Archive for the ‘Editorial, Opinion’ Category

Civil Liberties versus Civil Rights

March 10, 2009

Civil Liberties versus Civil Rights. Over the past weekend my mailbox was inundated with questions having to do with the subject. I got tired of responding individually and decided to write a short essay about it. Basically, a comparison contrast piece.

First, some definitions;

Civil Liberties

civil liberties n. rights or freedoms given to the people by the First Amendment to the Constitution, by common law, or legislation, allowing the individual to be free to speak, think, assemble, organize, worship, or petition without government (or even private) interference or restraints. These liberties are protective in nature, while civil rights form a broader concept and include positive elements such as the right to use facilities, the right to an equal education, or the right to participate in government. (See: civil, civil rights)

SOURCE

Civil Rights

Personal liberties that belong to an individual, owing to his or her status as a citizen or resident of a particular country or community.

The most common legal application of the term civil rights involves the rights guaranteed to U.S. citizens and residents by legislation and by the Constitution. Civil rights protected by the Constitution include Freedom of Speech and freedom from certain types of discrimination.

SOURCE

Leave it to Lawyers to muck things up beyond belief! They are nearly as bad as Economist’s when it comes to turning something, anything, from the profoundly simple to that which only confuses.

Both Liberties and Rights have much in common, or at least they appear to. So then, how are they differentiated one from the other? One must step away from politics and enter the metaphysical world of ethics.

In the realm of ethics, as applied in this context, there are the Natural and Unalienable Rights. These are rights that you, as a person are in fact born with, and can never be taken from you.

There are also Inalienable Civil Liberties or Rights. Those are rights that are granted via society or government. Those rights can be surrendered or forfeited based upon behavior. (The link above addresses both.)

The simplified version then, is that a “Natural” right cannot be taken or surrendered. But, again this is very simplified, a Civil Right or Liberty can be taken from you. Most often by surrendering a right for the perceived greater good. A good example would be surrendering your right to self defense via gun control. You will always have a right to self defense, in an ethical context, but you can choose to impose self restrictions upon yourself.

Further, society can in point of fact take your Unalienable Rights from you should it deem it necessary for the good of society. That being execution for true felonies.

Confusing even in a simplified version? Yes, admittedly it can be. A Civil Right is a Natural or God given Right. A Civil Liberty is granted by society or government.

These are the crux of such diverse issues as California’s Proposition Eight, as well as Gun Control, and the list just goes on from there.

Tin foil hat time..?

March 9, 2009

Just about a year ago I was chatting on IM with a friend, and as might be expected we were discussing the election. The Democrat race was anything but sewn up at that point. Both of us being conservatives with a markedly Libertarian bent were anything but happy with the choices available in the race for the Presidency.

How though, could the country be turned on it’s head? He believed that the nation would continue on without much, if any serious change irrespective of who ended up in the oval office. My position was different, as regular readers might expect. I said that our entire way of life could be destroyed. How so? By destroying the economy, or even by making it appear to be the situation. Who would be able to pull that off. The usual suspects of course. George Soros, Chuck Schumer, and so on. My friend suggested that I needed to adjust my tin foil hat for better reception. We both had a good laugh and went on to other things of interest.

Today my RSS feeder lit up with something that caught my attention. Read about it at papundits.

LAND PROTECTION AGREEMENT OPENS ACCESS IN LAKE COUNTY

March 8, 2009

This is just awesome news! This area has been “out of bounds” for nearly all people for as long as I can remember. It’s diverse attractions for outdoor recreation are hard to list. Or imagine as far as that goes. Great work Division of Wildlife!

LEADVILLE, Colo. – A four-way partnership between the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW), Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), the Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas, and private landowners has resulted in a perpetual conservation easement on 3,200 acres of important wildlife habitat and scenic open space in Lake County.

Owners of the Moyer Ranch entered the agreement to keep the land as a working ranch and preserve its vital wildlife habitat.  In addition, about a third of the ranch will be open to seasonal access to hunters and anglers.

A conservation easement is a legal property interest that compensates a landowner for relinquishing certain development rights as a way to ensure the long-term protection of the land.  The Moyer family received approximately $4.8 million in return for conceding future development rights on the property.  The Division of Wildlife and GOCO each contributed $2.4 million.  The Moyer family donated additional considerations including previous conservation considerations reached with the Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas in 2007.

“We are very pleased we were able to be a part of the cooperative effort to protect this important wildlife habitat,” said DOW Area Manager Jim Aragon.  “The Moyer family’s desire to protect the land, the wildlife resource, and to continue with their land stewardship and ranching heritage was key to getting this project done.”

“This has been such a great project,” said Bruce Goforth of the Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas.  “It will preserve the agriculture, wildlife habitat and water resources on the last, large, working ranch in Lake County.  And the water preserved will continue to flow down the Arkansas River, ensuring water quantity, quality, and good fish habitat for many miles.”

The Moyer Ranch has diverse wildlife populations including bighorn sheep, deer, elk, mountain lions, black bears, and an abundant variety of birds, small mammals, and other non-game wildlife.  The property also features several pristine feeder streams that connect to the Arkansas River.

According to Tom Martin, the local wildlife officer, the DOW’s conservation easement consists of multiple parcels. Most of the tracts are contiguous but some overlap others, and many are irregular shapes located on the steep hillsides.

Approximately 1,350 acres will be open for hunting and fishing. Hunting access will be limited to rifle season deer, elk, and bear; and limited archery and rifle hunting for bighorn sheep.  Public fishing access will be allowed on portions of Iowa and Empire Gulches.

In addition, the Moyer Family and Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas have agreed to allow fishing access on a stretch of Arkansas River upstream from the Hwy. 24 overpass at Hayden Meadows for nine-tenths of a mile to the Crystal Lake State Trust property.  Access points, parking areas, and signs still need to be posted, but the DOW hopes to have that done in the next few months. The result will be that the public will have fishing access to a contiguous stretch of the Upper Arkansas River that is over seven miles long.

COLORADO’S WILDLIFE HABITAT PROTECTION PROGRAM

Habitat loss is a primary cause for the decline of many wildlife species in Colorado.  As highly desirable lands are altered or converted to other uses, wildlife habitat can become degraded, destroyed, and fragmented. Habitat conversion and loss can also reduce opportunities for hunting, fishing, and wildlife observation.

The primary use of funds from the Colorado Wildlife Habitat Protection Program is to address the loss of critical big game winter range and migration corridors, but also to preserve other wildlife habitat as well.  Wetlands and riparian corridors along with important habitat for threatened and endangered species, and species of special concern are also a priority for acquisition.

By combining funding sources, including Habitat Stamp funds, GOCO funds, Game Cash funds, Wetlands Program funds, Federal funds and others, the DOW is able to bring together an array of species protection and land conservation tools and incentives not otherwise available. The preferred strategy uses perpetual conservation easements that provide incentives to private landowners that protects wildlife habitat and for beneficial wildlife management practices.

Conservation easements are used to guarantee that landscapes remain intact and to provide fundamental wildlife benefits on a long-term basis. All conservation easements must have an accompanying management plan that is approved by the landowner and the DOW.

Since 2006, sales of Habitat Stamps have been instrumental in protecting more than 60,000 acres of wildlife habitat in the state.  The DOW used some funds to purchase land, but most land is preserved through permanent conservation easements held by the DOW and various non-profit partnerships.

The primary focus is protecting important winter range and migration corridors for deer and elk, but acquisitions and easements have also protected critical habitats for sage grouse, opened up fishing access for anglers, and provided hunting access.

A nine-member citizen’s committee appointed by the Governor oversees the habitat stamp program.  The committee has reviewed dozens of proposals to protect critical wildlife habitat.  Proposals are reviewed and ranked according to wildlife benefits, public access, and cost.  Final approval comes from the Colorado Wildlife Commission.

Public access is not required, but projects that provide hunting and fishing access and those with matching funds from partners get additional consideration.

For more information, call (303) 291-7217.  Additional information on the Colorado Wildlife Habitat Stamp Program timeline for the 2009 enrollment period and a copy of the application is available at http://wildlife.state.co.us/LandWater/PrivateLandProgram/WildlifeHabitatProtectionProgram/

– end –

For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.

Just say no to higher taxes!

March 8, 2009

Just say no to higher oppressive taxation! And tip a cool Guinness with with a sip of  Knappogue while doing so!

As someone who enjoys great brands such as Smirnoff, Crown Royal, Captain Morgan, Johnnie Walker, Ketel One, Jose Cuervo, Tanqueray, Guinness, Beaulieu Vineyard or Sterling Vineyards wines, you are a member of the Diageo family. As a member of our family, you need to be aware that in the coming months, lawmakers will be proposing tax increases that will put jobs in your community at risk and raise the cost of your favorite drink.

There’s a real price to pay when elected officials misguidedly try to replenish state budgets with regressive taxes that will hit us at a time when we are already being hit hard enough economically. These taxes will cause people like bartenders, waiters, waitresses and other folks who work hard every day in our community restaurants and hotels to lose their jobs. In fact, the last time they raised taxes on alcohol, $1.3 billion in wages were lost, while 98,000 people found themselves out of work.

Hardly sounds fair, does it?

It’s time to SAY NO to higher taxes that will put jobs at risk and raise prices on the people who can afford it the least. CLICK HERE to join the fight against irresponsible and regressive taxes.

Together, we can protect our jobs, our livelihoods, and the right to responsibly enjoy a drink.

Cheers!

Guy L. Smith
Executive Vice President
Diageo North America

Objective Analysis May Lead To Real Reform

March 8, 2009

From time to time, elected officials actually do research an issue, learn the facts, and take the appropriate action. Such is the case with efforts to scrap Canada’s multi-billion, ineffective gun registry.

On February 9, 2009, Garry Breitkreuz, a member of the Canadian House of Commons for the Conservative Party of Canada, introduced Bill C-301–an act to amend the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act (registration of firearms). This Private Members Bill would bring to an end Canada’s much-maligned “Long Gun Registry.”

According to a recent article in Canada’s NationalPost.com, when the national long-gun registry was introduced some 14 years ago, Mr. Breitkreuz actually believed the onerous gun registry would help make Canada safer. Now he knows better.

“After many years of research, consultation and more than 600 access-to-information requests as a Member of Parliament, I now know that nothing could be further from the truth,” said Breitkreuz. “The gun registry has not saved one life in Canada, and it has been a financial sinkhole, estimated to have cost some $2-billion. Imagine how many more police we could have on the streets if we had invested more wisely. We need to dismantle the wasteful, futile registry and abandon the notion that this political pacifier is working. But most importantly, we need to stop placing onerous regulations on duck hunters and sport shooters who are not part of Canada’s criminal element.”

To read more about this important story, please click here.

When this law was put into effect we watched to see if indeed the people of Canada would submit to such nonsense foisted upon them. Well? The people not only spoke, they refused to comply. Good show people of Canada!

SOURCE

Wyoming takes a step forward

March 8, 2009

Wyoming took a giant step forward by changing the effects of a law that was passed without a vote, in the dark of the night by the forces of mysandry and political correctness. Just this past week the cowards of the Supreme Court failed to address the immoral as well as blatantly un-Constitutional ex post facto Lautenberg Domestic Violence Act.

CHEYENNE — Wyoming residents accused or convicted of domestic violence may find it easier to regain their federal gun rights thanks to recent action by the state Legislature.

~snip~

Freudenthal said he’s comfortable that judges will be able to review people’s conduct for five years after a conviction before considering their expungement requests. “I think that gives you a pretty good chance to look at it, and evaluate their conduct,” he said Thursday.

Full Story

An Obama assessment

March 8, 2009

An Obama assessment requires us to think broadly. Indeed, tactical, operational, and at the strategic level. The tactical we have seen through the election process, and the operational unfolds before us within the so-called “stimulus” boondoggle that is little more than payback for key sponsors of the tactical portion of the over all strategy. The election in plain language. The  operational focus needs some clarification in order to be fully understood, and I stumbled across another blog that explains it all in a manner that makes the impossible understandable.This involves virtually everything from class politics, to gun control, and beyond.

Three cheers for a job well done at Romantic Poet!

It is a rather extensive post, and well worth the time needed to read it.

Obama Accomplishments Update

March 3, 2009

Gunny Bob keeps tabs on the administrations accomplishments and I am happy to allow him to do so because it is simply beyond me to keep up!

On 20 February 2009, in another embarrasing communications and policy gaff, the Obama regime had to publicly slap down Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood’s suggestion that the regime might tax Americans for every mile they drive.

According to a Kerry aid on 20 February 2009, Sen. John Kerry, after being admittedly caught carrying a letter from Hamas to Obama that was the first step in establishing a direct and personal dialogue between Hamas and Obama, turned the letter over to the Jerusalem consul general. Kerry is now claiming it is all a big mistake and he didn’t know the letter was from Hamas.

On 17 February 2009, on Obama’s orders, 16 people were killed in a coalition operation in Afghanistan, but only 3 were terrorists; the others were civilians, including two children and six women. Obama had no comment on the body count of kids and women he has already amassed as commander in chief.

On 20 February 2009, in a move that infuriated the ACLU and human rights groups around the world, Obama stunned many when he ordered his lawyers to file a brief stating, despite his many vehement campaign promises to the contrary, terrorists held prisoner by the US in Afghanistan have absolutely no rights whatsoever.

On 21 February 2009, in a shocking policy statement that sent human rights groups into a blind rage, Secretary of State Clinton said during a visit to China, one of the most repressive communist regimes in history, that “human rights cannot interfere” with the economy, global warming and other issues, which take precedence. This statement stunned human rights groups who believed Obama when he repeatedly stated during his campaign that human rights would be a priority in his regime.

In the 3rd week of February 2009, Obama suffered his first major foreign policy & security disaster when he failed to convince Pakistan’s government that it should not surrender control of the restive, terrorist-filled Swat Valley to the Taliban terrorism cartel, even though Obama said he was the candidate who, as president, would be more effective in leading the war on terror there. In the same week, top-secret photos were leaked revealing a US Predator drone base inside Pakistan.

In his second major foreign affairs and security failure of his newly installed regime, Obama failed to prevent the start-up of the Iranian terrorist regime nuclear plant at Bushehr, which is slated for 25 February 2009 according to Iran’s government. The start-up will take place despite Obama, during his campaign, repeatedly insisting that his diplomatic skills would turn the Iranian terrorist government off their path to nuclear power.

Despite his innumerable campaign promises to do whatever it takes to win the war in Afghanistan and support our military’s efforts there, in February 2009, Obama ignored the sage advice of our most respected military officers, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and refused to order at least 30,000 additional troops into Afghanistan, instead opting for just over half of what was requested.

On 23 February 2009, in another embarrasing demonstration of the Obama regime’s blatant hypocrisy, the Detroit News reported that of the 18 member of Obama’s Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry, only two drove American cars.

On 19 February 2009, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano issued the bold lie that no Mexican drug cartel violence had crossed the border. In reality, according to news reports in major papers and in broadcast media in Arizona (she is the former governor of that state) and elsewhere, numerous police departments in Arizona and elsewhere, the FBI, and the Cato Institute, Mexican drug cartel crime is very commonplace inside the United States and 230 cities have Mexican drug cartel cells. Napolitano is believed to have told the absurd lie because had she admitted to the contrary, Obama’s plan for open borders and pro-illegal-alien immigration reform would be less acceptable to the American people.

As of 23 February 2009, the Dow had plummeted more than 1,000 points under Obama’s economic policies and more than 2,000 points since his election. On 23 February 2009, when the markets learned Obama was going to make a statement on fiscal responsibility, the Dow fell 251 points.

On 23 February 2009, Newsmax reported that Obama’s $410 billion omnibus spending bill contains 9,000 earmarks. During his campaign, Obama guaranteed earmarks reform under his regime and clearly promised he would never sign such a bill.

On 23 February 2009, the Obama regime convened what it termed a Fiscal Responsibility Summit (for three hours) at which the regime said there were no special interests represented. In reality, there were 47 liberal, Obama-linked and Obama-supporting special interest groups represented, including 7 unions, 3 health care associations, 2 health policy foundations, 9 ethnic and racial interest groups, 6 senior, women, disabled and gay rights groups, 11 leftist think tanks and advocacy groups, 4 business interest groups, three universities, a law firm and a financial services firm.

On 24 February 2009, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Biden crime family was deeply involved with indicted rogue financier Allen Stanford and his $8 billion fraud scheme. The Bidens own Paradigm Global Advisors LLC, which was marketed exclusively by Stanford and was operated via the Stanford International Bank in Antigua.

On 23 February 2009, Texas Homeland Security Steve McCraw testified before the House Committee on Border and International Affairs that Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano was 100% wrong in her farcical statement that Mexican drug cartel violence was non-existent in the US. The testimony was linked to Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s request for an additional $135 million to secure the border to help prevent additional Maxican drug cartel violence from happening in Texas. Neither McCraw or Perry speculated on why Napolitano had told the bizare lie.

During his address to the nation on 24 February 2009, Obama:

(1) Falsely claimed that the automobile was invented in America, which it was not, thus making him look stupid and ignorant

(2) Stated his top three priorities did not include homeland security

(3) Complained about government debt, even though the week prior he added $1.4 trillion to that debt

(4) Complained about banks giving home loans to unqualified buyers, but it was his party that pushed that policy

(5) Falsely claimed he does not believe in big government, yet every expert says his policies will grow the size and power of the government exponentially

(6) Touted his website http://www.recovery.gov and claimed it shows details of exactly how the “stimulus” money will be spent, but the website shows no such thing and has been revealed to be a scam by the media

(7) Announced his program to use your tax dollars to help your neighbor buy a new car

(8) Falsely claimed his policies would prevent CEOs from buying new drapes and flying on private jets

(9) Falsely claimed he would never help “a single Wall Street executive” even though his bailous do precisely that

(10) Falsely claimed using tax dollars to create a socialist medicine program would reduce the deficit

(11) Promised to use taxpayer dollars to pay for every American to receive a college education

(12) Stated high school dropouts were “quitting on their country” even though hundreds of thousands, if not millions, served and serve in the military and huge numbers gave their lives for the country

(13) Falsely claimed their were no earmarks in the “stimulus” bill, even though he has never read it and even though hundreds of billions of dollars in the law were special-interest earmarks

(14) Threatened to destroy struggling U.S. companies that do any outsourcing to survive

(15) Said he would end the war in Iraq but refused to say he would lead us to victory there

(16) Failed to inform the American people that under his plan to prevent homes from going into foreclosure, illegal aliens would be eligible to receive your tax dollars to stay in their homes, according to the Center for Immigration Studies

Despite Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano’s bald-faced lie that Mexican drug cartels are not operating in the United States, on 25 February 2009 the FBI arrested 750 Mexican drug cartel operatives inside the United States. This was a joint operation between the FBI, DEA and, yes, the Department of Homeland Security.

On 25 February 2009, Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), the longest serving Democrat in the Senate, publicly charged that Obama was violating the Constitution and therefore the law by conducting illegal power grabs.

On 25 February 2009, although the president failed to mention it during his speech the night before, the White House admitted under pressure that Obama’s socialist medicine program would cost not the cited $634 billion, but actually $1 trillion.

On 25 February 2009, in sworn testimony before the House Homeland Security Committee, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano testified she would fail in her sworn duty to insure all commercial cargo containers entering the United States would be screened for nuclear and radiological weapons by 2012, a mandate set by the Democratic Congress in 2007.

On 25 February 2009, without Sec. of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano’s specific permission to enforce the law, ICE raided a Washington State engine plant in an investigation of gang activity by illegal aliens there. Twenty-eight illegal aliens were arrested. Napolitano ordered an immediate investigation because, according to a spokesman, such law enforcement operations are inconsistent with the president’s policy on illegal aliens.

On 25 February 2009, during an appearance on The Early Show, VP Joe Biden lied by saying Louisiana, under Gov. Bobby Jindal, loses 400 jobs/day. In reality, according to statistics from the Louisiana Workforce Commission, Louisiana is not only NOT losing 400 jobs/day under Governor Jindal, but actually gaining jobs, and the Louisiana unemployment rate is 5.9% under Governor Jindal, as opposed to the national unemployment rate under Obama, which is at 7.3%

In 2007 as a candidate, Obama said you have to make $1 million annually to be rich. In 2008, he lowered it to $250,000 and kept that figure in his February 2009 address to the nation. Two days later, after he promised your taxes would not go up so much as a dime if you make less than $250,000/year, Obama released his budget that included tax rate increases for those making above $209,000 and also included other massive tax increases via deduction eliminations, according to the Cato Institute and Neil Cavuto.

On 27 February 2009, at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Obama endured his most humiliating event since taking power when he was forced to admit before thousands of Marines that they had defeated the enemy in Iraq, in a war he said during the campaign we shouldn’t have fought and believed we would lose. He also was forced to admit in essence that his promises during the campaign of total retreat and surrender within 16 months of his taking power were foolish and that he would leave up to 50,000 troops in Iraq after the drawdown is complete in late 2010.

On 1 March 2009, the NY Post reported that Obama’s “urban czar,” Bronx Boro President Adolfo Carrion, was neck deep in a pay-for-play bribery scheme that saw him receiving huge amounts in campaign donations from developers who donated the money to Carrion immediately before or after he signed off on their project proposals.

In late February 2009, Obama nominated beleagured Washington State Gov. Gary Locke to be his secretary of commerce. Locke is widely believd to be the most corrupt sitting governor in the country, with investigations into campaign finance law violations, brazen conflicts of interest, money laundering and other shady dealings. Locke has been investigated for giving tax breaks to a defense contractor while being in business with that company’s auditor; giving tax breaks to his brother-in-law’s company; personally signing, as governor, a federal loan application for his brother-in-law’s company;being in cahoots with Clinton Chinagate money launderer John Huang, who was a fundraiser for Locke; accepting illegal contributions from Indonesian businessman Ted Sioeng, believed to be an operative for the government of the People’s Republic of China; accepting illegal campaign funds from Thai political operative Praitun Kanchanalak; accepting illegal funds from a Chinese street gang in New York City via a restaurant being used as a front; and accepting huge sums from a Buddhist monestary in Washington State in which the many monks said they did not recall donating any money to Locke.

On 2 March 2009, for the first time since October 1997, the Dow fell below 7,000 as the markets plummeted in reaction to Obama’s wild and undisciplined spending spree in Washington.

On 2 March 2009, the Associated Press reported on Obama having turned the White House into a glitzy, ultra-elite party palace on Wednesday evenings, with entertainers like Earth, Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder and Sweet Honey in the Rock topping the playbills. Conga lines, massive spreads of gourmet food and premium alcohol for all guests are served as America’s unemployment rate skyrockets, companies and charities are closing or endangered at record pace, and our national deficit shoots through the ionosphere.

Source and complete article

Ayn Rand, and America today

March 3, 2009

It’s no secret that I think quite in terms based in objectivism. This post from The Patriot Post pretty well sums up what I have been blogging about for more than three years.

“One of the methods used by statists to destroy capitalism consists in establishing controls that tie a given industry hand and foot, making it unable to solve its problems, then declaring that freedom has failed and stronger controls are necessary.” –Ayn Rand

“In January, Stephen Moore caused a stir by arguing, in the Wall Street Journal, that the current crisis is turning Atlas Shrugged ‘from fiction to fact.’ And those who are warning that increased government restrictions will cause the nation’s most productive workers to withdraw their talents have taken to calling this the ‘John Galt Effect,’ a reference to the hero — and the main plotline — of Atlas Shrugged. It is no coincidence that the strongest resistance to a government takeover of the economy is coming from people influenced by Ayn Rand. She has long functioned as a stiffener of resolve and as the fountainhead of pro-free-market ideas. …Ayn Rand’s contribution to the philosophical defense of capitalism can be summed up in one central idea: individualism. Ayn Rand demonstrated that the ultimate source of all wealth — everything from steel mills to microchips — is the individual reasoning mind. Thus, a society that wants to prosper has to ask what is required by its thinkers and producers, the ‘prime movers’ who originate and implement new ideas. And the first thing that is required for these thinkers to function is that they be free from coercive interference by bureaucrats, by blowhard legislators, or by federal ‘czars.’ … Ayn Rand’s ideas are the mostly unnamed fuel giving fire and confidence to people like [CNBC financial analyst] Rick Santelli. … If we’re going to have an ideological Boston Tea Party, a declaration of independence from the whole theory behind state management of our lives and wealth, then Ayn Rand is the ideal philosophical hostess.” –editor of The Intellectual Activist and TIADaily.com Robert Tracinski

Colorado Politics run amok!

March 3, 2009

Senator Greg Brophy keeps us all informed about the goofy, illogical, and at times immoral things that go on under the golden dome on Colfax avenue. Reprinted here is his latest newsletter, with my commentary in bold.

The Car Tax

SB09-108, the Car Tax passed the House 34-31 on Wednesday. All of the Republicans and three Democrats voted against it.

I thought Ref. C was supposed to take care of things like that, and a whole lot of other things as well!

Kudos to State Rep Jerry Sonnenberg (R-Sterling) for adding an amendment to allow new axle configurations to be used by trucks in Colorado. This is something that I have been working on since my first year in the House and Jerry pulled it off!

So? There are some with a sense of logic down there? Astounding, simply astounding!

I expect the Senate to concur with House amendments today, Friday the 27th. I am truly sorry that we were unable to derail this quarter billion dollar tax increase levied during a recession.

Hold on Colorado! A full blown depression is heading your way like a train with a stuck throttle! Brought to you by the Bill Ritter Express!

Another Car Tax

Senator Morse (D-Colorado Springs) added an additional buck to each car registration for a grant program for emergency services.

A dollar here, a dollar there. Special Districts are probably the fastest growing taxes in the state. People regularly over-ride Tabor for Special Districts without really understanding the consequences, and now this?

Of course, administering the grant program will require three brand new state employees. Take a look at the fiscal note for SB09-002. You can see that this grant program already exists and has about $2.9 million available each year, but adding another $4.9 million to it will require more state employees. Why can’t the existing employees dole out the money? This can’t be that hard; I’m absolutely positive that existing staff can write more checks.

Bureaucracy in action !

The additional new employees aren’t the only insulting part of the tax (fee) increase. Only 11% of emergency service calls go to car wrecks. Eleven percent. Eighty nine percent of the time our car registration will be subsidizing other emergency services.

I think the stats are off a bit, but the point is still the same. Most cited statistics that I have seen for fire departments ( which respond to medical emergencies along with Police, and EMS) show that ninety percent, or even higher are for medical calls. In my experience Motor Vehicle Accidents account for roughly twenty percent of those emergency responses. Sounds a lot like using cigarette taxes for anything but smoking cessation programs.

Will this ever end?

Paper or Plastic?

We killed the Plastic Bag Reduction Act on Tuesday.

The bill would have taxed plastic bags at grocery stores and other large stores six cents each bag for the next three years and then banned the plastic bags altogether in 2012.

I know, don’t we have more important things to do? Well, yes, but Senator Veiga introduced the bill and under our Constitution, it had to have a hearing.

The background story is this: the idea was brought by a bunch of high school kids who have been brain washed about the importance of saving the environment from humans since grade school. So they decided to rid the earth of the scourge of plastic bags.

The problem is that the alternative of convenience, for those times when folks forget to bring their canvas bags is paper and paper actually fills up land fills three times faster than plastic bags, plus bringing the paper bags to the stores takes three times as many trucks!

Talk about unintended consequences.

Or maybe “stupid is as stupid does..?”

Marriage Tax

Senator Tax Morse is back raising taxes and calling them fees by this time taxing marriage.

The current charge for a marriage license is $10. Seven dollars goes the local county clerk for handling the transaction and the other three dollars is spent on state record keeping of the data.

That’s just what a government fee is supposed to do, cover the cost of administering the program.

Along comes Senator Morse with a strong desire to find a way to fund domestic violence programs in the state, so what does he do? Increase the fee on a marriage license from $10 to $30 and convert that additional twenty bucks into domestic violence funding.

Fact: Men are overwhelmingly charged with non-felony D.V. in Colorado. Unless you are a celebrity of have social or political connections you are denied probation, and still have to attend thirty-six weeks of “counseling” that the man has to pay for in full. Additionally, the court assesses fines, much of which already goes toward DV programs such as safe houses and hot lines. Court ordered mysandry and the lawmakers refuse to deal with it because of political correctness.

Never mind that married couples are three times less likely to have domestic violence issues. Never mind that fees are supposed to be related to the cost of the program. He just wants the money.

YOUR MONEY!

I have decided to join the world of FaceBook. I am not the most professional politician in the world, so I am actually using mine as it was intended – almost strictly for social purposes. If you want to “friend” me, search FB for Greg Brophy. I think this link will work: http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=1192617444&ref=profile

I am also using Twitter as SenatorBrophy. You can follow me on Twitter go to http://twitter.com/SenatorBrophy for that.

Finally, I always appreciate a campaign donation you can do that through PayPal by clicking on the “Donate” button, but don’t click if you are a lobbyist or have a bill in front of the legislature this session.



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