Go Free Yourself

Washington, D.C., take notes:

In Florida, most residents can now take their gun to work, provided they have the proper permit. The measure would allow employees to keep guns in their car for self-protection and would prohibit business owners from banning guns that are kept locked in cars on their private property.

While this is good news for support of the Second Amendment, it also prevents business owners from determining what goes on on their own property. Readers, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

(I do know that Dwight would be so happy about this.)

Do you know your state’s gun laws? Check out Wikipedia’s comprehensive list.

(Hat Tip: Fark.com, which called this bill “the Fark-headline-generator-act of 2008.”)

I posted yesterday about how federal lawmakers are, to say the least, misusing taxpayer funds. The National Taxpayers Union offers more proof of our politicians’ disregard for taxpayers with their 2007 Rating of Congress, based on every 2007 roll-call vote about spending or taxes.

“Despite campaign-trail promises from many Members of Congress to put Washington on a stricter diet, our 2007 Rating shows that, by and large, the only things shrinking on Capitol Hill are lawmakers’ pro-taxpayer scores,” NTU President Duane Parde said. “Overburdened taxpayers looking for an end to ‘earmarked’ spending, an extension of President Bush’s tax cuts, and an honest entitlement reform plan won’t like what they see in Congress’s performance so far.”

The Washington Examiner also weighed in on this problem in the Washington area, declaring that “local lawmakers spend like drunken sailors.”

Unfortunately, the voting records of the Washington-area’s senators and representatives show that most couldn’t care less about the growing burden of taxes on their constituents.

What they care about is using our tax dollars to advance their political interests.

Ho-hum, just another day. At least the Office starts again tonight!

See how your lawmakers rate here.

(Hat Tip: Mark Tapscott)

I haven’t been to Los Angeles since I was in fourth grade, but I remember the traffic being horrendous. The smog was also pretty disgusting. Unfortunately, it hasn’t gotten any better—in fact, according to California Assemblyman Mike Feuer, “the people of Los Angeles have just had it when it comes to traffic and air quality.”

Fine. I can understand that. But the solution is definitely not to pass a “global warming tax.”

However, that’s exactly what Feuer is proposing. He’s the author of bill 2558, legislation that would institute a “climate change mitigation and adaptation fee” already endorsed by the board of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority. This would mean drivers could end up paying an extra 9 cents per gallon at the gas pump or an additional $90 on their vehicle registration, either of which would add an additional $400 million a year for public transit projects.

Needless to say, not everyone is pleased by this scheme. The Los Angeles Times reports:

But opponents already are rallying against the measure, saying it exploits public concern about climate change to tap taxpayers for the MTA’s regular services: providing bus and rail lines.

“This seems to be a cashing in on public sympathies on global warming to generate additional funding for programs that already exist,” said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn.

Coupal also objected to the measure’s being called a “fee” — which requires a simple majority for approval — instead of a “tax,” which requires two-thirds approval.

Another opponent wrote a letter to the editor, which appeared in the Desert Dispatch on Monday:

Los Angeles County motorists should ask Mr. Feuer what global temperature would persuade him that a new tax is unneeded. Global warming, now conveniently rechristened “climate change,” is perfect for demagoguery. Those advancing the cause won’t explain how they will know we have won the global warming fight, let alone what the ideal temperature is supposed to be.

Climate has changed as long as the Earth has spun on its axis. It’s been considerably warmer in recent centuries than today, and during those periods humanity simply adapted, indeed, flourished with fewer cold-weather deaths and more abundant crops.

But facts don’t deter schemes like Mr. Feuer’s to raise $400 million in additional taxes to pay for already funded transit projects.

Read the rest of the LTE here, and the LA Times piece here. And in the meantime, let’s hope California voters reject this tax scheme.

I am already pissed about the amount of taxes I have to pay. But when I found out today that my hard-earned dollars (and yours) are paying for lingerie, gambling, iPods (you KNOW how I feel about those), Internet dating services, and steak & booze dinners, I nearly burst a blood vessel.

Look, I know this shouldn’t/doesn’t come as a surprise, but it’s no less infuriating.

The Washington Post reports (with the most understated headline ever—”Federal Credit Cards Misused”):

The study, released by Senate lawmakers yesterday, found that nearly half the “purchase card” transactions it examined were improper, either because they were not authorized correctly or because they did not meet requirements for the cards’ use. The overall rate of problems “is unacceptably high,” the audit found.

The GAO also found that agencies could not account for nearly $2 million worth of items identified in the audit — including laptop computers, digital cameras and, at the Army, more than a dozen computer servers worth $100,000 each.

…

The GAO found that 41 percent of the transactions it examined did not follow government purchasing rules. The problem was worse with larger purchases: Forty-eight percent of transactions over $2,500 were in violation of federal rules, the report said.

Read the rest (and more highlights)—if you can stand it.

It’s Tuesday. The sun’s out. Spring’s almost here. And the Sam Adams Alliance (my place of employment) is ordering pizza for our lunch meeting today. In other words, it’s a good day. There’s a lot to sing about.

Even napkins. In the food court.

Enjoy this bit of workday fun, courtesy of Improv Everywhere. (Check out their website for more great “scenes of chaos and great joy in public places.”)

Seventy-five years ago today, a revision was made to the Volstead Act (which started Prohibition in the United States), bringing hope and joy to millions of Americans who just wanted to drink the Great Depression away. Although it took another 8 months to pass the 21st Amendment and officially end Prohibition, April 7, 1933 went down in history as the day beer was back.

JoeSixpack writes about the celebrations that happened that day, including how Anheuser-Busch “clip-clopped their way into beer lore.”

I’ll drink to that.

In case you weren’t aware, sniffing Sharpies is gross. It’s also cause for suspension from school if you attend Adams School District 50 in Colorado.

That’s what happened to eight-year-old Eathan Harris, who colored a small area of his sweatshirt sleeve with Sharpie and smelled it periodically during class. His reasoning?

“It smelled good,” Harris said. “They told me that’s wrong.”

School administrators, however, suspended him because “smelling the markers could make him high”—and they also removed all other markers from school premises to prevent this from happening again. Never mind the fact that a toxicologist with the Rocky Mountain Poison Control Center confirmed that getting high by smelling Sharpies is an unfounded theory.

This is all very alarmist and nanny state-y. (It’s Friday and I’m making up words. Roll with it, please.) But my question is why the hell was this kid smelling a Sharpie? I can think of few things that smell worse than a Sharpie. And you can’t even get high! I mean, at least when I was a kid we had markers that made you light-headed and actually smelled good—cherry, blueberry, black licorice (although that one smelled more like death doused in motor oil and sprinkled with battery acid, now that I think about it).

Anyway, my point is that this is insane on two levels: 1) the obvious alarmist aspect of it, and 2) the fact that this child actually thinks Sharpies smell good.

It’s a crazy world we live in.

This presidential race is intense. Hillary’s dodging sniper fire. Obama’s trying to shush his crazy pastor. McCain is…well, what is McCain doing?

Anyway, maybe it’s time for a fresh new candidate to shake things up. Someone like General Zod, perhaps.

When I first came to your planet and demanded your homes, property and very lives, I didn’t know you were already doing so, willingly, with your own government. I can win no tribute from a bankrupted nation populated by feeble flag-waving plebians. In 2008 I shall restore your dignity and make you servants worthy of my rule. This new government shall become a tool of my oppression. Instead of hidden agendas and waffling policies, I offer you direct candor and brutal certainty. I only ask for your tribute, your lives, and your vote.

—General Zod
Your Future President and Eternal Ruler

Enjoy.

Beware the Sunshine Police!

As a way to “protect young people from skin cancer,” Maryland legislators are considering a bill that would prevent minors from using tanning beds without written consent from a parent or guardian on the premises. On the premises. If passed, this bill would mean teens would have to drag their parents down to the salon every time they wanted to tan. Violators could be subject to fines, too: up to $250 for the first offense, $500 for the second, and up to $1,000 thereafter.

(No one tell them about going outside to get some sun; they might ban that, too.)

I graduated from public school, so I’m generally not a loud voice in the “public schools are entirely worthless” chants. I had some really great teachers, and I had some really lousy ones. I’m all for school choice, and I’m not exactly a spokesperson for government monopolies on anything. But I also get really tired of the self-righteousness from some sects of homeschoolers or private schoolers. In short, there isn’t one magical solution—families should have the freedom to decide for themselves how their kids are educated.

Anyway, whatever education route a family decides to take, it would probably be wise to make sure the kids are actually learning the truth about history, as opposed to some of the fables that have made their way into textbooks just to spice things up.

Check out Cracked.com’s “5 Most Ridiculous Lies You Were Taught In History Class” here. It’s a fun read—enjoy!