said Correction Commissioner George Little of the underwear regulations.
The dress code revisions, which also prohibit steel-toed boots and tattered
clothing, are part of an effort to tighten a range of visitor policies
and make sure they’re consistent across the state, Little said.”
[Editor’s note: I had to look twice to make sure this wasn’t
from the Onion - SAT] (07/26/07)
Bizarre
indeed; but if the authorities are serious, they should consider banning
the low-rider, cleavage-baring OUTER garments that expose the underwear
and the “enhanced” boobs, like with the tattered clothing. Steel-toed
boots I can understand.
Stupid
people tricks:
Hard bargaining
ahead in Detroit
Christian Science Monitor
“This week, automotive executives will sit down across from union
workers to bargain over pay in an industry that seems to live on its own
planet. At a time of record corporate profits, Detroit’s Big Three
domestic automakers are losing billions of dollars. As the broader US
economy boasts an unusually low jobless rate of just 4.5 percent, auto-plant
shutdowns have pushed unemployment in Michigan above 7 percent. Growing
numbers of US workers lack health insurance or traditional pensions. By
contrast, the United Auto Workers (UAW) enjoy both these benefits. They
can retire fully covered as young as 49 years old.” (07/23/07)
Shucks,
you don’t suppose these things (the union mega-perks, the billion-buck
losses, and the unemployment explosion) might POSSIBLY have something
in common?
Stupid
politico tricks:
NY: Spitzer aides abused state police,
probe says
Utica Observer-Dispatch
“Two top aides to Gov. Eliot Spitzer plotted to discredit Republican
rival Joseph Bruno by using the state police to recreate and release to
a newspaper records that tracked the Senate majority leader’s whereabouts,
according to an investigative report released Monday. Spitzer immediately
suspended his longtime top media spokesman, Darren Dopp, and reassigned
the other, homeland and public security chief William Howard, following
Monday’s report from Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. The report found
Dopp and Howard, with the direct, unprecedented assistance of state Deputy
Superintendent Preston Felton, conspired to release politically damaging
information about Bruno’s use of state aircraft, including trips
that included political fundraisers. No one was accused of violating the
law, but the report found policies designed to protect public officials’
safety were broken for political gain. Spitzer said he knew nothing of
the operation.” (07/24/07)
Seems to
me like Spitzer is still responsible for this goonlike behavior, and abuse
of power – not of state police.
Mama's
Note: I'm sure the whole truth of all this would be like trying to untangle
overcooked spaghetti. Graft, corruption and power are the problems. All
of these individuals are simply taking advantage of the system. It's up
to the people of NY to stop playing their game and take the power to "abuse"
it away from them.
Theft by
government:
WA: Water thieves’ appeal farm
victory
Capital Press
“Can a city use eminent domain to nab a farm’s water rights
because it needs the water for an industrial park that will provide jobs
and opportunities for its young people and therefore benefit the entire
community? To add a twist to this question: What if the owners of the
farm requested that their land be rezoned ‘light industrial’
so that it could be developed — a request that was granted by a state
growth management hearings board. In a situation like that, how does the
definition of ‘public good,’ which is a requirement for condemnation
through eminent domain, fit into the picture? Would an industrial park
designed to benefit the city trump the farmers’ plans to have their
land developed if ‘public good’ is the deciding factor? These
are the questions before the court as it weighs a request to reconsider
an earlier decision that came out in the farmers’ favor in the City
of Winlock’s case against Mickelsen Dairy. … The Mickelsens
had intended to sell the water rights to a buyer who wanted to develop
the land. Under that arrangement, the city would have managed the water
attached to the water rights and supplied the industrial park, as well
as any projects on the Mickelsen property, with water. But the deal with
the buyer fell through, leaving the Mickelsens with the water rights and
the city determined to get them.” (07/20/07)
Sounds
like a bunch of opportunists that won’t say no, to me.
Theft by
government:
NY:
Property owner beats land thieves
North Country Gazette
“After seven years of litigation, a federal trial judge confirmed
last week what Bill Brody has known all along — the government must
provide citizens with notice before their right to challenge eminent domain
expires. Further, the judge ruled, the Village of Port Chester violated
Brody’s rights by failing to do so. … While Brody was restoring
four abandoned buildings in Port Chester, the village issued him permits
but never once informed him that in the end it planned to take his buildings,
bulldoze them, and hand the land over to a private developer for a Stop
& Shop supermarket parking garage. Instead of mailing Bill notice
of the imminent loss of his rights, the village published a legal classified
ad that didn’t mention anything about the fact that property owners
would be waiving their rights if they didn’t file a lawsuit within
30 days. Now, seven years after his fight began, Bill remains in federal
court; proceedings later this year will determine what remedy Bill is
due for the Village’s violation of his rights.” (07/22/07)
Of course
they must post notice: in a broken filing cabinet in a disused lavatory
in a basement of the city hall where the lights are burned out, and the
door is locked for safety (in a paraphrase of the delightful description
of “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams). A very
small, agonizing, and ultimately futile victory that will do nothing to
restore seven years of Bill Brody’s life.
Mama's
Note: The reason any "remedy" will fail to fix anything is,
of course, the fact that those who violated his rights and stole his property
won't be the ones who pay for it. The poor abused taxpayers will foot
the bill and the thieves will continue on their merry way. None of this
will change until the criminals in government are held personally accountable,
and their power to steal removed.
Thugs and
goons:
Special prosecutor weighed for Gonzales
Poughkeepsie Journal
“Angry senators suggested a special prosecutor should investigate
misconduct at the Justice Department, accusing Attorney General Alberto
Gonzales on Tuesday of deceit on the prosecutor firings and President
Bush’s eavesdropping program. Democrats and Republicans alike hammered
Gonzales in four hours of testimony as he denied trying, as White House
counsel in 2004, to push a hospitalized attorney general into approving
a counterterror program that the Justice Department then viewed as illegal.”
(07/25/07)
Ah, the
wonderful sound of Legislative and Executive branches eating each other,
and perhaps leaving the rest of us alone for a while. Or even longer,
as Mama suggests for the next story: a general breakdown may be here soon.
Thugs:
House votes to commute Border
Patrol sentences
The pardon pander , Slate, by Bruce Fein
“The House of Representatives is perched to equal or better the
instruction of President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney
in sneering at the Constitution’s separation of powers. In an amendment
to the pending defense appropriations bill that passed last night on a
voice vote, the House usurped the president’s pardon authority by
commuting the sentences of the two former Border Patrol agents convicted
in 2005 of federal firearms violations and obstructing justice in connection
with shooting an illegal-alien smuggler. Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso
Compean were sentenced to 11 and 12 years, respectively. Their case has
become a cause celebre on the right. And now, Congress has responded to
the outcry by subordinating the Constitution in defiance of the congressional
oath of office.” (07/26/07)
Mama’s
comments: This seems to be an indication there may eventually (or soon?)
be a general breakdown in the whole system - a giant free for all when
these people simply give up any pretense of abiding by the constitution
or any other law. Gridlock is good, but this may turn out to be pretty
horrible.
Nathan:
I think Mama is right - a "free-for-all" is an apt description.
This isn’t really "usurpation" of the President's authority
nor a violation of the Constitution - for one thing, Bush has to sign
this into law. But it is still an indication of breakdown, especially
since it had to be Democratic votes that made this commutation possible,
despite their rhetoric about how these agents were trying to cover up.
Of course, the Administration again seems to have fumbled the entire thing;
the testimony just given by Sutton to a bipartisan Senate hearing was
filled with flat-out lies that make the Administration look even worse.
It has given Bush-haters an opportunity to claim that Bush is being soft
on drugs AND the border, and seems a perfect chance to split the GOP even
more: all elements of a "breakdown."
Thugs:
Feingold proposes censuring Bush
Columbia Daily Tribune
“Liberal Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold said Sunday he wants Congress
to censure President Bush for his management of the Iraq war and his ‘assault’
against the Constitution. But Feingold’s own party leader in the
Senate showed little interest in the idea. An attempt in 2006 by Feingold
to censure Bush over the warrantless spying program attracted only three
co-sponsors.” (07/22/07)
Well, 10
points for at least trying, but negative 1,000 for being so incredibly
stupid as to think that his “colleagues” would do ANYTHING that
meant anything substantial – not that a “censure” comes
with a dime’s worth of spending authority removed.
Mama's
Note: Purely rhetorical posturing here. The only "censure" that
would be of value would come from the population of the whole country
as they tarred and feathered every criminal politician and bureaucrat
at every level. Might have to use cotton or kapok or something... not
sure the US has that many chickens! But rope and lamp posts or trees would
work just as well.
Thugs:
Right hails Feinstein in border agent
flap
San Francisco Chronicle
“Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, normally a target for criticism
from outspoken conservatives, is being hailed as an unlikely hero by the
political right for joining them in calling for President Bush to free
two U.S. border agents convicted of shooting a suspected drug smuggler.
The case of agents Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos has become a
cause celebre for conservative talk radio, bloggers and politicians. The
agents were sentenced in October 2006 to 12 and 11 years in prison, respectively,
by a federal judge in El Paso, Texas. Supporters say the initial verdict
and the sentences were unbelievably harsh, an example of overzealous prosecution
and of misplaced government priorities.” [Editor’s note:
Lessee, her normal supporters like her for her economic socialism, and
now these folks like her fascist border policies … BRRR! - SAT] (07/22/07)
Ah, the
wonders of the one-issue political activist.
Thugs:
Congressman denied access to post
attack continuity plans
NewHouse News
"Constituents called Rep. Peter DeFazio's office, worried there
was a conspiracy buried in the classified portion of a White House plan
for operating the government after a terrorist attack. As a member of
the House Committee on Homeland Security, DeFazio, D-Ore., is permitted
to enter a secure 'bubbleroom" in the Capitol and examine classified
material. So he asked the White House to see the secret documents. On
Wednesday, DeFazio got his answer: DENIED. 'I just can't believe they're
going to deny a member of Congress the right of reviewing how they plan
to conduct the government of the United States after a significant terrorist
attack,' DeFazio said." (07/23/07)
“As
you have done to others, so shall it be done unto you.” This thug
has conspired with his fellow thugs to deny basic information about government
to the people he supposedly represents (and the rest of the nation) for
decades, and now, the shoe is on HIS foot. Members of Congress are no
special class of nobility, in law at least, that deserve special privileges:
but oh, how they try!
Thugs:
IL: Congressmen warn BP about discharges
Indianapolis Star
“A bipartisan group of Illinois’ congressional delegation
warned BP Amoco officials Tuesday not to proceed with an Indiana oil refinery
expansion that would increase pollution in Lake Michigan. Rep. Mark Kirk,
R-Ill., said after a meeting with officials that included Robert Malone,
BP America’s president and chairman, that the company needs to offer
up a plan that results in ‘no new, net pollution’ in the lake.
… The Indiana Department of Environmental Management approved BP’s
request last month to release into Lake Michigan more ammonia and silt
from its refinery in Whiting, Indiana. The amount still is within federal
guidelines.” (07/25/07)
In other
words, these thugs are saying “It is not enough to obey the law,
you have to do more, or we will make it impossible for you to do anything.”
And we wonder why no new refineries have been built in 25 years, and why
gasoline is selling for 3 dollars + a gallon! This sort of pressure by
Congressional thugs on private businesses should be illegal.
Mama's
Note: According to the strict interpretation of the Constitution, it IS
already "illegal." But that hasn't stopped congress from meddling
in everything almost from the start. The Constitution failed to give the
people any real teeth to enforce it against the greed and power lust of
those they "elect," trusting in the state governments to control
the Fed. Unfortunately, all of the politicians and bureaucrats are made
of the same stuff and that was a pipe dream. The politicians simply took
it from there and ran with it.
Thugs:
Dead men farming
Forbes
“Here’s a fact that supporters of the Farm Bill might want
to consider as the legislation is deliberated on the House floor this
week: Between 1999 and 2005, the U.S Department of Agriculture paid $1.1
billion in farm payments to nearly 173,000 people who weren’t alive.
Nothing illegal — just Washington business as usual. Under certain
conditions, estates can receive farm payments for up to two years after
a recipient’s death. But according to a study released Tuesday by
the Government Accountability Office, 40% of the deceased who received
payments from 1999 to 2005 had been dead for at least three years. In
one instance, someone who died in 1995 got $400,000.” (07/25/07)
Hey, if
they can vote in Chicago (and elsewhere), why, it only makes sense for
them to get some pork to influence their votes, right? And you have to
admit that they won’t be too tempted to exceed their production quotas
and overproduce anything – worms aren’t subsidized (yet).
Thugs:
Lawmaker tones down fuel economy proposal
Detroit Free Press
“The leading backer of tougher fuel-economy standards in the U.S.
House softened his proposal Thursday to win more undecided lawmakers,
as automakers and environmentalists mounted an all-out lobbying march
ahead of a key decision by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expected by Monday.
… Proponents of tougher standards do not appear to have enough votes
to guarantee a victory to Pelosi for now, and automakers say they have
gained momentum in the debate over the past few days. Environmental groups
back the bill by U.S. Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., that would require
new vehicles to average 35 miles per gallon by 2018 …. Markey spokeswoman
Jessica Schafer said the congressman was circulating several changes to
his bill, including pushing back the deadline to 2019, leaving increases
beyond that to federal regulators and carving an exemption in fuel-economy
rules for large work trucks.” (07/26/07)
Once more,
Congress will do nothing effective – I guess we’ll have to depend
on our old-fashioned pocketbooks. The more of us who refuse to buy vehicles
with mileage less than 30 or 35 mpg, the more bankrupt the automakers
will become, since they don’t seem to understand $3.00 + a gallon
gasoline.
Mama's
Note: Of course, the real answer is to get government out of the whole
picture. The free market will provide what people want, and that can be
any combination of fuel, efficient vehicles, or anything else. They are
not mutually exclusive.
Thugs:
Burr bill would pay for health insurance
Raleigh News & Observer
“U.S. Sen. Richard Burr plans to introduce legislation today that
would give money to uninsured Americans to purchase health care coverage.
Burr and a group of fellow conservative Republicans came up with the proposal
after being asked by party leadership to develop an alternative to a children’s
healthcare program now being debated in the Senate.” (07/26/07)
Ah, he
lives up to his family name, and betrays his so-called political credentials.
How about a REAL proposal: eliminate all government laws regulating the
practice of medicine and medical insurance at the federal level, and end
all federal medicare and Medicaid programs. And end punitive damages for
medical lawsuits.
Thugs:
Senate approves “security”
pork
Beloit Daily News
“The Senate on Thursday night approved a package of security measures
recommended by the 9/11 Commission, shifting more federal money to high-risk
states and cities and requiring more stringent screening of air and sea
cargo. The measure passed by a 85-8 vote.” (07/27/07)
For “high-risk”
read “big-vote” and you will understand the logic of this.
War on
some drugs:
Head drug
thug says coke scarcer, pricier
Fox News
“Wholesale prices of cocaine have risen in more than a dozen major
U.S. cities as supplies of the powerful drug have shrunk, including in
high-volume markets such as Los Angeles and New York, White House drug
czar John Walters said. But the same federal report that Walters said
indicates the short supply also suggests that producers might be stockpiling
cocaine in South America or Mexico, perhaps waiting until the time is
right to export to the United States. The scarcity was first noted in
a May report by the National Drug Intelligence Center, said Walters, who
heads the Office of National Drug Control Policy.” (07/22/07)
Gee, he
deserves a raise, doesn’t he? Think of all the increased profits
available to the drug lords with the right connections! And notice how
he still pooh-poohs the impact – “Dem sneaky guys jess waitin’
and hoardin’ all dat good stuff down theyar.”
Mama's
Note: Indeed, and watch for the next "designer drug" to hit
the streets. When they can't get "the good stuff" of choice,
they'll make do with bathtub gin and meth... Unintended consequences.
War on
some drugs:
Alleged Mexican
meth kingpin nabbed in MD
Fox News
“U.S. federal agents have arrested a Mexico City businessman wanted
in connection with one of the Western Hemisphere’s largest trafficking
rings for the main chemical ingredient in methamphetamine. Zhenli Ye Gon
was arrested in a Maryland restaurant Monday evening, four months after
police discovered $207 million at his Mexico City mansion in what U.S.
officials have called the world’s biggest seizure of drug cash. …
The Chinese-Mexican fugitive is wanted on organized crime, drug trafficking
and weapons charges. DEA spokesman Garrison Courtney said Ye Gon was arrested
on drug smuggling and money laundering charges, adding that he was tracked
down by agents and did not turn himself in.” (07/24/07)
“Drug
cash”? Or just bribes that didn’t get paid in time?
Page
2 Click HERE Link checked!
Lots of other good stuff on page 2!
Nathan
Barton is writing this from a wonderful place in the West, which might
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of freedom. For thousands of years, people have fought and died for the
liberty that Americans in the great spaces of the West enjoy, and he writes
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to do so, until the end of Time.
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