The Latest Jail Beating of a Female

Another video of a female detainee being beaten while in custody:



From SeatlePI.com:

The video of the Nov. 29 incident was disclosed Friday, one day after Deputy Paul Schene, 31, pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor assault in King County District Court.

Schene, an eight-year veteran, works out of Precinct 4, which covers SeaTac, Burien and high crime areas in White Center and Skyway.

He is the third sheriff's deputy since 2006 to face charges on allegations of excessive force. All three are from the Burien precinct.

A detective assigned to the girl's case discovered the video Dec. 1 and immediately forwarded it to supervisors.

The Seattle P-I requested a copy of the holding cell video and all reports from the incident under the state's open records law. A judge on Thursday denied a request from Schene's attorney to bar the video from public disclosure.

"We take this very seriously and we're very concerned about this," sheriff's Sgt. Jim Laing said Friday. An internal investigation would begin after the criminal case is finished.

The girl was arrested after she was caught in her parents' car, which had been reported stolen from her parents' Tukwila home. Deputy Travis Brunner spotted the car driving without headlights about 3:45 a.m. on 32nd Avenue South in SeaTac and pulled it over.

She and another 15-year old girl were arrested and taken to SeaTac City Hall to be fingerprinted before being transported to the youth detention center.

The deputies apparently didn't know until later that the girl, who was in the passenger seat, was related to the car's owner.

"We had argued strenuously that the videotape released to the media this morning not be released because it does not tell the whole story of the incident," attorney Anne Bremner said in a statement.

"As we argued to the judge, it will inflame public opinion and will severely impact the deputy's right to a fair trial."

The video shows Schene and Brunner as they escorted the girl into the holding cell. Schene had asked her to remove her basketball shoes, and, as she slipped out of her left shoe, she appeared to kick it at Schene.

Schene then lunged through the door and kicked her, striking either her stomach or upper thigh area, court documents say. He pushed her against a corner wall before flinging her to the floor by her hair. He then squatted down on her and made "two overhead strikes," although it's unclear where the blows landed.

The detective who reviewed the video said it appeared Schene and Brunner had the girl under control when Schene struck her. Schene, who is 6 feet 2 and weighs 195 pounds, did not explain his action to investigators, court documents say.

He and the girl exchanged words. Brunner said she was "real lippy" after being informed she was under arrest and called them "fat pigs."

The Sheriff's Office policy manual says deputies should use physical or deadly force only when "necessary to effect an arrest, to defend themselves or others from violence, or to otherwise accomplish police duties according to law."

Schene could face up to a year in jail if convicted. He has been on administrative leave since early December.

In his own report from the incident, Schene wrote that the shoe hit him in the right shin, "causing injury and pain." He wrote that he "placed" her into handcuffs and that she needed medical attention for a "panic attack."

He said a "blood filled pocket" formed on his shin, requiring treatment at Auburn General Hospital, according to his report. The video, however, appears to show his shin strike a metal toilet as he pushes the girl against the wall.

The girl told investigators that she didn't intend for the shoe to hit him, court documents say.

Schene had previously been in the news in 2006 after he fatally shot Pedro Jo, a mentally ill man, during a struggle after a traffic stop on Interstate 5. It was the second officer-involved shooting of his career.

An inquest jury ruled the shooting was justified. Jo viciously attacked Schene, trying to strangle him with his own radio cord.

Jo then ran back to his car and disobeyed Schene's orders to stop. Schene said he saw Jo reach for something in the seat, so Schene fired 11 times after Jo ran back to his car.

Shortly after the shooting while on administrative leave, Schene was stopped for driving under the influence.

He had been drinking and taking prescription medication, according to court records. He received a deferred sentence and was placed on probation, records show.

Ron Paul on Washington Unplugged: Part I

Congressman Ron Paul is interviewed by Bob Schieffer of CBS News.




See Part II here.

No More Druglord Enhancement Agency Raids On Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

Attorney General Eric Holder reaffirms President Obama's campaign promise to end the raids of medical marijuana dispensaries in California, calling it now "American policy".



Well if they stick to this, there is at least some good news out of this Administration.

Paul Volcker Questioned by Ron Paul

Congressman Ron Paul questions former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker during a Joint Economic Committee hearing on 02/26/2009.

Monetary Policy Hearing.

The CNBC talking heads appear to be flustered because Ron Paul spoke live on their coverage of the Monetary Policy Hearing yesterday. Paul was speaking earlier than scheduled.

Anyway...

Ron Paul again emphasises that we can't re-inflate the bubble.




Dr. Paul comments after the hearing:

Do You Want to be Chipped?

Fingerprinting of children for "safety". Mandatory chips for dogs. Will this lead to mandatory fingerprinting and chipping of people?




From Citizens for Ear Tattooing Identification:

CETI, sprung into existence at the urgency of San Marcos citizens to organize their voice, addressing City Council's mandate to forcibly microchip their pets. Taxpayers, take into account the variables: Global Melting Economy, Legal Liability, Chipping Cost and/or Medical Bills Resulting from Negative Effects [Google, Charlie Brown Killed by Micro Chipping] and a $500 FINE for NON-compliance, equals zero autocratic sense. Cost of CHOICE? PRICELESS! Join us MARCH 3 @ San Marcos City Hall @ 6:00 p.m. and let your concerns be heard.

Internationally recognized RFID and Privacy-Rights Expert, National Radio Talk Show Host and Best Selling Author, Dr. Katherine Albrecht will visit San Marcos on March 3rd and attend our council meeting and share her latest research .

Judith McGeary, director of the Farm & Ranch Freedom Alliance and fearless leader in our battles against big corporate Agribusiness will also be there. Judith has fought against N.A.I.S, the National Animal Identification System that would mandate that every farm animal including cows, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, must be chipped, and all movements and changes in situation must be reported to the government within 48 hours.

Police Quotas Led to Killing of Kathryn Johnston

During the sentencing of three Atlanta police officers for their role the killing of 92 year old Kathryn Johnston, U.S. District Judge Julie Carnes said that the Atlanta Police Department performance quota system led to the killing.

Kathryn Johnston was killed in a hail of police gunfire on November 21, 2006 in an illegal raid on her home.

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

“It is my fervent hope the Atlanta Police Department will take to heart what has happened here,” U.S. District Judge Julie Carnes said. At the close of an emotional two-day hearing, Carnes sentenced former officers Gregg Junnier, Jason R. Smith and Arthur Bruce Tesler to between 5 and 10 years in prison.

At the hearing, Tesler’s lawyer provided examples of other Atlanta police officers breaking the rules or violating the law and said a disturbing culture of misconduct pervades the force.

Carnes imposed the most severe sentence — 10 years — on Smith, 36, who obtained the illegal, no-knock search warrant allowing officers to batter down 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston’s door.

A terrified Johnston, thinking she was victimized by a home invasion, fired a warning shot through the door. Narcotics officers responded with a hail of gunfire, killing her.

Carnes sentenced Junnier, 42, to 6 years in prison. Junnier, the most experienced officer, was the first to cross the “blue line” — the unspoken code of silence among police — and divulge to the FBI what really happened at Neal Street and how the officers concocted a sophisticated coverup.

For Junnier’s cooperation, Carnes cut his time from the 10 years recommended by sentencing guidelines.

The judge gave the biggest break to Tesler, saying prosecutors’ recommendation of a 10- to 14-year term was “unduly harsh” because, overall, he played a “minor role.” She sentenced Tesler, 42, to five years in prison.

Tesler’s lawyer, Bill McKenney, told Carnes his client was being made “a sacrificial lamb and a scapegoat.” A former military man and a rookie on the squad, Tesler followed orders — including adhering to the script Smith provided for a cover story.

After the shooting, Smith planted marijuana in Johnston’s home to make it look like a drug house. Paige Fitzgerald of the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division called such conduct “simply shameful.”

In court, McKenney divulged details of an FBI report forwarded to Atlanta Police that shows how other officers broke rules. Prosecutors say the FBI’s recommendations, which have yet to be fully disclosed, could lead to some officers being disciplined, fired or charged.

The FBI also found performance quotas of 9 arrests and 2 search warrants a month expected of officers, McKenney said. Officers who failed to meet their quotas risked being transferred, he said.

This helped explain, Carnes said, why Smith, Junnier and Tesler — three men who were devoted family men and who gave selflessly to the communities — began cutting corners through lies.

“The pressures brought to bear” by the quotas had an impact on Smith, Junnier and Tesler, as well as other officers, Carnes said.

Unfortunately the real lesson is being missed: It is time to end the insane, costly, deadly and counterproductive war on some drugs.

Global New Deal?

Glenn Beck and Ron Paul discuss the behind the scenes planning for a Global New Deal and a new worldwide financial system. A system that will ignore American sovereignty.

Reason TV Salutes Joe Biden

Reason TV salutes Joe Biden:

Transparency Initiative of Fed is Nothing But Window Dressing

Congressman Ron Paul discusses the Federal Reserve's promise of more "transparency".

On Transparency of the Fed

This week the Federal Reserve responded to the American people’s increased concerns over our monetary policy by presenting new initiatives aimed at enhancing the Fed’s transparency and accountability. As someone who has called for more openness from the Fed for over 30 years, I was pleased to see the Fed acknowledge the legitimacy of this need.

The Federal Reserve controls the flow of money and credit in our economy because Congress has abdicated its responsibility over the nation’s currency. This process therefore occurs centrally, and almost completely outside the system of checks and balances. Because of legal tender laws, people are left with no real choice, except to build their lives and futures around this monopoly currency, vulnerable to powerful central bankers. The Founding Fathers intended only gold and silver to be used as currency, however, inch by inch over the decades, this country has backed away from this important restraint. Our money today has no link whatsoever to gold or silver. For many reasons, this is extremely dangerous, and has a lot to do with the boom and bust cycles that have resulted in the crisis in which we find ourselves today.

The Fed is now pledging to reveal to the public more about its economic predictions, and calls this greater transparency. This is little more than window-dressing, at best, utterly useless at worst. Many analysts, especially those familiar with the Austrian school of economics, saw the current economic crisis coming years ago when the Federal Reserve was still telling the American people their policies were as good as gold. So while it might be nice to know what fantasy-infused outlook the Fed has on the economy, I am much more interested in what they are doing as a result of their faulty, haphazard interpretation of data. For instance, what arrangements do they have with other foreign central banks? What the Fed does on that front could very well affect or undermine foreign policy, or even contribute to starting a war.

We also need to know the source and destination of funds provided through the Fed’s emergency funding facilities. Information such as this will provide a more accurate and complete picture of the true cost of these endless bailouts and spending packages, and could very likely affect the decisions being made in Congress. But with so much of the Fed’s business cloaked in secrecy, these latest initiatives will not even scratch the surface of the Fed’s opaque operations. People are demanding answers and explanations for our economic malaise, and we should settle for nothing less than the whole truth on monetary policy.

The first step is to pass legislation I will soon introduce requiring an audit of the Federal Reserve so we can at least get an accurate picture of what is happening with our money. If this audit reveals what I suspect, and Congress has finally had enough, they can also pass my legislation to abolish the Federal Reserve and put control of the economy’s lifeblood, the currency, back where it Constitutionally belongs. If Congress refuses to do these two things, the very least they could do is repeal legal tender laws and allow people to choose a different currency in which to operate. If the Fed refuses to open its books to an audit, and Congress refuses to demand this, the people should not be subject to the whims of this secretive and incompetent organization.

Obama's Housing Program, Afghan Quagmire and the Stimulus

Congressman Ron Paul comments on Barack Obama's housing program. Dr. Paul says the plan will not work, it makes the 92% of the people who have been paying their mortgages bailout the 8% who haven't. This along with bailing out the bankers and Wall Street. This will destroy the middle class.

Paul also discusses Obama's coming quagmire in Afghanistan. Paul recalls the failure of the Soviets in Afghanistan with even larger troop levels.

Paul also talks about the market's lack of confidence in the so called stimulus package.

Gibbs Versus Santelli

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs slamming Rick Santelli for his rant against hard working Americans being forced to bailout those who were irresponsible.



Here is the same Mr. Gibbs playing the political game of not answering the question. Notice how he also tries to belittle Jake Tapper.



Here is Rick Santelli's response.



Santelli is right, the average hard working American is being forced to bailout the politicians wealthy banking friends and now they are being forced to bailout the people who over extended themselves buying houses they couldn't afford.

Karl Denninger lays into Gibbs point by point.

Larry Pratt on HR 45

Larry Pratt, Executive Director of Gun Owners of America appears on Glenn Beck to discuss HR45.

U.S. Representative Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) recently sponsored H.R. 45, also known as "Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act." The bill is, at its core and as its name implies, a licensing and registration scheme.

The measure calls for all handgun owners to submit to the federal government an application that shall include, among many other things: a photo; an address; a thumbprint; a completed, written firearm safety test; private mental health records; and a fee. And those are only some of the requirements to be licensed!

The bill would further require the attorney general to establish a database of every handgun sale, transfer, and owner's address in America. Moreover, the bill would make it illegal to own or possess a "qualifying firearm" -- defined as "any handgun; or any semiautomatic firearm that can accept any detachable ammunition feeding device…" [emphasis added] without one of the proposed licenses.

Additionally, the bill would make it illegal to transfer ownership of a "qualifying firearm" to anyone who is not a licensed gun dealer or collector (with very few exceptions), and would require "qualifying firearm" owners to report all transfers to the attorney general's database. It would also be illegal for a licensed gun owner to fail to record a gun loss or theft within 72 hours, or fail to report a change of address within 60 days. Further, if a minor obtains a firearm and injures someone with it, the owner of the firearm may face a multiple-year jail sentence.

H.R. 45 is essentially a reintroduction of H.R. 2666, which Rush introduced in 2007. H.R. 2666 contained much of the same language as H.R. 45, and was co-sponsored by several well-known anti-gun legislators--including Barack Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel. H.R. 45 currently has no co-sponsors.

Bobby Rush, the bill's sponsor was a co-founder of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party and in 1969, Rush served six months in prison for illegal possession of firearms.

Introduction to the Campaign for Liberty

Introduction video for the Campaign for Liberty. Adam Kokesh, Iraq Veteran Against the War, is the featured speaker.

Movement for the Return of State Sovereignty

A movement for the return of State Sovereignty is taking place. Bills have been introduced in over 20 state legislatures declaring the state sovereign and requesting that the federal government honor the Constitution.

The following video features state Representative Sam Rohrer, from Pennsylvania's 128th state congressional district, explaining the separation of power and authority of the sovereign stares from the federal government. The video was actually part of a call to action, originally posted by by Pennsylvania member of the Campaign for Liberty.



Here is the version of the bill introduced in the Minnesota House:

H.F. No. 997, as introduced - 86th Legislative Session (2009-2010) Posted on Feb 19, 2009


A resolution memorializing the federal government to halt its practice of imposing mandates upon the states for purposes not enumerated by the Constitution of the United States and affirming Minnesota's sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States reads as follows: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people;" and

WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment defines the total scope of federal power as being that specifically granted by the Constitution of the United States and no more; and

WHEREAS, the scope of power defined by the Tenth Amendment means that the federal government was created by the states specifically to be an agent of the states; and

WHEREAS, today, in 2009, the states are demonstrably treated as agents of the federal government; and

WHEREAS, many federal mandates are directly in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; and

WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court has ruled in New York v. United States, 112S. Ct. 2408 (1992), that Congress may not simply commandeer the legislative and regulatory processes of the states; and

WHEREAS, a number of proposals from previous administrations and some now pending from the present administration and from Congress may further violate the Constitution of the United States;

NOW, THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it urges the President and the Congress of the United States to halt the federal government's practice of imposing mandates upon the states for purposes not enumerated by the Constitution of the United States, and that it affirms Minnesota's sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the Constitution of the United States.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota is directed to prepare copies of this memorial and transmit them to the President of the United States, the President and the Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the chair of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary,the chair of the House Committee on the Judiciary, and Minnesota's Senators and Representatives in Congress.

Like Bush, Obama Uses Fear

Jack Hunter, the Southern Avenger, points out the similarities in the methods used by George W. Bush to get the people behind the United States attacking Iraq with the methods used by Barack Obama to get the people to support the so called stimulus package.

Both used the crisis card. They said immediate action was necessary, to not do anything was unacceptable. Hunter points out that both Bush and Obama used the "crisis" to push through their long sought agendas.

Ron Paul on Real Time with Bill Maher 2/20/2009

Texas Congressman Ron Paul, appearing on Real Time with Bill Maher, explains that the government and the Fed caused our economic problems. The problems weren't caused by the free market, because we don't have a free market in this country.

Dr. Paul says that the actions the government is taking now will prolong the recession. But politicians feel the need to do something, otherwise they would have to admit that they are useless. Paul gives an example of the depression of 1921 when the government did nothing and the depression was over in a year. Then when the depression hit the 1930's, there was massive government intervention in the economy and the result was the depression lasted until the end of World War II.

Paul also calls for an end to the American empire, bringing our troops home and using the hundreds of billions saved to balance the budget. As a libertarian Paul also advocates an end to the foolish and immoral drug war, saving hundreds of billions more.

US Loses Key Base for War in Afghanistan

The US is being kicked out its base in Kyrgyzstan, a key element in the war in Afghanistan.

A Minority Viewpoint with Jabriel Ballentine

From the Libertarian Party:

Jabriel Ballentine abandons the DC Republican Party to pursue libertarian solutions to the problems in the beltway. Libertarian Party member Melissa Dawson interviews Mr. Ballentine about racial politics in the age of Obama, and what freedom means.

The Government is Promoting Bad Behavior

Rick Santelli, CNBC Business News on-air editor, rants on the moral hazard of all the government bailouts.

US Government Orders Books Destroyed

Well not technically, but is having that effect. I earlier posted on the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act here and here. Now reports are coming in that children's books are being thrown in the garbage because of this stupid law. From Walter Block:

It’s hard to believe, but true: under a law Congress passed last year aimed at regulating hazards in children’s products, the federal government has now advised that children’s books published before 1985 should not be considered safe and may in many cases be unlawful to sell or distribute. Merchants, thrift stores, and booksellers may be at risk if they sell older volumes, or even give them away, without first subjecting them to testing—at prohibitive expense. Many used-book sellers, consignment stores, Goodwill outlets, and the like have accordingly begun to refuse new donations of pre-1985 volumes, yank existing ones off their shelves, and in some cases discard them en masse.

The problem is the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), passed by Congress last summer after the panic over lead paint on toys from China. Among its other provisions, CPSIA imposed tough new limits on lead in any products intended for use by children aged 12 or under, and made those limits retroactive: that is, goods manufactured before the law passed cannot be sold on the used market (even in garage sales or on eBay) if they don’t conform. The law has hit thrift stores particularly hard, since many children’s products have long included lead-containing (if harmless) components: zippers, snaps, and clasps on garments and backpacks; skateboards, bicycles, and countless other products containing metal alloy; rhinestones and beads in decorations; and so forth. Combine this measure with a new ban (also retroactive) on playthings and child-care articles that contain plastic-softening chemicals known as phthalates, and suddenly tens of millions of commonly encountered children’s items have become unlawful to resell, presumably destined for landfills when their owners discard them. Penalties under the law are strict and can include $100,000 fines and prison time, regardless of whether any child is harmed.

Not until 1985 did it become unlawful to use lead pigments in the inks, dyes, and paints used in children’s books. Before then—and perhaps particularly in the great age of children’s-book illustration that lasted through the early twentieth century—the use of such pigments was not uncommon, and testing can still detect lead residues in books today. This doesn’t mean that the books pose any hazard to children. While lead poisoning from other sources, such as paint in old houses, remains a serious public health problem in some communities, no one seems to have been able to produce a single instance in which an American child has been made ill by the lead in old book illustrations—not surprisingly, since unlike poorly maintained wall paint, book pigments do not tend to flake off in large lead-laden chips for toddlers to put into their mouths.

Read full article here.

More Extreme Zero Tolerance Nonsense

From the NRA:

Zero Tolerance, Zero Common Sense


Here we go again. In yet another case of over reactive, one-size-fits-all, "zero-tolerance," zero-common sense enforcement, Marie Morrow, an honors student and drill‑team commander in the Young Marines, was recently expelled from school. Her crime? She left three rifle shaped drill team props in the back of her car at Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora, Colo. Colorado law mandates expulsion for any student found with a "dangerous weapon" on school grounds, which includes "a firearm facsimile that could reasonably be mistaken for an actual firearm."





The non-operative rifle props are used during drill routines, where the facsimiles are spun and tossed. The props are made of wood and plastic, are heavily duct‑taped and, of course, cannot function and were never intended to. Morrow had brought them to school because she was preparing for a competition at the Air Force Academy in April and planned to attend a practice right after school.


Outrage Of The Week:

This week's outrage comes from Beaver Dam, Wis., where Beaver Dam school officials placed middle school teacher Betsy Ramsdale on administrative leave, following the discovery of a photograph of the teacher with a firearm on the teacher's personal "Facebook" page. A "concerned" staff member at the school where Ramsdale works brought the photo to the attention of school district officials.

Should a Waitress Bailout Detroit?

From Reason TV:

2008 was an apocalyptic year for the American car industry, with sales of Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler cars all falling by 25 percent. Supporters of the Big Three automakers argue that the government needs to provide Detroit with at least $50 billion in taxpayer money in order to save the American car industry, on top of the billions of federally subsidized loans they've already received. President Barack Obama agrees, having attacked John McCain during last year's presidential campaign for opposing a bailout of Detroit.

But while many commenters and union advocates paint Detroit's economic troubles as a consequence of the financial crisis, necessitating its inclusion in the bailout sweepstakes, the financial troubles of the Big Three long predated the current mess. Indeed, in 2007, GM sold more cars and trucks than Toyota. Yet Toyota made almost $2,000 per vehicle while GM lost more than $1,000. So why does the United Auto Workers union and President Obama want taxpayers to reward Detroit—and punish her competitors—for making unprofitable cars?

This Should Be Unthinkable in a Free Society

Congressman Ron Paul comments on the possibility of mandatory, or de facto mandatory national service:

On Reinstating the Draft

Much has been made by the new administration of the idea of national service and volunteerism. While service to one’s community is certainly admirable, it is not the federal government’s place to “encourage” or promote volunteerism. Moreover, there are troubling signs that national service could transition from voluntary to mandatory, or de facto mandatory, such as the requirement of service in order to be granted a diploma, or something along those lines.

Involuntary servitude was supposed to be abolished by the 13th Amendment, but things like Selective Service and the income tax make me wonder how serious we really are in defending just basic freedom. The income tax enslaves workers for nearly 4 months out of a year by garnishing what amounts to all their wages in that period of time. A military draft could demand your very life, without your consent. This should be unthinkable in a free society.

Proponents of reinstating the draft claim it is needed to protect liberty from enemies abroad. But what about the enemies of liberty right here at home? I am convinced that there are more threats to American liberty within the 10 mile radius of my office on Capitol Hill than there are on the rest of the globe. If we would get our troops off of foreign soil, those perceived enemies of our liberty abroad are much more likely to stand down and let us be. We have more than enough troops to mind our own business and defend ourselves. It is only for world domination that we have a troop shortage.

Nevertheless, some think recruiting for our military is too low and that the younger generation will not answer the call of duty willingly, and must be drafted by force. I take extreme exception to this characterization of young people today. First of all, I believe they correctly see that foreign policy, as unpopular as it has been under Bush, is not significantly changing under Obama, and has little, if anything, to do with defending the United States, and certainly not the Constitution. Second, many see friends and acquaintances who have voluntarily enlisted, and have taken note of how the soldier, the veteran is treated. Perhaps rather than blaming younger generations for being selfish, older generations should remember their promises to those who volunteer for military service and be mindful of how they are treated. Every homeless vet by the side of the road, every suicide, every report of substandard conditions in veteran hospitals is a sign of how we let our military down. Perhaps we should look to those issues if we have problems with military recruitment, rather than to trample freedom in the name of protecting it.

If that is not enough reason, consider that most in the military are against a draft. There is a vast difference between serving alongside another volunteer, and serving alongside a reluctant conscript. Americans need to be on the lookout for any propaganda trying to ease us back into the draft. Too often a flawed foreign policy prompts the need for a draft. Abolishing the Selective Service is one thing we could do to counter those efforts.

Your Nest Egg on the Government Bailout Plan

A video from Liberty on the Rocks:

Ron Paul Discusses the So Called Stimulus on CNN

Congressman Rn Paul reiterates that the so called Stimulus bill is anything but that. Instead he says it will just prolong the agony.

Promises, Promises, Promises

It didn't take long for Barack Obama to start breaking his campaign promises.

1. No more secrecy. How open were those stimulus bill meetings?



2. Bills will be available to the public to review for 5 days before signing. Obama will be signing the pork laden stimulus less than three days after passage.

Doing Nothing is Better

Appearing on Fox Business 2/13/09, Robert Higgs, Independent Institute Senior Fellow and economist,discusses the economic stimulus package. Higgs says we need to make adjustments to all the malinvestments, simply spending money will do nothing to fix the problem.

Higgs calls the stimulus bill is one of the biggest pork barrels in history.

Real Estate Bubble Burst in Dubai

The United States is not the only place that has seen the real estate bubble burst. Dubai which in recent years has surpassed any other location for grandiose buildings has seen its market collapse:

Government Doesn't Have Authority Over Our Lives

The following is a commentary piece I wrote that appeared in the Rochester Post Bulletin on 2/10/2009.

I wrote the commentary in response to a proposed Minnesota law to outlaw smoking in cars with minors. Senator Sandy Pappas, author of the bill in the Minnesota Senate wrote a commentary in favor, which be reached by a link on my commentary at the Post Bulletin.

Both Sides: Government shouldn't have that much control over private lives

2/10/2009 8:40:01 AM

By Jim Rongstad

Smoking is a habit that has come to be looked down upon by society and thus it is popular to pass restrictions against its practice.

But are laws against smoking really a good idea? Are they compatible with a society that claims to be free?

I am not a smoker and never have been one. I think it is a bad practice and would never encourage anyone to smoke. But I think it is a far more dangerous practice to allow government to dictate what people can do with their lives and property.

This latest front in the war on smoking is a bill introduced in the Minnesota Legislature to ban smoking in cars with minors. The legislators behind this latest restriction are Nora Slawik and Sandy Pappas. Slawik and Pappas are doing this out of their concern for "our children." But if Slawik and Pappas are truly concerned about "our children," why are they stopping here?

The proposed law would only make smoking in cars with minors a secondary violation. This means the police would need some other reason to stop a vehicle before issuing a ticket for smoking in the car. Are children of those who don't violate any other traffic law less precious than the children of those who do?

Even more illogical is the idea that it would be only illegal to smoke around minors in motor vehicles. What about smoking around children at home? Where do children, especially young children, spend more time than at home? If Slawik and Pappas were really concerned for the children they would propose a law to ban smoking anywhere children are present.

Of course the reason that Slawik and Pappas aren't proposing such bans is because they would be too radical and hard to pass. Instead, Minnesotans are fated to see continuing battles over smoking restrictions for years to come.

Eventually, laws will be proposed like the absurd law that just went into effect this January in Belmont, Calif., where it is now illegal to smoke anywhere except single-family homes and yards. No smoking in your apartment, condo or townhome.

Once we accept the idea that government has somehow gotten the authority to control our lives, there is no logical place to stop. If it is the duty of government to protect our health, then doesn't the government have the duty to control what we eat? Shouldn't the government restrict or even outlaw certain foods? For example pop, nothing but sugar or artificial sweeteners with no real nutritional value. Why is it allowed to be given to "our children?"

Why stop there, why not mandatory exercise, especially for children, to protect them since more of "our children" are obese nowadays. Obviously parents are not doing the job.

We have seen smoking in bars banned because of concern for the health of the patrons and employees. If that is the case, why do we continue to allow bars to have bands that play loud music? Why do publicly funded arenas like the Mayo Civic Center continue to allow loud music performances? Loud music exposure has been proven to cause permanent hearing loss and we continue to let this happen in order to make a few bucks?

What about alcohol? There is no product more damaging to society than alcohol. Oh wait, we tried to ban that once; it didn't work out too well.

Then, of course, there is the grandest hypocrisy of all: gambling. How often do we read of someone's life and family being ruined by their gambling habit? Yet the State of Minnesota constantly promotes and benefits from gambling. To protect us, especially "our children," shouldn't gambling be outlawed?

Do we really want a society where such restrictions/mandates come to pass? A society where our choices are restricted because a majority of people don't like them? Are majorities always right?

Instead of trying to force others to live life a certain way, we should instead focus on improving ourselves. Instead of wasting time and resources fighting over laws to control others, we should instead use those resources to help others.

Using force on others eventually leads to force being used on us. Leading by example and showing compassion to others encourages others to do the same. Education and information are more productive then force, we should reject force.

The words of C.S Lewis still ring true today:

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."

National Health Surveillance

From the Citizens' Council on Health Care:

MEDIA RELEASE
Friday, February 13, 2009
For Immediate Release



Issued Today:

CCHC Report on Economic Stimulus & Patient Rights


Part 1: National Health Surveillance



Minneapolis/Saint Paul – The Citizens' Council on Health Care (CCHC) has just issued Part 1 of a new patient rights publication, "Economic Stimulus" & Patient Rights Report. The report will highlight the infringements of patient and privacy rights in the economic stimulus bill that will be voted on today by Congress.

Twila Brase, president of CCHC and author of the report, provides the following statement:


"The economic stimulus bill will infringe on longstanding patient and privacy rights.

"Private medical information will soon become part of a new national health surveillance system - essentially one big government database of medical records. Surprisingly, the bill will even allow private medical data to be bought and sold.

"The public needs to know that they won't be able to stay out of the national health surveillance system. They need to know that they will not have the right to shield their private medical history by having more than one medical record. By 2014, patient's private data will be linked together into one single comprehensive online medical record.

"The doctor's office could soon be viewed as a national data collection center, not a clinic of confidential care.

"We are looking at the end of patient privacy rights in America. We may also be looking at the beginning of patients using innovative and potentially harmful strategies to evade surveillance. They will do all they can do to protect their own medical privacy.

"How does Congress think this will improve health care quality?"


Media Contact:
Twila Brase, RN, PHN
President
651-646-8935 office


Citizens' Council on Health Care supports freedom for patients and doctors, medical innovation, and the right to a confidential patient-doctor relationship.

Geithner Doesn't Know What He Is Doing

Financial commentator Jim Rogers, interviewed February 11, 2009 on Bloomberg, says Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner doesn't know what he is doing. Rogers says we are making the same mistakes that Japan did in the 1990's.

Roger's says it is foolish to continue to do the same things that created the problem in the first place. Debt and spending caused the problem, doing more of the same as the stimulus bill does will only make things worse.

Government Stimulus Bill - No One Read It

Congressman Ron Paul speaks outside the Capitol Building on legislative process and the passage of the Stimulus bill.

Paul says that there were only five copies available to be read of the bill which was over a 1,000 pages. These five copies only became available hours before the vote. This means of course that none of the Representatives had read the bill or actually knew what it contained. This is how special deals get inserted for the rich and powerful.

It is such a sad joke to see our so called leaders spewing the BS about bills like this as if they were carefully crafted and the product of technical expertise. These are nothing but political monstrosities.

Michael Phelps, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush

What do Michael Phelps, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush have in common?



The whole war on some drugs is so ludicrous and hypocritical. Only actions that harm others and infringe on their rights should be illegal. Enough of trying to control others, let's instead control ourselves.

A People's Stimulus

Instead of the special interest driven, pork laden so called stimulus bill just passed by our incompetent leaders in Washington, here is an alternative plan that give the money to every working American:

Politicians are going to spend $800 billion dollars which they claim will stimulate the economy. For the same amount of money we could eliminate the payroll tax for the rest of the year, giving the average worker thousands of dollars back in their pocket. Instead of more government spending, why not just let the American people spend their own money?

Telling the Truth About Abe Lincoln

Jack Hunter, the Southern Avenger, delves into the dark side of Lincoln. Contrary to the popular myth about Lincoln that has been created over the years, Lincoln was responsible for a slew of violations of the Constitution and ethics. The video notes that Lincoln suspended Habeas Corpus and suppressed free speech. Hunter says Lincoln had a lot to do with the massive government that serves special interest we find ourselves with today.

Hunter continues on with Lincoln's war strategy as described by General William Tecumseh Sherman:

"There is a class of people (in the South)- men, women and children who must be killed or banished before you can hope for peace and order."

Sherman is of course famous for his scorched earth policy towards the South. What is little known by most Americans is that until Sherman captured (and burned) Atlanta, Lincoln was expected to be defeated in his bid for reelection. The man who had been expected to win,Democratic Party candidate George B. McClellan,former Union Army General, was planning to end the war and recognize the Confederacy.




Hunter also highlights the fact that the Civil War was not fought to end slavery, but rather to preserve the Union.

A quote from Lincoln:


"My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause." The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume V, "Letter to Horace Greeley" (August 22, 1862), p. 388.

What if............

Congressman Ron Paul of Texas asks some questions about our failed foreign policy.



Of course this will fall on mostly deaf ears in Congress because most of Congress is either beholden to the special interests that support our failed policy, they believe in interventionism or both.

New Boss Same as the Old Boss

Obama is no different than Bush when it comes using the "state secrets" defense:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Governor David Paterson is Offended!!

New York Governor David Paterson is offended by his portrayal on Saturday Night Live. What a joke, if you can't stand the heat Mr. Governor, then get out of the kitchen. Parody of politicians is par for the course, why should you be the exception? Should George W. Bush complained on the behalf of people with low intelligence?

Personally I'm offended by what politicians like Mr. Paterson do in office every day.

Doom and Gloom with Gerald Celente

Gerald Celente, CEO of The Trends Research Institute, predicts a bigger depression than FDR's Depression.

Wisconsin Gas Law Declared Unconstitutional

From the StarTribune:

A federal judge has declared Wisconsin's 70-year-old minimum markup on gas unconstitutional, a decision that might save drivers money at the pump.

The state must stop enforcing the mandatory markup on gas because it illegally restricts trade, said Rudolph T. Randa, chief judge of the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

Proponents of a similar law in Minnesota have argued that, without the rule, large retailers would put small stations out of business by cutting prices, and then turn around and raise prices.

Some Minnesota legislators have tried in the past to repeal the requirement that stations charge at least 8 cents a gallon above the wholesale price, arguing that the law inflates gas prices. It's unclear whether the decision in the Wisconsin case will renew efforts to have Minnesota's law repealed.

Lance Klatt, executive director of the Minnesota Service Station Association, said his organization supports the Minnesota law because it creates more outlets for competition. He pointed to details of the state's law, enacted in 2001, that still allow retailers to offer discounts to consumers.

"Our law is written to try to avoid unconstitutionality," he said. "It gives more opportunities for coupons and other promotions that give consumers a break."

The minimum markup law has been a point of contention for years in Wisconsin. Passed in 1939, the law prohibits retailers from selling products for less than they paid. Gas stations must tack on 6 percent over what they paid or 9.18 percent over the average wholesale price, whichever is higher

.

Notice how these laws really protect the business interest and not the consumer. Government regulation is always sold as a "consumer protection", when in reality many of these laws are protections for special interests to reduce competition.

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act

From DownsizeDC:

Subject: Congress signs death warrant for thousands of companies

An isolated problem with lead contamination in Chinese products has resulted in a severe overreaction by Congress. Our elected representatives rushed to judgement. They passed the "Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act," without taking the time to . . .

* Think through the details

* Consider all the consequences of their action

* Correctly estimate the real danger posed by lead in products

It's important to recognize that while lead contamination was once a major concern, especially for children, the situation has improved dramatically . . .

* Between 1997 and 2006, incidence of elevated blood lead levels in children fell by 84%.

* According to an anti-pollution website, "Currently (2001), mean blood lead levels are generally well below the level of concern across all age groups."


* According to the Center for Disease Control, the remaining area of concern is lead paint in older homes, and a few other "potential" dangers mainly related to the household environment. Toys and other children's products are nowhere mentioned.

Clearly, public exposure to lead is under control and improving, but highly-publicized cases of lead contamination in Chinese products have caused Congress to create vast new regulations that impact not just Chinese products, but our entire economy. Only one House member and three Senators voted against the "Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act" (CPSIA) but those who supported it may soon regret their votes. The CPSIA . . .

* sets a low bar of acceptable lead levels in almost all children's products

* prohibits existing products with higher lead levels from being sold


* requires independent, third-party testing of each component of new products, whether they're homemade or mass-produced

* makes no distinction between products with a history of possibly high lead content, such as painted toys, and products that have no such history, such as children's books. All must be tested

* imposes six-figure fines and five-year prison sentences for violations

* empowers state Attorneys General, many of whom are headline-seeking hack politicians, to help enforce the law

Producers must pay for the testing. This will drive many companies out of business . . .

* According to Walter Olson, "The maker of a kids' telescope (with no suspected problems) was quoted a $24,000 testing estimate, on a product with only $32,000 in annual sales."


* A German toymaker that already complies with strict EU standards estimates the required testing will increase prices by at least 50%. They're pulling out of the U.S. market.


* Even homemade baby clothes for sale at fairs will have to be tested, effectively banning them.


Small, "green" manufacturers, using only organic materials, could also be wiped out because they can't afford the per-unit testing on their small production runs. This will increase the market share for large companies that are better able to absorb the compliance costs. Ironically, large toy makers, like Mattel, were responsible for the lead scare in the first place.

It gets worse . . .

* Thrift store managers can't afford to test old toys to comply with the new regulations. They may have to remove products or risk persecution from the government, crusading parent's groups, and lawyers. This will badly hurt the low-income families who rely on such stores.

* Librarians don't know how to comply with the new regulations: they may have to either pull children's books from their shelves, or ban children from their libraries.


The new regulations could even harm the health of low-income families. They may have to purchase new clothes if thrift stores are afraid to sell old ones. This would leave less money in tight budgets for things like nutritious food, medicine, and heating. Many of these products and services will also cost more because of the new
regulations.

The current recession makes all of these problems more severe. The regulations also risk making the recession even worse.

The law went into effect this week (February 10, 2009). The testing requirements start a year from now. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has heard the complaints and are scrambling to adjust. In some instances they're trying to make reasonable accommodations, but the law limits their discretion. The CPSIA is too flawed to amend; it must be scrapped.

Use DownsizeDC.org's Educate the Powerful System to tell Congress to repeal the "Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act."


Tell them it will hurt the economy and low income families. Use some of the bullet-point examples from above in your personal comments.

The Federal Reserve is the Source of Our Problems

Ron Paul takes on Ben Bernanke concerning the current financial crisis and government intervention in the markets. Paul discusses the secrecy of the Federal Reserve and how Congress lets this happen.

Why is School Choice Important?

From Institute for Justice:

Arizona Supreme Court to Decide Future Of Scholarships for Special Needs and Foster Children

WEB RELEASE: December 9, 2008
CONTACT:
Tim Keller: (480) 557-8300
Lisa Knepper, (703) 682-9320

[School Choice]


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phoenix—Today, the Arizona Supreme Court heard arguments to decide the educational fates of nearly 450 special needs and foster children who rely on state scholarship programs to escape public schools that failed to meet their individual needs and instead attend the public or private schools of their parents’ choice. Before the argument, more than 200 parents and children from across the state rallied on the steps of the court in support of the scholarships.

“These scholarships have provided educational opportunity and real hope for a better life for hundreds of Arizona schoolchildren—and they are completely consistent with our state Constitution and policy traditions,” said Tim Keller, executive director of the Institute for Justice Arizona Chapter. Keller argued before the court in defense of the programs on behalf of scholarship families.

“The Arizona Supreme Court and the Arizona Constitution have always looked favorably upon school choice programs,” Keller added. “Opponents cannot point to a single Arizona case that supports their position. Instead they urge the court to reverse decades of legal precedent and policy practice in our state, undermining not only the children relying on these scholarships, but also those who use other educational aid programs such as college scholarships and drop-out prevention programs. Just like the scholarships for special needs and foster children, all of those state-funded programs offer the choice of public, private and religious schools.”

“As the Arizona Supreme Court has held, the true beneficiaries of educational aid programs are parents and children, not schools,” Keller explained. “Food stamps are not ‘in aid of’ grocery stores, they help people buy food—just as these scholarships help parents buy an education suited to their children’s needs.”

Indeed, for years Arizona has used state money to pay for children with special needs to attend private schools. Under that system, public school officials decide when a private school is appropriate. The scholarships enable parents instead to make that choice for their children.

One such parent is IJ client Andrea Weck, whose daughter Lexie was diagnosed with autism, cerebral palsy and mild mental retardation. Lexie made no progress in public schools, and officials admitted they did not know how to educate her. Now, thanks to a scholarship, Lexie is thriving at Chrysalis Academy, a private school in Tempe that specializes in educating children with autism and related disorders.

“Thanks to the choice that these scholarships gave me, Lexie is a different little girl,” said Andrea. “Lexie has learned to communicate with me and her sisters through sign language, and thanks to the daily speech therapy she receives at Chrysalis, this year we expect her to speak for the very first time.”

Without the scholarship, Andrea, a single mother with two other girls, would not be able to afford the tuition and would be forced to send Lexie to a school that cannot meet her needs. About half of the students enrolled at Chyrsalis rely on the scholarships, while most of the other students are placed there by public school officials. Teachers’ unions and other school choice opponents have only challenged the scholarship program that enables parents to choose a school.

“Why do the teachers’ unions and other special interest groups want to stop Lexie’s growth?” asked Andrea. “They don’t object when public school officials make the same decisions for other children. All that parents want is the freedom to place our children in schools that meet their unique educational needs and help them to flourish as we know they can.”

IJ client Jessie Geroux is also the mother of a child with autism, and she works with Arizona Autism Support to support and advocate for the needs of families facing an autism diagnosis.

“For children with disabilities, it can be a months-long process to even be considered for an appropriate school placement through the traditional system, but these scholarships give parents real choice and opportunity to find a school that works,” said Jessie.

“In Arizona and across the nation, school choice is empowering parents to have a real say in their children’s educational futures,” said Chip Mellor, IJ’s president and general counsel. “The Arizona Supreme Court should vindicate that right and put to rest the shameful legal campaign of school choice opponents.”

Signed into law in 2006 by Gov. Janet Napolitano, the Scholarships for Pupils with Disabilities Program and the Displaced Pupils Grant Program are serving nearly 450 children this academic year. The Arizona Education Association, the ACLU of Arizona and the People for the American Way, among others, challenged the programs in January 2007.

In June 2007, the Maricopa County Superior Court upheld the scholarship programs, but earlier this year the Arizona Court of Appeals overturned that ruling.

Peter Schiff Responds to the Wall Street Journal

Peter Schiff responds to the Wall Street Journal:

Peter Schiff of Euro Pacific Capital has recently come under fire.

First blogger Michael Shedlock and then The Wall Street Journal noted how Schiff's investment thesis - centered on shorting the dollar and buying foreign currencies, commodities and related stocks - had run aground in 2008.

A "number of" Euro Pacific Capital clients lost 50% or more in 2008, when the S&P 500fell 38%, The Journal reported.

Schiff does not deny some clients of his broker/dealer firm (he's not a fund manager or registered investment adviser) suffered big losses last year; they were hurt as the dollar experienced what Schiff calls a "phony" rally that hit commodities and subjected many foreign holdings to a "double whammy."

Prohibition of the Product Causes the Problems

A member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition discusses the harm of the Drug War:





Former Police Officer Barry Cooper:



About Barry Cooper from NeverGetBusted.com:

Barry is an eight year veteran beginning his Texas law enforcement career as a police dispatcher for the Gladewater Police Department. He was soon hired by the Big Sandy Police Department where he trained his own narcotic detector dog and soon became one of the top highway interdiction officers in East Texas. Although Barry had less than five miles of highway to practice seizing narcotics, he held a county record of nearly one- hundred drug arrests and a record marijuana seizure.

Barry was quickly recognized and contacted by the Permian Basin Drug Task Force located in Odessa, Texas which had jurisdiction in nineteen surrounding counties. Here Barry received extensive training and worked joint operations with the ATF, DEA, FBI, U.S. Military and Border Patrol. Barry is well trained in all interdiction methods including undercover operations, reversal operations, search warrants, K-9's, traffic stops and public transportation narcotics interdiction (buses and airplanes.)

Barry's talents were soon noticed and he began traveling the State of Texas teaching narcotics interdiction classes to various police academies and agencies. The standard agreement between Barry and the host agency was to pay wages and all expenses for a two or three day class which included an eight hour shift of Barry demonstrating his interdiction skills. If Barry failed to make a drug arrest in the eight hour shift, he forfeited all monies and the class was free. Barry never had to give any money back!

Barry carries the same confidence in his instructional DVD...if a customer is not 100% satisfied with their purchase the customer gets a full refund including postage.

After two years with the Permian Basin Drug Task Force, Barry was contacted by his earlier employer, Gladewater Police Department, to become head of their narcotics division. Barry's desire to return home and bring his training back to East Texas resulted in a two year stint with the G.P.D. where Barry once again became the leading drug enforcement officer.

Political pressures including arresting the mayor's son for methamphetamine, a city councilman for marijuana, and outperforming the DEA and local task force caused Barry to quit law enforcement and become a successful entrepreneur. During his career, Barry had accumulated an impressive record of over 300 felony narcotics arrests, 500 misdemeanor narcotics arrests, the seizure of over fifty vehicles and millions in cash and assets.

Barry is the former owner of three car dealerships, a tire shop, a limousine service, a mixed martial arts company (cage fighting) and finally CEO of NEVERGETBUSTED.COM.

Economic Fallacies 101: Government Does Not Create More Jobs

Came across this in an email from Minnesota Libertarian Rich Putman:

The idea that Government can "create" jobs through debt spending is a common economic fallacy. Government spending of debt money does not result in any net creation of jobs at all. It only confiscates wealth from private citizens and forces them to pay for centrally-planned jobs that the real economy usually neither needs nor benefits from.

read more | digg story

Bill Introduced to Track Firearms: H.R. 45

From the NRA:

Big Brother's New Target: Tracking Firearms

Friday, January 23, 2009

U.S. Representative Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) recently sponsored H.R. 45, also known as "Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act." The bill is, at its core and as its name implies, a licensing and registration scheme.

The measure calls for all handgun owners to submit to the federal government an application that shall include, among many other things: a photo; an address; a thumbprint; a completed, written firearm safety test; private mental health records; and a fee. And those are only some of the requirements to be licensed!

The bill would further require the attorney general to establish a database of every handgun sale, transfer, and owner's address in America. Moreover, the bill would make it illegal to own or possess a "qualifying firearm" -- defined as "any handgun; or any semiautomatic firearm that can accept any detachable ammunition feeding device…" [emphasis added] without one of the proposed licenses.

Additionally, the bill would make it illegal to transfer ownership of a "qualifying firearm" to anyone who is not a licensed gun dealer or collector (with very few exceptions), and would require "qualifying firearm" owners to report all transfers to the attorney general's database. It would also be illegal for a licensed gun owner to fail to record a gun loss or theft within 72 hours, or fail to report a change of address within 60 days. Further, if a minor obtains a firearm and injures someone with it, the owner of the firearm may face a multiple-year jail sentence.

H.R. 45 is essentially a reintroduction of H.R. 2666, which Rush introduced in 2007. H.R. 2666 contained much of the same language as H.R. 45, and was co-sponsored by several well-known anti-gun legislators--including Barack Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel. H.R. 45 currently has no co-sponsors.

Rest assured that NRA-ILA will continue to monitor this bill closely, and will keep you informed of any developments if they materialize.

To view the complete text of the bill, please click here.

Bobby Rush, the bill's sponsor was a co-founder of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party and in 1969, Rush served six months in prison for illegal possession of firearms.

Legal Gun Ownership Brings No Knock Raid

Another in the long line of "isolated incidents of mistaken SWAT Team Raids". As is par for these raids, naturally they killed the dog "because it was threatening the officers". The twist in this raid is that the police are justifying doing a no knock raid because they knew the homeowner was a legal gun owner.

From the Howard County Times:

After a Howard County police raid on his house three weeks ago, Mike Hasenei says he has a sprained wrist, a dead dog, a bullet hole in his bed and a 12-year-old daughter who is scared every time she hears a knock on the door.

Hasenei, 39, of the 6600 block of Deep Run Parkway, Elkridge, said he was sleeping shortly after 9 p.m. Jan. 15 when a police tactical team kicked in the door to his house.

He woke up and walked into his living room to find it swarming with officers, he said. When he asked what was going on, he was ordered to get on the ground, and when he asked again, he said, he was knocked to the ground and told he was under arrest.

Police then searched his house, looking for items stolen from two marked police cars that were reported broken into on Jan. 14 in the Elkridge community of Mayfield, according to Hasenei, who said he works as a computer analyst at Marriott International.

During the raid, Hasenei said, police shot his Australian cattle dog, in his bedroom.

Police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn confirmed the raid on Hasenei's house, noting that police had a search warrant signed by a judge.

Llewellyn said police had reason to believe a gun was in the residence, which was why they did not knock.

A copy of the warrant provided by Hasenei listed items to be seized, including a Sig Sauer Rifle and three ammunition magazines for the rifle, as well as a police gear bag, county police field procedures manual and guide, and more police-related items.

Llewellyn added that when police have reason to believe there might be firearms in a residence, they take precautions to ensure the safety of the officers and anyone inside the house.

"This often includes the use of the tactical team, which is specially trained to deal with potentially dangerous situations," she said.

See a video report here.

It seems like they always shoot the dog and claim it was threatening them. Now apparently if you are known to own a gun, that justifies a no knock warrant where the cops break down your door and charge into your house. After they have shot your dog, the cops proceed to treat you and your family like sh*t. You are held at gunpoint by these brave, gallant enforcers of the law, while other brave officers proceed to ransack the place. Can we say police state?

What happened to that quaint notion about being innocent until proven guilty? What would have happened if Mr. Hasenei had managed to get his gun when he heard the break in? I'm sure the cops would have fired multiple bullets into Mr. Hasenei because he was threatening them. Gee, do you think maybe Mr. Hasenei and his family felt threatened at all?

Ron Paul on the Senate Stimulus "Compromise"

Congressman Ron Paul of Texas discusses the "Compromise Stimulus Package". Dr. Paul states that it is really just another spending package and will not do anything to help the economy.

Paul takes to tasks congressional Republicans for coming so late to the fight against wasteful spending. Paul asks where were they during the eight years of the free spending Bush Administration.

Paul says we continue to make the same mistakes, using Keynesian economics which leads to malinvestments.

Investing in What Doesn't Work

Russia Today interviews Neal McCluskey of the Cato Institute about the Obama Administrations plan to spend $150 billion on education as part of the so called stimulus package.

McCluskey, a former high school English teacher, says that this is just throwing money down a hole. McCluskey says this is just a cynical move by politicians to show how much they care. McCluskey says that what education needs is real competition. Government funding of education needs to be decoupled from the provision of education. We should give the funding to parents and let them choose a school.

US Following the Zimbabwe School of Economics

Marc Faber, appearing on CNBC 2/6/2009, says that the US has adopted the Zimbabwe School of Economics. The Zimbabwe School of Economics refers to the socialist dictator Robert Mugabe who has destroyed the once vibrant economy of Zimbabwe with his failed economic policies. Zimbabwe is experiencing hyperinflation on a scale never known before. (see second video below)


Marc Faber writes the monthly investment newsletter "The Gloom Boom & Doom Report". He has also authored several books.




A report from AlJazeera on Zimbabwe:

Aid agencies warn that more people in Zimbabwe people will have to rely on food handouts as an acute shortage of food persists.

We're Throwing Gasoline on the Fire

Peter Schiff on Fox Business News 2/5/2009 says the "Stimulus Bill" is merely throwing gasoline on the fire.

An Archaic and Asinine Designation

Great commentary by Jack Hunter on all the ridiculous whoop-de-do in the lamestream media over Michael Phelps being caught smoking pot. Who cares. As Hunter points out, most of these people are hypocrites. Virtually everyone of them probably drinks alcohol, a far more dangerous substance.

I am probably one of the few of my generation who hasn't actually smoked pot. But I certainly have known people who do and have been around its consumption at parties and concerts.

It is time to end the insane and wasteful war on this plant.

Crisis is the Health of the State

John Stossel discusses the current bailout mania with Ted Balaker, a Reason.tv producer. Stossel also talks about his hopes and fears for the Obama years, and his attempt to educate a generation of school kids with a video series called Stossel in the Classroom.

Part 1:



Part 2:



From Reason TV:

John Stossel is the best-known libertarian in the news media.

As the co-anchor of the long-running and immensely popular ABC News program 20/20, auteur of a continuing series of specials on topics ranging from corporate welfare to educational waste to laws criminalizing consensual adult behavior, and author of best-selling books such as Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity, Stossel brings a consistent message of liberty to millions of viewers on a weekly basis.

It wasn't always this way. Born in 1947, Stossel started out as a standard-issue consumer reporter, working in Oregon and New York before joining the staff of Good Morning America and, later, 20/20. He did scare stories about everything from pharmaceutical rip-offs to exploding coffee pots. Then, in the 1980s, he encountered reason, which radically changed his thinking about the benefits of laissez faire in economics and personal lifestyles.

"It was a revelation," he writes in his 2004 memoir, Give Me a Break. "Here were writers who analyzed the benefits of free markets that I witnessed as a reporter. They called themselves libertarians, and their slogan was Free Minds and Free Markets. I wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but what they wrote sure made sense."

Reason.tv caught up with Stossel in January in Los Angeles, where the newsman was filming a special episode of 20/20 based on six Reason.tv documentaries featuring Drew Carey. Among the topics: the desirability of open borders, the need to reform the nations drug laws, and the case against universal preschool.

Rahm Emanuel, Gun Grabber

Then Congressman Rahm Emanuel, now Chief of Staff for the Obama Administration, speaking on May 15, 2007 at DC's annual Stand Up For a Safe America event sponsored by the Brady Center says if your name is on the terrorist no fly list you should not be allowed to own a gun.

From the ACLU:

In September 2007, the Inspector General of the Justice Department reported that the Terrorist Screening Center (the FBI-administered organization that consolidates terrorist watch list information in the United States) had over 700,000 names in its database as of April 2007 - and that the list was growing by an average of over 20,000 records per month.

By those numbers, the list now has over one million names on it. Terrorist watch lists must be tightly focused on true terrorists who pose a genuine threat. Bloated lists are bad because:

They ensnare many innocent travelers as suspected terrorists, and because

They waste screeners' time and divert their energies from looking for true terrorists.

Small, focused watch lists are better for civil liberties and for security.

The uncontroversial contention that Osama Bin Laden and a handful of other known terrorists should not be allowed on an aircraft is being used to create a monster that goes far beyond what ordinary Americans think of when they think about a "terrorist watch list."

Rahm Emanuel creeps me out, he seems to be the total control type of guy. Emanuel has called for mandatory "national service", wants to take away gun rights and talks about using a crisis to get an agenda carried out. A terrible, terrible type of person to have in a position of influence and authority.