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Government Gone Wild!

To quote Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men, “and the hits just keep on coming.” Hits of voter fraud, that is. Three separate cases in Erie and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania give any self-respecting voter (in Pennsylvania or elsewhere) cause to be concerned.
 

In Erie, former State Representative Linda Bebko-Jones, together with her former chief of staff, sat in her office with the phone book and personal address book and forged signatures on petitions to get herself re-nominated. She dropped her attempt when the charges surfaced, but when a former State Senator found out his 87-year-old mother’s signature was on the petitions—even though she hadn’t signed anything—he pressed the matter until Bebko-Jones was given criminal charges by the state Attorney General in late February.
 

In Philadelphia, similar charges are being leveled against two incumbent House members and one contender for a State Senate seat, who are all accused of employing the exact same method of petition forging as Bebko-Jones. 
 

Am I the only one slightly concerned by the adeptness of these state reps, not to mention their staff members, in signature forging? If we don’t get some accountability in government, be it at the local, state or federal level, we’re only going to continue having skewed elections and disenfranchised voters.

The Ohio presidential primary is on Tuesday, and it promises to carry on the illustrious tradition of Ohio elections:  making a big mess. 

Apparently, an Ohio law allows for Republicans and Independents to vote on a Democrat ballot, while maintaining a closed primary system. Which raises the question—should this sort of thing be allowed, or is it acceptable to change parties for the upcoming primary? And how can we be sure that this entirely excludes open primary voting behavior? 

This is the state where, last May, a man was brought to trial for voting twice in the November 2006 elections in different counties. Mere coincidence? As C.S. Lewis once said, “If you believe that, you’ll believe anything.” 

In California, child protection services recently took Nate Tseglin, a 17-year-old autistic boy, out of his home after a teacher filed a complaint about the arm braces he wore to keep him from scratching himself (such behavior is not uncommon among autistics). The California government forcibly removed Nate from his home and he is currently institutionalized at a hospital, labeled a danger to himself and others.

But that is not the most frightening part of the story. The most frightening part is that the caseworkers told the Tseglins, who are Russian-Jewish immigrants, that they had “the wrong set of beliefs” and for that their son should be removed from their care.

This is an extremely scary example of the government intervening where it has no business whatsoever. The Tseglins say they have provided a home for their son, have sought therapy for his autism, and have taken measures to see that he does not harm himself. If all of this is true, the state had no right to take Nate from them. And they absolutely had no right to cite the Tseglins’ religious beliefs as cause to remove Nate from his home. Ilya and Riva emigrated from Russia to escape an oppressive government. They should not have to experience it in America of all places. Happenings like this represent the first steps on the road to totalitarianism, and must be resisted by free people everywhere.

A big part of my day consists of reading and scanning news items and policy research from all over the country and around the world. Far more often than I would like, I come across a report of something that sounds like it came from the pages of one of my favorite novels, George Orwell's 1984. Plans by Kansas City, KS police to install cameras to record citizens on city streets is one of those reports.

In 2008, we are not too far from that:  in many cities all across the country we are recorded nearly everywhere we go by various private and public surveillance systems. In addition to the cameras in office and apartment buildings, gas stations, parking lots, shopping malls, and virtually every other type of private establishment, there is now a growing number of government cameras that monitor activities on public streets. Kansas City is merely following a trend set by New York, Washington, Chicago and other cities.

As one Kansas City official says, "It is just a tool that law enforcement can use to not only locate and identify criminals, but it is the wave of the future." He is right, it is the wave of the future; unfortunately, like the world portrayed in 1984, that future might not be so bright. The cameras are always put in place in the name of public safety and security, but are we really so unsafe as to need our moves monitored by the government? Does such monitoring make us safer or perhaps less safe? One thing is for sure:  police monitoring of individual citizens in public space can only be a threat to liberty, not an aid to it.

 

When you think of small-town America, do visions of the friendly mayor and policemen on the Andy Griffith Show typically spring to mind

Not so in Eastover, SC, where a suspended mayor and police chief are standing trial for conspiring to intimidate witnesses in a town council race where absentee ballots changed the results. Six people were running for two positions, and two days after the winners were announced, a review of challenged ballots knocked one of the winners out of the race, with a completely different candidate taking their place by a substantial margin. The court hearing should take about a week to decide. 

While Mayberry only exists in TV Land these days, it’s not too much to expect that our government officials be fair and disinterested when it comes to races for elected offices.   

It was Reagan who once said that, "Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." Apparently the Virginia locksmith industry just wouldn't stop moving.

Del. Dave Albo, who "represents" my district in Springfield, is pushing a bill to regulate locksmiths. Apparently the industry is incapable of policing itself and this is necessary to prevent just anyone from becoming a locksmith.

The Virginian Federalist blog hit the nail on the head: "To my knowledge there are no studies or findings to show the need for such regulation. A politician found an unregulated, free market industry and had to fix it." Very rarely are regulatory and licensing schemes cooked up in the "public interest." They are usually a tool, used by certain players in the regulated industry to restrict competition through licensure exclusions and fees, and used by legislators to raise revenue. This bill is no different.

Yesterday the bill went breezing through a Senate committee thanks to testimony from the "locksmiths present." Not a single locksmith showed up to defend their industry against the regulation, no advocate of limited government was present to tell of the evils of regulation in general, the voice of liberty or even of common sense was nowhere to be found. As the Assembly takes a step down the road to serfdom, there isn't even any coverage of this government expansion outside of TVF and now this blog.

Reagan also said that, "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction... It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same."

I fear that he was right.

The potential disastrous infringement on American civil rights is slowly but surely encroaching. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court dismissed a case brought up by the ACLU concerning President Bush’s approval of government warrantless wiretaps on private phone lines and email accounts. Until now, no judge had ever decided on whether or not such a practice was acceptable in the eyes of justice. Now the silence is deafeningly decisive.

California has a reputation for one of the loonier governments in the country. It's really no wonder, considering they've got the likes of Sean Penn and Barbra Streisand choosing their leaders. Now they're proving once again just how deserved their loony reputation is.

The California government has sued Mohammed Mohanna for two blocks of property along K St. in San Francisco. These blocks are seen as "a long-time stumbling block to redevelopment in the heart of downtown." Therefore, the government deems it their right to seize Mohanna's property, which he owns, for itself.

This is a dumb idea for two reasons. First, could all who have ever seen the government do something better with the citizens' property please raise your hands? However bad the private property may be, I'll gladly bet money that once the government gets hold of it, it'll be much worse.

Second, the right to property is essential to liberty. When property is taken—in whatever form—it is an assault on freedom. Therefore, eminent domain abuse must be fought. If the government can take what is ours, it can make very quick work of our freedom.

This is further proof (where none is needed) that Thomas Paine was right: “Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.” For the people of Louisiana, still reeling after Hurricane Katrina nearly three years ago, the necessary evil is becoming darn close to intolerable.

Apparently the trailers that FEMA supplied in the hurricane’s wake, which are still serving as home for over 100,000 New Orleansites, have abnormally high levels of formaldehyde. The CDC has urged all residents to evacuate before summer, when higher temperatures will release higher levels of the harmful gas.

If I were a resident of New Orleans, I’d be drawing up a Declaration of Independence from FEMA. When Katrina first hit, FEMA couldn’t get to the city in time. Over the last two years, they’ve continued to trip over themselves and let the people down. Now, they have to leave their homes (such as it is) because their trailers are leaking formaldehyde. Tell me again why they should continue taking handouts from these people?

It continues to amaze me that as much as government continues to fail us, we still rely on it in times when failure is not an option. Let the debacle that is post-Katrina life in New Orleans bear witness to this, and cause all Americans to think twice before we want to run to the government.

I'm not sure how the story has gone this long without appearing on our blog -- especially when our own Izzy Santa has been quoted in relation to it -- but, in any case: "Pig roaster's citations from Wheeling have Filipino consulate, ACLU, libertarians crying foul".

For those link averse, a man from Wheeling -- Amante Enad -- was ticketed earlier this month by village officials for roasting pigs on his property. The article, citing the fact that the pigs in question were donated -- yes, donated -- to Enad's church, has understandably drawn its fair share of public outcry.

Wheeling has taken notice. 

Monday, the Trib did a follow-up, most likely at the village's request: "Wheeling explains reasons for citing pig roaster". Village Manager Mark Rooney stated, "This issue is not about the lack of the village allowing someone to enjoy the back-yard barbecue". (Wow that's terrible sentence-structure.) It is, according to Rooney, a health and sanitation issue. 

Today Enad gets his day in court. I'll update as soon as I catch wind of any result.

Oh! I almost forgot: Izzy's quote, which appeared in the first Trib article, follows below:

"He should have the freedom to roast as many pigs on his property as he wants as long as he doesn't harm anything in his neighborhood," said Izzy Santa, press secretary for the Sam Adams Alliance, a Chicago-based non-profit libertarian organization that offered Enad legal assistance, media training or other help.

UPDATE: Looks like the Herald is first on the beat. Chalk it up as another win for unnecessary regulation and loss for personal freedom.

A Wheeling pig roaster whose cause attracted widespread interest after he was cited by Wheeling officials lost in court today. A judge ordered Wheeling resident Amante Enad to stop roasting pigs for the masses. Judge Joel Greenblatt said Enad will have to pay a $1,000 fine if he violates that order between now and his next hearing in September...

UPDATE II: I love this quote from the Trib's post-ruling piece:

When asked by a reporter what he thought of life in the U.S., Enad had a quick response: "It's not the same as the Philippines. . . . I [would] have a roasted pig in front of the municipal building."

The Senate voted on Tuesday to allow legal protection to telecommunications companies that cooperate with the government’s covert wiretapping program as a part of terrorist surveillance. The bill now has to go to the House, which is hoping to limit the immunity that telecoms would receive. President Bush threatens a veto if the bill is not the same as the one passed by the Senate.

Terrorism is a valid threat and requires strict measures of defense, but how far are we willing to go in passing law-bending measures in the name of national defense? Currently, the government’s wiretapping program is warrantless, something that should cause Americans to see red flags as opposed to red, white and blue ones.

We need to contact our Representatives, telling them to hang up on this bill before the government eavesdrops on any more private conversations.

You know how environmentalists and the elected officials in their pocket are constantly harping about saving the planet, one person at a time?

Well, apparently they only mean it if you don’t violate ridiculous municipal codes requiring you to produce trash.

One man in San Carlos, California, took environmental concern to heart and reduced his trash to nearly nothing by recycling and giving scraps of food to his dog. With no trash cans to empty each week, he then canceled his service with the local trash service.

Therein lies the problem, apparently. The trash service has now sued him for violating a municipal code that mandates he contract with them for one trash pick-up per week.

“I don’t understand a city ordinance that requires you to fill up a can. That’s downright foolishness,” he told the Washington Examiner.

I couldn’t agree more.

Back in early January, there was a furor over the California government proposing to take control of private individual thermostats. The government quickly backpedaled, and no more has been heard of it since. But have things really cooled down?

Apparently, the thermostat proposal has not completely melted away – it’s only been tweaked here and there. For instance, according to the slightly edited legislation, private individuals would have the ability to override the government controls on their thermostats. But there is some worry that having such controls would set the stage for mandating complete government control over thermostats in the future. Since the edits to the legislation have been made, the proposal will be considered at “a later date.”

We should be certain to keep an eye on the temperature surrounding this important decision, lest it burn up individual liberties. 

Last week, pop star Britney Spears was taken to a psychiatric ward (which may or may not be a surprise) in an ambulance amid cop cars, helicopters, and a crowd of some 60 photographers. The ensuing chaos has prompted the L.A. city council to impose restrictions on the paparazzi, legislating that they cannot overstep Spears’s “Personal Safety Bubble” of 20 yards. Some speculate that such “safety bubbles” may become a new status symbol for celebrities everywhere, like Martha Stewart’s GPS anklet.

This ruling, perhaps unconsciously, gives rise to another potential status symbol that celebrities may attain, and one that is more sinister to American interests:  being so famous that you can get the local government to impose laws that suit you personally. Since when does Britney Spears’ celebrity status have more say in local legislation than, say, the First Amendment?

Last time I checked, we have freedom of speech in this country, and don’t legislate where the press is allowed to go. If we start handing out safety bubbles from the press to celebrities, how long will it be before we start distributing them to individual citizens, businesses, elected officials, and government buildings?

For now, Britney’s where she needs to be. Now let’s get the local government where IT needs to be—in support of the Constitution.

Back in January of 2007 the West Virginia Department of Transportation closed the eastbound lanes of I-70 through the Wheeling Tunnel in order to make repairs to the tunnel’s two traffic tubes. The project was supposed to take four months for each of the  tubes and cost about $5 million all together. Ten months and $6 million later the eastbound tube of the tunnel re-opened unfinished, missing about half of the tile from its walls and leaking water through the ceiling; the westbound tube hadn’t even been touched. It seems the contractor and DOT were unable to determine the proper kind of glue to use on the tiles that line it. There is a time line of the saga here.  

That was back in November. Now state officials are still stumped about how to fix the tunnel and they are trying to come up with an alternative. The latest plan on the table is elimination of the 40 year old tunnel by cutting the hillside away. While this plan has its merits I suspect that it should have been considered, oh, I don’t know, about 13 months and $6million dollars ago. 

On the bright side if the tunnel is eliminated the state won’t have to rely on eminent domain to obtain the land on top of the tunnel, they already own it. Too bad they spent $7.3 million to build the Wheeling Heights government housing project on the hill back in 2005 and 2006. That will have to be torn down if the tunnel is taken out. One would think the state’s wise and benevolent central planners would have seen that one coming but hey, its not their money.

A few dozen people joined Paul Jacob, Rick Carpenter, State Senator Randy Brogdon, State Rep. Mike Reynolds, Kim Wright, Charlie Meadows, Stuart Jolly on the OK City Courthouse steps to rally for the unhindered right to the citizen initiative process.

I'm in Oklahoma City, OK today to cover the SECOND arraignment of Paul Jacob and the Oklahoma 3.

It's a beautiful day outside, but it's going to be anything inside the courtroom, where the Oklahoma Attorney General's dream of crushing the citizen initiative process takes another step forward...unless we, the people can stop him.

Check out today's press release, including Paul's latest statement on this assault on our First Amendment rights:

"I have committed no crime," said Paul Jacob, president of Citizens in Charge. "What is my actual offense but that of daring to help Oklahoma voters hold an election to decide an issue?"

I'll have video and images from today's press conference online tomorrow, so check back soon, and be sure to visit two websites for the whole scoop of what's going on: FreePaulJacob.com and FreetheOK3.com. 

If news about our national debt puts you to sleep, you need to wake up and watch this. You can’t afford to ignore this issue or say that it doesn’t really matter because it doesn’t affect you. These are the facts:  our country is essentially bankrupt, our government hides the truth about our federal finances—and this mess impacts every household in America.

Learn the real story here:

Our friend Sheila Weinberg, founder of the Institute for Truth in Accounting, is concerned about the financial state of our country, too—and she’s working to spread the word about it with the Truth in 2008 campaign. Learn about it here, and help spread the word or join the campaign. Getting out of this financial quagmire “will require bold leadership, citizen engagement, and tough decisions.” Please get involved today.

You might think that when an incumbent mayor is defeated in an election, he would actually leave office.

Well, it turns out, in Anderson, Indiana, it’s not that easy.

Apparently the new mayor’s residency is under speculation, and the old mayor says he will “rule from exile” until that is resolved.

Oh, and the lawsuit challenging the new mayor’s residency was filed by 5 citizens, some of which worked for the old mayor.

Just when we thought elections might actually "get the bums out of office.” How silly of us.

I’ve never been big on New Year's resolutions. Either I can’t think of a good one—or if I do, it usually only lasts a couple weeks before I forget it or give it up.

The government is pretty lousy at keeping resolutions, too. You know, like their vow to uphold the Constitution and protect citizens’ fundamental rights.

The fact that elected officials have done an absolutely deplorable job of keeping this promise should come as a surprise to no one, but if you don’t believe me, read it for yourself:  Radley Balko, a senior editor for Reason magazine, has written his annual year-end column outlining the government overreach that has happened during the year. (To stay up-to-date on this kind of news all year, read Radley’s blog, The Agitator.)

My favorite? The bill that bans playing an instrument or interacting with pets while driving. This is the stuff that belongs in The Onion—but sadly, it is reality.

Our governments—of all levels—need a New Year's resolution to rein them in and bring them back to their original purpose. Of course, we need a lasting change—not just a New Year's resolution—but hey, we've got to start somewhere.

What New Year's resolution do you think your government (local, state, or federal) should make in order to start getting back on track this year? Email me your suggestions, and I’ll post the five best submissions in early January—and I’ll send one of our famous Sam Adams bobbleheads to each of these lucky five.

Besides tackling the Lincoln Square eminent domain issue today, the Chicago City Council may today ban the ownership of chickens.

Some people are worried that the chickens might attract rodents, but chicken-owners cite the benefits to hen ownership:

Those who have eaten eggs from their own chickens say they are far fresher and tastier than store-bought eggs.

"And they're so productive for the garden," said Owen Taylor, training and livestock coordinator of Just Food, a New York-based nonprofit group. "They aerate the soil, eat bugs and they look like little tractors, tilling the soil."

Taylor said he was surprised that Chicago — a city that banned foie gras in restaurants over concerns about cruelty to geese and embraced rooftop gardening — isn't more welcoming of chickens.

I don't know if they're "like little tractors," but Wendy sure does know how to cook them well. 

Weren’t Democrats supposed to be nobly restoring fiscal responsibility to the halls of Congress or something?

Riiight. It’s interesting, then, that Nancy Pelosi thought $16,000 of taxpayer funds were being well-spent on flowers. And excessive traveling. And a bloated payroll.

(Don’t get me wrong, Republicans aren’t any better—we all know we can’t trust most politicians on either side of the aisle on this issue.) Read more about your tax dollars at work on Capitol Hill in today’s issue of The Hill.

So, it is with great joy that I present to y'all a little composition of mine from "Elf Yourself".

Let Ted Kennedy, Al Franken, Hillary Clinton, and Nancy Pelosi brighten your day!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1189469487

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted, but I've been dealing with some health issues - look forward to being back fighting for our citizen rights!!!

I wrote a while back about my suspicions of a secret toolkit for politicians—you know, something that helps elected officials abuse voters and taxpayers.

Well, here’s the latest entry:  “How to Spend $3 Million of Taxpayer Money on Nothing.” Check it out here.

What’s the solution to the public education crisis in America? Well, Paul Richards, principal of Needham High School in the Boston suburbs, thinks he’s found it.

According to Richards, the explanation behind the fact that one in 10 public schools in the country are now considered “dropout factories” is clear:  students are too stressed! To combat this terrible problem, Richards is pushing in-school yoga classes to help overworked students reduce stress. He’s also encouraged teachers to schedule homework-free weekends and holidays.

Richards isn’t the only one, either. At least 40 other high schools and middle schools have gotten behind this crazy plan to de-stress students with relaxation classes.

Oh, and the best part? Taxpayers are funding this lunacy!

Michelle Malkin wrote a great column about this for National Review Online—read it here.

I know Richard will be posting his video tomorrow along with pictures, but here's what the UofChicago College Republicans filmed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzgCS0xY2iY

“Vendetta criminal indictments, prison time for petitioning, felony charges for circulating an initiative? No, this isn’t the story of the pro-democracy monks persecuted in Myanmar; it’s a summary of political retaliation in Oklahoma! Yes, that’s Oklahoma, USA, where the political winds come sweepin’ down the plain with criminal indictments.”

This came from a great op-ed in the Orange County Register today, in which the author, Michelle Steel, writes about the outrageous indictments of the Oklahoma 3—and about how liberals are trying to bring these same political tactics to California.

Read it here.

I’ve written before about outrageous laws that plague our nation, and when Sarah sent me a link to a blog discussing outrageous laws in New Mexico, I had to share it.

My favorite is the state statute entitled “Improper use of national anthems,” which bans singing or playing the “Star Spangled Banner” or “Oh Fair New Mexico” in public except as an “entire separate composition or number.”

Check out the rest here.

Stories that belong in the Nanny State files always interest me—I often post about them here—so when today I came across an interview with David Harsanyi, the author of new book “Nanny State: How Food Fascists, Teetotaling Do-Gooders, Priggish Moralists, and other Boneheaded Bureaucrats are Turning America into a Nation of Children,” I was intrigued.

Harsanyi talks about how he was influenced by Milton Friedman, and about how the importance of individual freedom was instilled in him early on from his parents, who left communist Hungary in 1969.

The book looks very interesting, and the interview is a great read—check it out here.

I think someone needs to explain what “fiscal responsibility” means to Todd Stroger, the Cook County Board President.

Some might say it refers to elected officials spending taxpayer dollars frugally and wisely, or to making sure that the government budget is balanced.

Stroger, however, believes it’s fiscally responsible to take more taxes than necessary, and then he might be able to give some of it back later.

I don’t buy it, and I don’t imagine any other Chicago taxpayers will, either. Read more here.

Having never run for public office, I must admit that I don’t have a lot of experience with campaign strategy. However, I am confident in saying that this isn’t a wise one.

Three weeks from the mayoral election in Flint, Michigan, incumbent Don Williamson apparently used taxpayer funds to mail letters to all Flint residents, assuring them that there is no deficit, which has been a major issue in the mayoral campaign as many citizens (and Williamson’s opponent, Dayne Walling) believe there is a $20 million budget shortfall.

$20 million shortfall aside, if funded by taxpayers, the letter is an illegal use of public funds for campaign purposes.

So, let’s recap:  Williamson apparently wasted taxpayer funds to sweep an alleged $20 million deficit under the rug, an action that is illegal in the first place. Well, he’s a shoo-in for re-election!

Taxpayers usually have a pretty good idea of what their tax dollars are supposed to fund—you know, law enforcement, economic infrastructure, the operation of the government itself, seductive signs advertising topless cabarets, etc.

Wait, what?!

Only in Las Vegas, folks. There, a city program uses taxpayer funds to help downtown businesses, and now the City Council wants to use $50,000 of taxpayer dollars to pay for a flashy new sign advertising the Olympic Garden topless cabaret show—and when people protested, Mayor Oscar Goodman told them to “get a life.”

Read the whole story here, and take the online poll expressing your opinion over this outrageous twist in tax purpose. (The good news is that 62 percent of people already voted “Heck, no!” when asked if the Olympic Garden should get the sign on the taxpayer dime—do your part, too, and say “heck, no!”)

Nic wasn’t exaggerating about the mountain of taxes we Chicagoans pay every day, and it doesn’t look like the mountain is going to be shrinking any time soon—today, according to the Chicago Tribune, Mayor Daley unveiled a proposal for a $293 million tax, fee, and fine increase, including a 15 percent hike in the city’s property-tax levy, likely the biggest in Chicago history.

Click here to read more about the whopping tax increase Daley says is necessary to “keep Chicago moving forward.”

It's been a busy day in the blogosphere - find out what people are talking about in this wrap-up of the day's news.

In Wisconsin, it looks like would-be citizen watchdogs are going to have to pay money to access court documents that used to be free to the public. 

According to a Media Matters study, Oklahoma opinion pages are dominated by conservatives. At the same time, a study that's not paid for by the same folks who pay for MoveOn.org, the unbiased The Gallup Poll, says that Republicans remain deeply distrustful of the media.

The housing marketing in Oregon is a mess - and it's no wonder. After all, tax subsidies to the tune of $53 million were pumped into the area, leaving owners with homes worth $800,000 with property tax bills of less than $200.

Kids aren't making it to school in St. Louis, Missouri - that's because the bus drivers are on strike for the second day in a row.  

In California, the leader of the California Assembly, Speaker Fabian Nuñez, is under scrutiny for spending campaign funds on extravagant trips, shopping, and dining.

It's school district referendum seasons - the education unions are out in full force again this year, reminding voters that the only solution to all of the public education problems is more money. Freedom Dogs in Minnesota reminds voting taxpayers to not to roll over, and has signs for those who live in District 281.  

The Framer is thinking about running for a legislative seat in Arizona - he shares some campaign signage tips he's picked up with his readers.

Speaking of campaign tips, Michigan taxpayers are angry about the recent tax hikes and this site explains how to run a recall. 

 

When restricted to a fox-hole-prayer situation where preventing Britney Spears from dancing at awards shows ever again seems easier than discerning a sound solution to your budgetary crisis, logic disappears quicker than glazed donuts in Ted Kennedy's office. Yet, the supposed solution merely falls victim to the irrational fog of appearance - what seems to be.

Yesterday, Kristin brought to our attention the exemplar, flawed logic of Michigan politicians as they "successfully" disentangled the budget crisis. The logical blunder in Michigan is not a first. Recall last year's New Jersey government shutdown as politicians dealt with its own budgetary crisis; their solution...increased state spending by 9.2%, mass tax increases, and greater acquisition of funds through borrowing (more indebt). Now that a year has passed, what have the sagacious Corzine's budgetary fear-mongering and lack of logic accomplished? New Jersey began the budgetary year $2 billion in the hole along with allocations for new state spending projects like a $200,000 diesel-powered electric generator in West Deptford.

The blatant inconsistency in the logic of these politicians manifests itself when analyzing the budgetary trends prior to crisis. As Americans for Tax Reform affirmed, the unchecked, unwise growth of government, taxation, and budgetary mismanagement in New Jersey serves as the culprit for crisis. Just think about it; New Jersey had enacted $8.7 billion in tax increases since 2002, had acquired state-income-tax revenue at 12% increases annually, and had "raised taxes more than any other state". So, logically, Governor Corzine finds the budgetary answer by merely feeding the beast.

You'd think the Michigan officials might consider the palpable data in states like New Jersey and others where fellow politicians have made such logical errors and bore the consequences of catalyzing their radioactive, fiscal compounds. Just look at the corresponding graph; under the leadership of Granholm, taxes have been substantially on the rise in Michigan for the past years. Coupled with the Tax Foundation's consideration of cost to consumers dealing with dramatically high business taxes, the state's current tax burden on its citizenry comes in at 11.2% (as high as 1983). The cited editorial states the obvious: "Trying to keep pace by raising taxes to meet expenses is a losing game. There's no way taxpayers can keep up."

The applause heard coming from Granholm's office yesterday boasts vanity and ignorance; I believe Monty Python performed a skit that clearly demonstrates the platform of many elected officials like Granholm. Sadly, politicians fall victim to what seems the quickest out and in turn, exhibit, as Fyoder Dostoyevsky beautifully phrased, that "Man has such a predilection for systems and abstract deductions that he is ready to distort the truth intentionally, he is ready to deny the evidence of his sense only to justify his logic." Instead of abstract budgetary solutions through elaborate and encumbering tax schemes along with uncontrollable systems favoring pork and nanny projects, maybe politicians should execute some political prudence through simple, fiscal restraint.

The case of Avery Doninger is sweeping the web like wildfire right now. People believe that citizens--yes, students are citizens, too--have the right to petition their school administrators without the risk of persecution. 

The story went like this: Last year, high school junior Avery Doninger was her class's secretary at Lewis Mills High School in Burlington, CT. She led the charge to get a battle-of-the-bands concert to be in the school's gym instead of its cafeteria--neither being an ideal place for a concert, but let's face it, who wants to go to a concert where the lunch lady serves the mystery bean dish of the day?

School administrators denied her and her colleagues' requests, and then got really upset when parents and other taxpayers called in. I mean, wouldn't you if your employment and extremely generous benefits were dependent on keeping people in the dark? Government employees of all shades prefer darkness to sunlight, and Avery had just crossed the line.

Avery later wrote a blog post on her private website calling the administrators some choice names, so they punished her, even going so far as to nullify her victory as senior class secretary. The government-backed...whoops, I mean "school-backed" candidate was placed into office, even though he or she came in second place. This even after Avery apologized for her choice of words.

Where does the school get the ability to punish Avery for something she wrote after school and on a private blog? How can the school teach students about a free, pluralistic society when they demonstrate invalidating a democratic victory of a student they do not like? What kind of example are these adults setting when they bar free speech at a school assembly, and confiscate "Team Avery" t-shirts off of students?

If you feel the same way as I--that Avery Doninger's constitutional rights are being violated by a vindictive school administration--then join the Team Avery Facebook group, and keep on top of events as a case to recognize Avery's victory, and for an apology from Principal Karissa Niehoff and Superintendent Paula Schwartz.

UPDATE: You can donate to Doninger's legal fund here. 

I’ll be honest:  I have an insatiable sweet tooth. So I can commiserate with McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi and his penchant for all things sweet.

I do not have any sympathy, however, for his choice to use $17,000 of taxpayer funds to pay for these cookies, cakes, doughnuts, ice cream treats, and so on.

I’m also not happy to hear that Bianchi didn’t react very well when confronted about these expenditures.