No raises for congress!

So the critters want more pay.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070628/ap_on_go_co/congress_pay_raise

$170k per year, with insurance. No wonder they think the U.S. is doing so well.

As I read one comment in a forum say, Congress should lose their insurance until all American's have there own.
I'd like to take that a bit further. They should also link their pay to Wal-Mart employee pay (not management the stockers, cashiers, etc). Maybe then we can get some fairness in pay legislation. As it stands we are all economic slaves (unless we happen to be the business owner...).

In other news Warren Buffet today released a statement against the tax gap in this nation. To make his point he used himself and his receptionist as examples. He made $46 Million in taxable income and paid 17.7% while she paid 30%. The American Dream baby! Slavery without buying slaves, feeding, or supporting them. AND a perpetual system to keep it that way.

Hums to self....Amazing Grace how sweet the sound to save a wretch like me.....oh...sorry masta.


B

Bong Hits for Freedom of Speech Zones

http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/06pdf/06-278.pdf

The above link is for the actual 60 page decision.

And this link is more for a little perspective (with a touch of hypocracy):

http://www.populistamerica.com/liberty_whiskey_and_hemp

While this may seem uncharacteristic for me, I must say that I agree with this decision. I have in my life spent many hours in schools (both primary and secondary) where far to much of my time was wasted by someone else's "free speech". It is not the time or the place for this.

All of this being said though, I also disagree with this ruling. You see, noone stops all of the other folks from their free speech in school. I shouldn't have to hear about abortion rights/right to life at school either (unless it is part of a curiculum of the class I am in attendace to). Or oil company rape of the nation, or freedom of religion fights, or .....any of the other acceptable forms of free speech. My right to an education that I am paying for (through taxes or tuition) should be every bit as inalienable as someone else's right to free speech. This isn't a matter of rights as much so as timing. Should I go to the legislature to learn? (I would be a moron in no time) Should I go to a hospital emergency room to exercise my free speech? How about the dentist's office? Your lawyers office? It is no different because a school is a public entity (in the case of public education). Do you go interrupt trials to hold up banners unrelated to the trial? Do you go to the prison yard to give your speech? Freedom of speech does not and should not give anyone the right to trample any one else's rights.

My point distills to this...you can not claim freedom of speech if some speech is allowed and others not. If you deem it necessary to curtail speech in school (which I agree with -- on the point of disruption only) then even enforcement is the ONLY way to maintain claims of freedom of speech. Meaning that unobtrusive speech that is not violating or disrupting anyone else's rights should be our right. Innappropriate speech in inappropriate situations should not.
Now I am aware that arguments of any curtailing of the 1st Amendment will eventually lead to the total loss of the right to free speech. Sadly, this right is already mostly gone. While this case has made its way to SCOTUS a much more malignant curtailment has been unveiled - "Freedom of Speech Zones" which are kinda like temporary internment camps for the purpose of speaking our free speech. These are truly offenses to our freedom of speech yet noone is really even talking about these let alone SCOTUS.

My first exposure to FoSZ was while reading a book by Jim Hightower where he gives an account of the FoSZ and "Jackboots" that enforced them in Florida a few years ago. Since then I have seen sparse mention of some cases of FoSZ here in Wisconsin (my neck of the woods). These atrocities against the Bill of Rights should be stood down by the population IMMEDIATELY however all I hear are crickets....

B

Republican Party Census Document/Questionnaire

Well I'm not sure how I got on the RNC mailing list. Yesterday I received a letter from the RNC asking me to fill out their questionnaire. As I read the questions, visions of misdirected poll data, very general questions allowing any interpretations, and another couple of years of skewed public announcements based on these horrible questions. As all this ran through my head I was also thinking of how much "liberal" writers and commentators like to spew how the Republican's are distancing themselves from the GWB neocons. Looks like Fascism as usual to me...

Here are the questionnaire questions: [All questions share the same generic answers : Yes, No, Undecided]

Homeland Security Issues:

1. If Democrats try to gut the USA Patriot Act and other important laws that promote the safety and security of all Americans, should the Republicans fight back?

2. Should we stop the Democrats from cutting funding for our intelligence agencies or bring back Clinton-era restrictions on inter-agency communications?

3. Do you support the use of air strikes against any country that offers safe harbor or aid to individuals or organizations committed to further attacks on America?

4. Should we do everything we can to stop Democrats from repealing critical border and port security legislation?

5. Should our homeland defense forces use profiling to protect our nation?


Economic Issues:

1. Should we continue working to permanently repeal the Inheritance or “Death Tax”?

2. Should President Bush’s successful income and capital gains tax cuts be made permanent?

3. Should Republicans renew the fight for a Balanced Budget Amendment?

4. Should Republicans unite to keep our pro-growth achievements from the past six years intact by blocking new federal government bureaucracy and red tape?

5. Should Republicans in Congress oppose the new wasteful government spending programs proposed by the Democrats and their leaders, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid?


Domestic Issues:

1. Do you agree that we must stop illegal immigration?

2. Should we continue working for serious tort reform to protect individuals and small businesses from predatory lawsuits?

3. Should we make sure President Bush’s judicial nominees receive fair hearings and up or down votes in the Senate even when Democrats threaten a filibuster?

4. Should Republicans in Congress protect American’s private property rights from eminent domain?

Social Issues:

1. Do you think Congress should pass the Federal Marriage Amendment?

2. Do you want us to defend the recently-passed partial birth abortion ban from attacks by the Democrat majority?

3. Do you support President Bush’s initiative to allow religious and charitable groups to do more to help those in need?


Defense Issues:

1. Do you think U.S. troops should have to serve under United Nations commanders?

2. Do you agree that our top military priority should be fighting terrorists?

3. Should we fight Democrat efforts to impose Clinton-era cuts in the Pentagon’s budget?

4. Should Republicans continue to support the State of Israel?

5. Do you support economic sanctions against North Korea and Iran to stop their nuclear weapons programs?

6. Do you agree that sowing seeds of Democracy and freedom in the Middle East is a worthy goal?


Republican Party:

1. Do you support the election of Republican candidates across the country and the rebuilding of our majorities over the next ten years?

2. a. Did you vote in the year 2002?
b. Did you vote in the year 2004?
c. Did you vote in the year 2006?

3. Will you join the Republican National Committee by making a contribution today?
a. Yes, I support the RNC and am enclosing my most generous contribution of:
b. Yes, I support the RNC, but I am unable to participate at this time. However, I have enclosed $11 to cover the cost of tabulating my survey.
c. No. I favor electing liberal Democrats over the next ten years.


Special Question for RNC members only:

Which issues will be most important to you (rank the top three) as you vote in the Primary and General Elections next year?

Abortion—Education--Federal Budget—Gun Control—Homeland Security—Illegal Immigration—Social Security—War on Terror—Other:





Well if that doesn’t give you a clear picture of the Republican party I don’t know what will. Most of these questions are utterly worthless due to extreme generality. The rest seem to be aimed at revisionist shifts to popular opinion or political smears. Not what I call leadership. I had a lot more to say on this but typing all of that in took longer than expected so I am out of time so...

B

Poll : Impeachment, Religion, Immigration, etc

Summer of Seven (07)
Where we stand…


This poll is an informal poll for visitors to my site. As I do not require registration there is no way for me to control anonymity or multiple answers. Judging from the traffic in my comments area to many replies should not be a problem (which is fine too, the idea is to think about these issues). As for anonymity, as long as you don’t identify yourself in any way you will be anon (well as anon as the internet allows anyway).

If you do choose to answer please just make a post in the comments area for this post. Thanks in advance for any responses you may leave.


1. Impeachment : for or against
a. George Bush
b. Dick Cheney

2. Will you vote in the 08 election?

3. What is your voting record like? Religiously, When issues/candidates force me to, Just the presidential elections, Rarely, Never

4. Do you feel that “Freedom of Speech Zones” are a constitutional constraint on our rights?

5. Do you believe that the official account of the events of 9/11 are accurate?

6. Do you believe that the U.S. government, or elements within it, are responsible for the events of 9/11?

7. Where do you go for news? T.V. , Internet, Periodicals, Radio, the girls at the salon ?

8. What station, channel, site, magazine/newspaper do you trust most, gossip?

9. Which statement do you agree with:

a. Global Warming – it’s too late.

b. Global Warming is a truth that will become a dire consequence if action is not taken immediately.

c. Global Warming is a truth that we need to start correcting—but it surely isn’t dire.

d. Global Warming is a fallacy that has been put forward to distract the population from [insert conspiracy].

e. Global Warming – the new Y2K.

f. Free PARIS!

10. Which statement do you agree with:

a. I am disgusted by the movement to remove the theory of evolution from our schools to be replaced with “creationism”.

b. Home schooling – taking control of my child’s education.

c. Not since the last Crusades have we been so right!

d. We need to reaffirm the separation of church and state, abolish the tax-free status of faith based organizations, and outlaw government funding of faith-based organizations.

e. I am disgusted by the lack of morality that I see around me in my daily life, on T.V., the internet, in politics, everywhere!

f. Who won American Idol?

11. Which statement do you agree with:

a. The Department of Immigration in the U.S. has been renamed The Department of Labor (Cheap).

b. Anti-illegal immigration legislation is racism.

c. The Indians should kick us all out!

d. GET OUT…NOW!

e. Que Pasa!

f. Amnesty Now!

12. Should the U.S. be using mercenary armies abroad? At home?

13. What questions would you like to see asked in a future poll? [Assuming I get any responses to this one/ want to do any more polls]


Thanks again any other comments also welcome.

B

note: well blogger is certainly no word. It seems to have eaten my word file but it is functional so...

Department of Dysfunction to be renamed!

Every Aspect of the U.S. Federal Government is Broken

The departments of our federal government have gone beyond dysfunctional and now rest squarely in farcical.

Immigration – do we stop ANYONE who doesn’t have drugs on them at the borders anymore (and the DEA isn’t very good at this either – the CIA is too crafty for em…)? We can’t stop infected lawyers that are ON the watch list, “terrorists” either, or illegal immigrants flooding our borders from the land, sea, and air. So what DO these guys do?

State – do I even have to say anything here? Ok, the basis of the future Miniluv.

Edukashun – HAH! Herein will be the basis of the future Minitrue. We are stupid. We are getting worse.

Defense – I feel safer already! Couldn’t take down slow ass jumbo jets with hours of notice, always seems to be ineffectual in wielding our world class military, feels their greatest enemy is one of domestic origin while outwardly hawkish against the flavor of the day nation. Meet the future Minipax.

Agriculture – lessee tainted beef, infected produce scares every few months, less and less actual regulation, and even fewer inspectors. Will be one of the components of Miniplenty.

Justice – merges with state to make Miniluv! This department is more about covering crime than it is about fighting it. Political control is the currency within these halls.

Energy – the chain that binds us to fossil fuels.

Treasury – soon to be renamed the Chinese savings and loan. Wonder how AIPAC is gonna feel about that…

Labor – we have plenty of people looking for WORTHWHILE work! Not 28 hours at Wal-Mart for 8.35 an hour without any benefits except the phone number for welfare. Don’t “Gasp!” it is true.

Interior – kinda like ebay for industry to rape our natural resources.

There are many more departments but I can only stomach thinking about so many of them at once!

B

Now that's stickin it to em!

A cop with a sense of humor? Or was this guy just that big a prick?

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5339707

I must give kudos to Fark for finding the above...he has a good site check it out!

http://www.fark.com/

Though this is obviously not going to make it to far...I truly hope it does though!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070604/ap_on_re_us/vermont_secession_1

I remember reading about gun/succession laws in some states several- maybe many years ago ---laws triggering succession if the Right to Bear Arms was ever lost. I think states should put trigger laws in about immigration. If the federal government can't protect our borders---perhaps states need to be allowed their own means to do so. If that were to diminish the powers of the federal government - so be it.

More later


B

The Hatfields and McCoys STILL at it....

For those of you who thought feuding was dead ....

http://blog.mlive.com/saginawnews/2007/06/gas_station_horde_wields_bats.html


Here is a story about the VFW supporting Sgt. Kokesh and the other 2 marines being hounded by the Marine Corps...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/01/AR2007060102421.html



Here's a lil followup on the jackass with tb

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/conditions/06/01/tb.flight/index.html



"Speaker said he had been told before the beginning of his trip that in order to fight his illness, "I had one shot, and that was going to be in Denver," at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center, which specializes in treating drug-resistant forms of TB. If he was somewhere else and was not given the exact right mixture of drugs, he said, "That was it, they blew my last shot.""

I'm sorry Mr. Poor Me Lawyer but YOU blew it. If you knew (and you did for a year) that you were so sick....guess what. STAY HOME! Or better yet...go to that clinic you need so badly. Noone blew it but you. You made the choice to continue on with your life as if uninfected. You made the choice to expose people on an international level to a disease that is most often fatal. {and in this case I certainly hope that it is...}

Mr Speaker you are one of THE lowest forms of life there is. If by chance you should live you should be locked up for life. People like you make me sick.

B

Beating a dead horse....

When I awoke yesterday there wasn't any conscious decision to change the "topic" of my site to bashing lawyers...

Like I said yesterday though...the legal profession just can't stop screwing us so...here is yet another ethical lil creature found within said profession.

http://www.gregpalast.com/rove-pick-for-us-attorney-resigns-following-conyers%e2%80%99-request-for-bbc-documents/

I was actually looking for a story about a good lawyer somewhere to kinda make a point about my earlier generalizations I spoke of--- but this one needed posting too...

Then I came across this story...

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/06/01/the-antiwar-activist-that-the-right-wing-dare-not-smear/

At first I was kinda pissed about Sgt. Kokesh having his status changed. Actually, I still am. However, I must say that this brings up a good point.

If you just read that blurb you would be misled to think that the military was taking action against him for his speaking out {as an official reason anyway}. What that blurb doesn't tell ya is the reason given. It also doesn't tell you why that reason is important.

The reason given is because he wore his uniform in the fake militay patrol. This is a very long standing taboo. Our military is supposed to be apolitical. This is one of the manifestations of this policy. The uniform is not to be used as a symbol for any politcal cause. [I'm curious if he went out and bought some look alike camo that wasn't his actual uniform?] Now, before the flames consume us all...

While I do agree with the military logic on this, I find the hypocritical nature of the enforcement to be the real issue. All the presidents I have ever seen on tv [since Reagan at least] have used the military as a political backdrop. For instance, the well known "Mission:Accomplished" propaganda release from BushCo, used an aircraft carrier and her crew as a backdrop [and a rather over the top one at that] for a political end. The entire crew was NOT dishonorably discharged. That means it is ok to support a political action in uniform ONLY if it is in line with the official political power of the moment. That is not apolitical.

So the points in all this?
1. Sgt. Kokesh should be asked to continue his actions - speaking his mind, exercising his rights --out of uniform. He should also retain his status as honorably discharged.

2. The military itself should either hold itself to it's own standard or abolish it. Uneven enforcement is what corruption is all about. {The military has been a loyal Republicanesque "Conservative" institution for a long time so it is really only apolitical in theory} Remember this...banana republic dictatorships usually spring up out of their "conservative" military apparati.

3. Read deeper than the surface. Writers write themselves into what they write. If not in content then in lack there of. If they didn't who would need a writer? My post could have said this and been done with it:


OUTLAW LAWYERS
TEACH LOGIC

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20070601/a_uniform01.art.htm

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20070531-115041-1857r.htm <--- tripped off one of my firewalls---sneaky lil bastids or what?


B

Put Libby in the can!

Well, while we are on the subject of our ethical legal professionals here in the U.S., we may as well bring this up to!

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0531072libby1.html

Probation....for four felonies. The maximum sentence for his four Federal Felonies add up to $1 Million and 30 years in prison. Sounds about right to me. That's about as close to treason as it gets. This man should never see the light of day again. What else are the prisons we keep building for? Oh yeah...drug offenders. Most of em a danger only to themselves.

It will be interesting to see what happens... I'm sure it won't be what he deserves though. I Lewis Libby jr. - scumbag lawyer - yet another in a long line of upstanding legal professionals.

Yes, yes, I know generalizations are idiotic. Really though, how much damage should we allow one profession? Or a legal system that upholds the very corruption it is designed to eliminate?

This doesn't even touch on my personal experiences with lawyers... These experiences have not altered my opinions in any way. My lawyer for my mother's estate told me we would not be able to claim any funds in IRA accounts-- that the government gets to keep them. I told him he was insane, proved it to him, and STILL had to do ALL the work to claim the accounts. That was but one of his MAJOR errors that I am still dealing with 3 years later. Let's see then there are the lawyers who wouldn't touch the estate once he was involved or even discuss litigation against a fellow lawyers practice. They still charged me though for the phone consultations. It goes on but that would just be me bitchin...

So, ya this generalization doesn't bother me to much. I'm not off the mark to much when I say lawyers are scumbags.

More later I'm sure...they just can't seem to stop being scumbags.


B

As if you needed proof lawyers are indeed scum....

What profession has as much slime as that of the legal profession? I can't think of any. Some of ya might be tempted to say politicians...but that's the trick most politicians are....lawyers! Even the health industry has a slightly better reputation.

If any of you missed this story of utter selfishness please take the time to read it.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070601/ap_on_re_us/tuberculosis_infection_114


Apparently this guy felt his personal life was more important than any of the lives of those around him. He "covered" his ass but that doesn't show me any desire to protect others. If anything it shows intent. It shows that he knew what he was planning was wrong. (The tape recording proves it.)

This just shows exactly whats wrong with this world and more specifically our country.

People with money feeling that they have more right to everything (including life) than anyone else around them and the money to do as they choose.

Personally I think this guy broke some serious laws. He knew he was a risk. He had known for a year. He didn't plan differently for his wedding despite having a year to do so. That screams to me ...entitlement. He didn't feel he should inconvenience himself in order to not expose others to a deadly disease with no treatment options. Even more damning is his route home. He had been ordered not to fly, not to return. What's he do? He got on an international flight to Canada, rented a car, and drove back to the U.S. where we failed to stop him.

This guy needs to be held in criminal quarantine until he is cured (if), then transferred to a nasty federal penitentiary where he should remain for the remainder of his life. He was willing to take the risk of handing a life sentance to any person he came in contact with.

This guy doesn't deserve to be a free citizen. He has shown this with his actions...forget his revisionist apologies after the fact when he is facing the repercussions of his actions. His apology rings hollow. It's a sound byte and a lie.

B