America's Return to Independence

Private Property

2011-10-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

The Founders believed the basic rights of mankind came directly and exclusively from God. Therefore, they were to be maintained sacred and inviolate. William Blackstone, in “Commentaries on the Laws of England,” wrote “…natural rights...no human legislature has power to abridge or destroy them, unless the owner shall himself commit some act that amounts to forfeiture.” (Commentaries, 1:93).

These “natural” rights are inherent rights given to us by the Creator, and thus “UNALIENABLE.” Among Unalienable Rights are 1) the right to own, develop, and dispose of property and 2) The right to privacy.

As owners of the Old Washington School in Esko, Minnesota, we were told by building inspector John Gulland what and when we could do something. Even though he was wrong on several accounts, Thomson Township (Esko) officials stood behind him under the guise of “immunity.” The argument of the state is that individuals would not take these jobs (building inspectors, guardian ad litems, fire chiefs, etc.) if they were held liable. All of us in one capacity or another are liable for our actions. Why would a person turn down these jobs, which are like any other job? The argument is moot and has been largely discarded by the majority of the states. Minnesota, however, holds onto this “false” concept, refusing to allow exceptions to immunity that are written into law and is there to afford individuals some form of protection.

Case law and appellate court decisions continue to support the ideology of “absolute immunity” to all city, state, county, and local municipal workers. Without liability, there are many individuals being persecuted and forced into secrecy. They are afraid of retaliation or future problems. From my own personal experiences, these fears are well founded. The protection afforded these protected individuals is so great they embolden them to take whatever actions they want without fear of liability or consequence.

The building inspector and local fire chief made entry onto our private property without consent, or even attempted consent. They also had no subpoena or emergency reason for justifying entry. These were clear trespasses. These were continued attempts by local officials to thwart progress and create problems. More disturbingly is how they may have gained entrance in the first place. As the building was locked, how did they gain entry? The best guess is that they had retained their keys to the building after Thomson Township sold it. Many of the doors had not had their locks changed and they simply let themselves in. It turned out that Thomson Township didn't have a full accounting of keys for the building and these individuals would potentially have had these keys.

There were no vehicles in either lot when entry was made, so consent could not possibly have been sought. Both owners were just a simple phone call away and yet no attempt was made.

These entries were clear violations of the Fourth Amendment. The Fourth Amendment (Amendment IV) to the United States Constitution is the part of the Bill of Rights which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures, along with requiring any warrant to be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause.

Blackstone included the right of “private property” as one of the three principals or primary articles of “natural rights.” He wrote that this right was our civil immunity “in their largest and most extensive sense (Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, 1:219-220: emphasis added.)

Frederic Bastiat, in “The Law,” pages 5-6, wrote “…the fact that life, liberty, and property existed beforehand [before law] that caused men to make laws [for the protection of them] in the first place [Irvington-on-Hudson, N.Y.: The Foundation for Economic Education, Inc, 1974.

The Creator has imposed on every human being of normal mental capacity, among other, “The duty not to trespass on the property or privacy of another.” They also include the “duty to support personal and public standards of common decency” and “the duty to follow rules of moral rectitude.”

Gods’ revealed law provided true “justice” by requiring the wrong to pay the damages for losses he had caused. Punitive damages were assessed for the trouble he had caused and to remind him not to do it again. This was the law of “reparation” – repairing the damage.

As laws followed the need to protect the unalienable rights to property, trespasses lacking emergency life measures cannot be taken lightly. The fact that police require subpoena’s to search one’s property when the owner refuses shows the importance of private property rights. Even when a search is agreed too, consent may be withdrawn at any time by the owner.

Subpoena’s themselves are restricted, allowing its carrier to search only those areas specifically agreed to by the court. These are not intended to be mere fishing expeditions, but specific searches.

The manner in which the building inspector and fire chief made entry to our private property lacked proper consent, subpoena, or emergency justification. The right to privacy on ones property preceded law, and the law ultimately was created to legalize enforcement.

There is no law, nor could there be among man, that can supercede the unalienable right provided to all of us by our Creator. The duty of the court, judges, police, legislators, and county prosecutors is to protect this right to private property. There are only limited exceptions, when missing, must result in trespassing charges.

The biggest question in this matter is why the County Attorney, Thomas Pertler, has drug his feet on this matter for a year and a half. Is he afraid of upsetting Thomson Township and its Fire Department, perhaps wanting their vote for his elected position? One broken promise after another leaves one to wonder what justice is truly being served when the law is not upheld by those entrusted to enforce them.

Unnecessary Crime Brought to you by the ACLU

2011-08-16T14:48:00.000-07:00

The ACLU continues to file lawsuits to protest overcrowded prisons. The ACLU sues prisons they know they have the best chance of winning. In the end, the ACLU wins virtually every case.

In the three years after the ACLU wins court decisions, the prison population in these states drops by 15% relative to other states. The result: violent crime and property crime rise by 10% and five percent, respectively.

Moreover, an analysis by the authors of Super Freakonomics, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, found the total impact of TV on crime in the 1960's was an increase of 50% in property crimes and 25% in violent crimes. The data, however, failed to provide answers as to why.

In response to the ACLU law suits, why aren't bigger and/or more prisons being built? Why should citizens be subject to more crime, criminal investigation costs, and policing/court costs? Likewise, if we have tied specific prison sentences to specific crimes, why are we reducing sentences? The sentences no longer fit the crimes committed and justice is no longer served. The deterrent to committing crime has been significantly reduced.

In addition to rewarding criminals with shorter sentences, the cost to society is enormous. There are social, emotional, and mental costs that remain with the victims for the rest of their lives.

The public needs to demand enough prisons and space to accommodate full-term sentences for everyone, except in special cases where parole is warranted.

How about cheap prisons like the tent city Sheriff Arpaio uses? Whether you agree with Sheriff Arpaio or not, we must have the capacity necessary to hold all of our sentenced criminals for their full sentences.

Keep criminals behind bars and society will best be served.

Al Franken's Support for Raising the Debt Ceiling

2011-08-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

Senator Al Franken,

Raising the debt ceiling was a collossal mistake that will cost nearly every incumbent their job. That was the most reckless act this country has witnessed in its history, and one that gives the President a free pass for the next two years. Quit the godly worship of this horrible president and make the right decisions for this country based on values and the constitution, not party lines. I'm disgusted with this debt ceiling increase, the ridiculously low cut in expenses, and the pompous, arrogant attitude of all that voted for this atrocious act. I wonder, if our soldiers have taken an oath to fight both foreign and domestic threats, when will it be realized that our greatest threat are the acts of the majority of our legislators. We are headed for financial collapse because of the inept actions you and our other legislators favoring this corrupt and deceptive rhetorical piece of garbage you call "necessary legislation." Have you and others voting for this have no shame?

I suppose this should be considered another shoving of a horrible plan down our throats just like Obama Care.

Very Concerned Citizen,

Marvin Pirila

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:43:27 -0400
From: noreply@franken.senate.gov
To: marvindp@msn.com
Subject: Reply from Senator Franken

August 11, 2011

Dear Marvin,

Thank you for contacting me about the federal budget. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this critical issue to Minnesota and the nation.

I believe we need a balanced, common sense approach to address our budget deficit that cuts spending, closes tax loopholes for big corporations, and asks the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share. Any cuts we make must be done in a targeted way that preserves critical programs like Social Security and Medicare and fiscally-sound investments in education, research, and infrastructure. Indiscriminately slashing programs with proven economic benefits will have a real impact on Minnesota families and jeopardize our fragile economy.

I've proposed several reforms that will significantly bring down our long-term deficits. First, we should allow the federal government to negotiate prices with drug companies under Medicare. The Department of Veterans Affairs already negotiates prices, and pays about half as much for the ten most prescribed drugs. This could save taxpayers up to $240 billion over ten years. Likewise, we need to reform our tax code to remove loopholes and special interest tax breaks. This will make our tax system simpler and fairer while at the same time raising much-needed revenue. For example, the oil industry enjoys enormous profits-even as families are suffering at the pump-and yet it still receives huge subsidies and tax breaks. Cutting these giveaways would save $64 billion over ten years. Lastly, when the military says it doesn't need or want something, we should listen. Simply not buying these unneeded items will save us hundreds of billions of dollars.

This spring, disagreements in Congress about the best way to tackle our long-term deficits led to a stalemate over the federal budget. In April, a government shutdown was narrowly avoided when Congress passed a bill to fund the federal government through September 30, 2011. This agreement reduced spending by $38.5 billion from last year's levels. I successfully fought to prevent drastic cuts to programs vitally important to Minnesota families, including job training and home heating assistance. While I disagreed with many of the other cuts, I chose to support the bipartisan measure to prevent a government shutdown.

Congress then began work on next year's budget. On April 15, 2011, the House of Representatives passed its 2012 budget proposal, which came to be known as the "Ryan plan." Its unprecedented and reckless approach would endanger our economy, cut Social Security benefits, and end Medicare as we know it, doubling seniors' out-of-pocket health care costs. It would cut Pell Grants, making college less affordable for Minnesota families already facing high tuition costs. And at a time when job creation should be our number one priority, the Ryan Plan would slash funding for job training, research, and transportation. These are cuts we simply cannot afford to make. That's why I joined 56 of my Senate colleagues in voting down this legislation.

As you know, Congress was most recently gridlocked over whether to raise the federal debt limit. To be clear, raising the debt limit does not allow Congress to spend additional money, it simply allows the Treasury to pay the bills that we already owe. Since 1962, Congress has voted to raise the debt limit 74 times under both parties. Failing to increase the debt limit would put our country at risk of defaulting for the first time in history, leading to higher interest rates for Minnesotans on credit cards, mortgages, car loans, and student loans. And nearly all economists warned that it would have caused a global economic catastrophe.

On August 2, 2011, only hours before the deadline, Congress passed a bill to raise the debt limit and cut spending by $2.1 trillion. It also directed a bipartisan committee to find an additional $1.5 trillion in cuts that would get a straight up or down vote. If the committee's recommendations fail to pass Congress by December 23, 2011, $1.2 trillion in automatic cuts will be triggered.

I am deeply relieved that a compromise was reached. But this deal was not the balanced, common sense approach that I and most Minnesotans believe is necessary. While it makes a sizable down payment on reducing our nation's deficits and debt, it asks nothing of those most fortunate Americans who can afford to pay their fair share. We simply won't be able to get our fiscal house in order without additional spending cuts, revenue, and job creation.

We grew our way out of the much worse deficits we faced following World War II, leading to one of the most prosperous periods in our nation's history. I strongly believe that Congress must take up measures to create jobs, put people back to work, and expand our economy. That's why I'll continue to push for investments in innovation, infrastructure, and our workforce, and will work to ensure our children get a world-class education so they are prepared for a 21st century economy. Together with thoughtful spending cuts, these targeted investments are critical to putting our nation back on the path to prosperity.

Thank you again for contacting me, and please don't hesitate to do so in the future regarding this or any other matter of concern to you.

Sincerely,

Al Franken
United States Senator

My Fellow American - An Important Request All Need to Take to Heart

2011-08-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

We may not all believe in the same God or religion, but our constitution demands the tolerance for one another's belief. Please consider the following clip...

Elizabeth Potter, Unity Productions Foundation contributes:

America was built on the principles of equality and basic human rights for all. Recent mosque protests and congressional hearings on American Muslims are all unfortunate examples of a rising tide of fear that lead to intolerance and inequality. This climate of suspicion towards our fellow Americans compromises the great values that our country was founded upon. We've put together a 2 minute film in response that I believe you and the readers of America's Return to Independence will be interested in sharing, watching, and discussing:

http://myfellowamerican.us
facebook.com/MyFellowAmericanProject
@usmuslimstories

Stop this Administration and its Supporters Now!

2011-07-17T13:17:00.000-07:00

Broken promises, blatant lies, and a fast approach to Socialism is under way by President Obama and his supporters. We must stop them and their continued reckless, planned stimulus spending that is designed to bring this country to its knees. President Obama is doing the work of George Soros, ACORN, and other organizations that disagree with American's right to freedom, individual rights, and innovation. This group believes the Government should decide what is best for us. They fail to uphold our Constitution, force poor legislation down our throats, and continue to throw away our nations future, our future, and future generations. They wouldn't run their own household this way, but want the right to decide what's best for us. We need a strong conservate with true moral and fiscal responsibility beliefs, such as Michelle Bachmann or Governor Perry, to correct the horrendous, evil intentions of this administration and his worshipping cronies. He is not God, albeit he has many people, including our representatives, treating him like he is. He is killing our country by design. Many of us are sickened by this blind allegiance to the VERY WORST president this country has ever had or ever will have. He doesn't surround himself with able-bodied people, but mere sheep, who simply follow his destructive policies. Where are our representatives who demand one method of determining inflation and unemployment figures. The Administration always distorts these numbers to deceive the American people, with their biased media channels.

What happened to Democracy? If there was a true democracy why aren't there more Democrats and Republicans breaking from their ranks? They work right along party lines and we are supposed to believe they have exactly the same principles and beliefs. Ludicrous.

This country needs to find its roots and its belief in a moral, just system as outlined by God. Not all of the founding fathers believed in God, but they believed His principles were critical in its laws and decision-making. Now lobbyists, peer pressure, and selfish interest are the rule. They tell their constituents what they want to hear during the election process, then ignore them until the next cycle. Mr. Obama stands on both sides of the issues, lies and promises, to get votes -- and mysteriously has persuaded the naive' public to vote him in once. Electing Obama was and will remain the BIGGEST AMERICAN MISTAKE for all time.

I have asked different Obama supporters to name one good thing he has done as President and they have been speechleess. Ask the people who didn't support him and they can go on for a very long time about his numerous mistakes in judgment. I guess the golf course, public paid vacations, and numerous assistants to Michelle Obama is more important than serving the interests of the once greatest country in the world. While our soldiers have and continue to shed blood across the world for freedom, our legislators and president sit in their comfortable chairs stealing ours.

Government spending has always failed to stimulate and sustain an economy, but this administation and its blind followers continue to destroy our economy. Government spending extends a recession, not shorten it. Ninety plus years of examples, such as our Great Depression, Canada, and Japan, show that it doesn't work. Cut the pork and show some fiscal responsibility.

The government should never have bailed out banks or the car industry. Let capitalism work. These could have gone through bankruptcy and reorganization to regain their footing. Bad industries will be snapped up by stronger, more effective ones. The government effectively salvaged the worst. The results show it didn't work. Foreclosures continue to run wild with reforeclosure at 40%. The cash for clunkers stimulated nothing -- all it did was encourage buyers that would have bought anyway to buy quicker.

Watching this administration and its supporters work is similar to a Cartoon Network in action.

They have failed this country and left a disaster that will linger for at least a decade. This is clearly the darkest, most sinister administration in the history of the United States.

President Barrack Hussein Obama's Broken Promises

2011-07-17T12:37:00.000-07:00

OFFICIAL LIST OF OBAMA’S BROKEN PROMISES
For: March 1, 2009

Barak Obama continues to break his promises. NewsGnome will regularly post this list of Obama’s broken promises as President on the first of each month with new additions. Broken Obama promises are solicited from readers. Please add your contributions in the comments section and they’ll be added to the list.

OBAMA SAID:

New additions in red:

I will protect federal whistleblowers who expose government waste, fraud, and abuse ......Broken
I will recognize the Armenian Genocide...............................Broken
I will have transparency-generals must sign secrecy oath.............Broken
I will cut the deficit in half by doubling spending–say what.........Broken
I will change the Washington culture of corruption...................Broken
I will reach across the isle (I’m ready to fight Republicans)........Broken
I will have no earmarks in stimulus, there are 9000..................Broken
I will have transparency in White House emails except mine...........Broken
I will demand human rights for China and Tibet.......................Broken
I will put legislation on Internet for all to read before votes.......Broken
I will have honest advisers, except those who take free rent..........Broken
I will have my administration pay their fair share of taxes...........Broken
I will eliminate rendition of terrorist combatants....................Broken
I will have a transparent admin. with the media.....................Breaking
I will bring charges against Bush admin. war crimes...................Broken
I will have new blood in admin. but names Panetta to CIA..............Broken
I will have a transparent government..................................Broken
I quite smoking (admits to bumming cigarettes)........................Broken
I will apply windfall taxes on big oil companies......................Broken
I will change US Foreign Policy, appoints Hillary Sec. State..........Broken
I will change the defense department, YET keeps Gates.................Broken
I will close Guantanamo.............................................Breaking
I will sit down with dictators with no pre-conditions.................Broken
I will stop waterboarding and CIA interrogation techniques..........Breaking
I will use federal campaign funds.....................................Broken
I will get US troops out of Iraq in 16 month..........................Broken
I will change Washington with new faces...............................Broken
I will not hire lobbyists, hires lobbyist Daschle (he's out but here are the others)...........................................................Broken
* Melody Barnes, lobbyist for American Civil Liberties Union, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the American Constitution Society and the Center for Reproductive Rights.
* William Corr, lobbyist for Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids,
* Patrick Gaspard, lobbyist for Service Employees International Union.
* David Hayes, lobby San Diego Gas & Electric.
* Eric Holder, attorney general nominee, lobbyist for bankrupt Global Crossing telecommications.
* Ron Klain, lobbyist for Asbestos Resolution, U.S. Airways, Airborne Express and drug-maker ImClone.
* William Lynn, lobbyist for Raytheon.
* Cecilia Munoz, lobbyist for National Council of La Raza
* Mark Patterson, lobbyist for Goldman Sachs.
* Mona Sutphen, lobbyist for Angliss International.
* Michael Strautmanis, lobbied for the American Association of Justice.
* Tom Vilsack, lobbyist for NEA.
And these are not all of them. Thanks for pointing out that he has nominated a huge number of lobbyists that he promised not to appoint.
I will be non-partisan. Hires highly partisan Emanuel.................Broken
I will eliminate Bush tax cuts........................................Broken
I will dump Patriot Act wire tapping................................Breaking
I will eliminate tax breaks for wealthy..............................Broken
Posted by NewGnome at 9:16 AM

Pledge of Allegiance

2011-06-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

The only version of "The Pledge of Allegiance" everyone should be reciting.

I pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.

If we are not united as a "nation under God" we are separating ourselves from our Creator. If we do not stand as a moral society under God's rules, we cannot be great. It is only through God's mercy and blessing that we have been a great nation. God blesses us when we follow His word and distances Himself when we deny Him. Without core moral values, such as those of the bible, our country has gone awry and will continue to spin downward. Israel, meanwhile, while surrounded by its enemies, continues its survival -- because it is protected by God.

Obama Associates

2011-05-29T18:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a partial list of president Obama's friends and associates. How comfortable are you with these influences?

1. ACORN… Obama gave them $800,000 this year
2. Alinsky, Saul …Obama is a follower of Alinsky
3. Auchi, Nadhmi… lent Obama over 3 million, British citizen born in
Iraq with ties to Tony Rezko
4. Ayers, William …Weather Underground, unrepentant terrorist
5. Bean, Terrence …raised 50-100K - once controlled the biggest
producer of gay porn in America.
6. Black Panther party
7. Chandoo, Muhammad Hasa …College roommate #1 from Pakistan
8. Code Pink
9. Communist Party of USA… ENDORSED Obama
10. Davidson, Carl …SDS Member, associated with
11. Chicago’s “New Party”
12. Davis, Frank Marshall ….mentor of Obama
13. Dohrn, Bernadine…. Weather Underground, unrepentant terrorist –
Married to William Ayers. Fox News has finally mentioned Michelle
Obama and Bernadine Mrs. Terrorist Ayers' working together at a law
firm. AYERS introduced Barack Obama to Michelle Lavaughn Robinson
(now Obama).
14. Evans, Jodie ….Code Pink…known to visit with Chavez, Ahjamanihead
15. Funnye, Rabbi Capers …Michelle Obama’s cousin
16. Hamid, Wahid …College roommate #2 from Pakistan
17. Jones, Emil ….“Illinois State Senate President Serves Under An
Ethical Cloud. He Has Several Family Members On The State Payroll
And Uses His Clout To Aid Their Business Interests.”
18. arret, Valerie …..MO’s boss, then BO’s Campaign team
19. Johnson, James….former Fannie Mae CEO…left due to “improprieties”
helped select Obama VP
20. Katz, Marilyn ….former active SDS Member, member Obama’s
Credential’s committee
21. Khalidi, Rashid ….former spokesman for PLO, now professor Arab
Studies, Columbia; founded AAAN
22. Kilpatrick, Kwame…. jailed Detroit Mayor, Obama praised him….in May
2007
23. Klonsky, Mike and his wife, both Maoists. They shared office space
with Ayers, Michelle Obama and Barack Obama and there's a thread in
breaking news about it.
24. La Raza…Obama has ties to The Gamaleil foundation, which has ties to
La Raza
25. Lee, Eric… Reverend, anti-Semite endorses Barack Obama and mentions
him as their point man. He's another Rev. WWright
26. Lippert, Mark…According to several highly credible ex-ODM sources
WND interviewed in Kenya, the $950,000 raised for Odinga's campaign
came from a series of private meetings arranged for Odinga by Mark
Lippert, a foreign policy adviser in Obama's U.S. Senate office.
The meetings with top-dollar Obama fundraisers and donors took place
during Odinga's 2006 trip to the U.S
27. Malley, Robert …..former member Obama campaign Staff w/ties to Hamas
28. Mansour, Al, aka Warden, Donald ……Muslim financier of Obama’s
Harvard education. Dr. Khalid Abdullah Tario Al-Mansour a.k.a. Don
Warden - a lawyer, an orthodox Muslim, a black nationalist, an
author, an international deal-maker, an educator, and an outspoken
enemy of Israel.
29. Neier, Aryeh…. founder of SDS, now President of George Soros, Open
Society Institute
30. Odeh, Abdulrahman…From the Dallas Morning News: Holy Land Foundation
(HAMAS fundraisers) defendant Abdulrahman Odeh. Obama came up w/the
search.
31. Odinga, Raila …..Kenyan radical muslim Cousin of Barack’s, whom
Obama supported IN Kenya
32. Pfleiger Father
33. Pritzker, Penny… Finance Chairperson of Obama’s presidential
campaign - helped develop the complicated investment bundling of
subprime securities at the heart of the meltdown. Board Chair of
failed Superior Bank.
34. Radthe, Wade ….founder of ACORN, leader of SEIU chapter (Service
Employees Int’l Union)
35. Raines, Franklin ….former head of FANNIE MAE….former?
Campaign “housing” advisor?
36. Rezko Chicago Politics…. - convicted felon
37. Robinson, Michelle Lavaughn (maiden name) Princeton Thesis. She
really hated Amerika when she wrote her thesis (no wonder why BHO
said families are off limits.)
38. Sadeki: Obama’s college roommate from Pakistan who traveled to the
Middle East with Obama.
39. Said, Edward: plagiarist, fabricator, and prominent PLO/Arafat
advisor
40. Shoebat, Walid Shoebat, former PLO member and now a Christian says
there is more to Sen. Obama's past ties to Islam than many of us
realize.
41. Socialist Party of USA….. ENDORSED Obama
42. Sotomayor was w/La Raza
43. Te Gamaleil Foundation. The organization is called Public Allies
and Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama was a founding
member of the board of directors in 1992. He later resigned and his
wife became executive director of the group. According to an
editorial in Investor's Business Daily, Obama plans to use the non-
profit, which is funded partly by the federal government and is
featured on Obama's campaign website, as the model for a national
service corps, called the "Universal Voluntary Public Service."
44. Wright, Reverend ….Pastor for 20 years - leader in the BLACK
LIBERATION Theology movement. Questions have persisted about
Wright in part because of the recent revelation that his church
bulletin reprinted a Times op-ed written by a leader of Hamas.” “One
Jewish leader said he viewed Obama’s outreach to Palestinian
activists, such as Said, in the light of his relationship to Wright.”

The Simple Answer to the U.S. Economy that Obama won't Allow

2011-05-06T20:23:00.000-07:00

The United States answer to its energy problem is much simpler than the government will ever admit. Solar and wind, while having limited use in producing electricity and heat, will never compete with the cost of using oil for transportation. Capitalism should decide when it is cost effective to switch to alternative energy, not the government and the secret agendas of politicians. Ethanol is shown to use more fossil fuel in its production than it returns and puts additional pressure on corn prices. In the absence of subsidies, this industry would rightfully die.

This country needs to protect its national security by producing and maintaining its own oil. Export nothing. Why are we importing oil from our sworn enemies? We have plenty of our own oil, and Canada has tremendous oil resources of its own. We are essentially putting the very money needed by terrorists and rogue countries into their pockets.

Politics are being played. President Obama's campaign was funded in large part by environmentalists and George Soros. When Obama publicly told Brazil they should drill for oil and the United States would be its best customer, this was a slap in the face to America. Capitalizing on the gulf oil spill, Obama endorsed endless drilling moratiums and essentially killed all domestic drilling. The Brazilian push to drill, along with government aid from the U.S., was Obama's way of repaying his good buddy Soros back for his campaign assistance. Soros had owned common stock in the Brazilian firm directly benefitting from the U.S. aid, trading it in the fall of 2010 for preferred stock. He and his hedge firm stand to earn billions from the deal. If that is not bad enough, the crude is to be sent to Columbia for refining. The U.S. refines about 95% of its own oil, and has not built a new small refinery built since 1993, and no large one since 1976. What country is Obama helping by outsourcing the entire job to foreign countries, then promising to buy it back when they are done? He is giving money to foreign countries to drill the oil, refine it, and ship it back to us, in large part on our own money. Amazingly, he says this will create 15,000 jobs in the U.S. -- how? If we are not doing any of the work, where are the jobs?

Even in the lengthy process of drilling that occurs before the production of significant oil, the world would be put on notice that we will not be held hostage to OPEC or other oil extortion schemes. The process would be a boost to consumer confidence, immediate jobs, and a solid plan for returning this country to economic prosperity.

Individual Rights Lost

2011-01-04T19:08:00.000-08:00

Americans continue to stand by while their rights are being stripped a little at a time. Fathers can't get custody, ex parte orders mean you're guilty until proven innocent, and criminal public officials trespass under the guise of "sovereign immunity."

California takes it yet another step.
California: COURT: NO WARRANT NEEDED TO SEARCH CELL PHONE

The government now tells us how we should build our homes down to the screw, how our sex at birth determines whether we should get custody in adulthood, that we can't carry a cell phone without an expectation of privacy, and that public officials can do anything they want.

Most Americans sit idly by while their individual rights have been slowly taken from them over the last 30 years and more. The individual rights and freedoms guaranteed by the constitution are now mostly history, taken from us incrementally. In fact, the slow process by which these freedoms were stripped from the American people went largely unnoticed. It is only when they encounter the injustice of our legal system that they begin to understand. Those that have encountered it are discouraged and angered by the system. Our forefathers envisioned more and promised more.

There's hope now that the Tea Party has emerged. We must elect individuals who believe in our original constitution, the bible, and not some watered down version of laws that place all power in the government.

"All evil needs is for good men to do nothing." The Bible. "Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." Romans 12:9

President of the Socialists

2010-03-31T18:44:00.000-07:00

Obama's colors are shining through. This is the first president that blatantly tramples the rights of common citizens, and even that of the states. He has a devoted cult following among Democrats and die-hard socialists. This whole health care program has been simply shoved down the throats of Americans where it is left for them to choke on. And where is the money coming from? Right, we are simply going to keep printing it until all of the trees are gone, all of the presses are burnt up, and it takes a truckload of cash to buy a Snickers.

This clown and his cult followers need to be shown the door at the first opportunity. In his four years he will have relegated us to third world status, bankruptcy, and socialism (if not communism). The people will be against it, but their so-called representatives don't care. There's a reason we used to have term limits -- if they stay in office too long (Yes, you Oberstar and others) they become unconcerned with the needs of the rest of us.

Obama isn't really surprising most of us. He was a believer of Socialism a long time, even when he was aiding ACORN. The primary principle of ACORN is too infiltrate a system from within and blow it up, so they can rebuild it -- welfare style. This president spends most of his time talking out both sides of his mouth, taking both sides of every issue -- unbelievable. He said we were staunch allies of Israel, yet he has done everything within his power to distance the U.S. from them. He does this while apologizing for U.S. aggression to terrorist countries. He is catering the corrupt, evil powers of the world while failing long-term allies. His true agenda has no place for constitutional rights, or non-believers of socialism. Why try to convince people to support your agenda when you can cram it down their throats.

The only hope for this country is impeachment or to render Obama helpless in politics. The U.S. simply won't survive another 2 1/2 years of his secret plan. Vote every Democrat, Republican, and politician out of office that voted for government sponsored healthcare or supports it. This president is the primary threat to the economic, political, and government strength of this "once" great country.

Taste of Socialism

2010-03-09T17:47:00.000-08:00

"This teacher is truly a genius! (Source unknown)

As the late Adrian Rogers said, "you cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had once failed an entire class. That class had insisted that Obama's socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on Obama's plan". All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A.

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little.

The second test average was a D! No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F. The scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else. All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed."

****The bottom pulled the top down, instead of the normal thought that the top would pull the bottom up.

Points:

Socialism kills creative. What good is intellectual works if the credit belongs to all?
Socialism is the last step to communism
Socialism is not independence
Socialism puts too much power in the hands of a few
If your spirit is killed, what value will your life have?

Austin plane crash

2010-02-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

MSNBC is reporting...Small plane slams into Texas office building
Officials: Pilot upset with IRS, may have intentionally crashed aircraft

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/35460456#35460456

Sadly Austin resident Joseph Stack felt the IRS had taken his life from him.

If you're reading this, you're no doubt asking yourself, "Why did this have to
happen?" The simple truth is that it is complicated and has been coming for a long time. The writing process, started many months ago, was intended to be therapy in the face of the looming realization that there isn't enough therapy in the world that
can fix what is really broken. Needless to say, this rant could fill volumes with example after example if I would let it. I find the process of writing it frustrating,tedious, and probably pointless... especially given my gross inability to gracefully articulate my thoughts in light of the storm raging in my head. Exactly what is therapeutic about that I'm not sure, but desperate times call for desperate measures.We are all taught as children that without laws there would be no society, only anarchy. Sadly, starting at early ages we in this country have been brainwashed to believe that, in return for our dedication and service, our government stands for justice for all. We are further brainwashed to believe that there is freedom in this place, and that we should be ready to lay our lives down for the noble principals represented by its founding fathers. Remember? One of these was "no taxation without representation". I have spent the total years of my adulthood unlearning that crap from only a few years of my childhood. These days anyone who really stands up for that principal is promptly labeled a "crackpot", traitor and worse.

While very few working people would say they haven't had their fair share of taxes
(as can I), in my lifetime I can say with a great degree of certainty that there has
never been a politician cast a vote on any matter with the likes of me or my interests in mind. Nor, for that matter, are they the least bit interested in me or anything I have to say.

Why is it that a handful of thugs and plunderers can commit unthinkable atrocities
(and in the case of the GM executives, for scores of years) and when it's time for
their gravy train to crash under the weight of their gluttony and overwhelming
stupidity, the force of the full federal government has no difficulty coming to their aid within days if not hours? Yet at the same time, the joke we call the American medical system, including the drug and insurance companies, are murdering tens of thousands of people a year and stealing from the corpses and victims they cripple, and this country's leaders don't see this as important as bailing out a few of their vile, rich cronies. Yet, the political "representatives" (thieves, liars, and self-serving scumbags is far more accurate) have endless time to sit around for year after year and debate the state of the "terrible health care problem". It's clear they see no crisis as long as the dead people don't get in the way of their corporate profits rolling in.

And justice? You've got to be kidding! How can any rational individual explain that white elephant conundrum in the middle of our tax system and, indeed, our entire legal system? Here we have a system that is, by far, too complicated for the rightest of the master scholars to understand. Yet, it mercilessly "holds accountable" its victims, claiming that they're responsible for fully complying with laws not even the experts understand. The law "requires" a signature on the bottom of a tax filing; yet no one can say truthfully that they understand what they are signing; if that's not "duress" than what is. If this is not the measure of a totalitarian regime, nothing is.

How did I get here? My introduction to the real American nightmare starts back in the early '80s. Unfortunately after more than 16 years of school, somewhere along the line I picked up the absurd, pompous notion that I could read and understand plain English. Some friends introduced me to a group of people who were having 'tax code'readings and discussions. In particular, zeroed in on a section relating to the wonderful "exemptions" that make institutions like the vulgar, corrupt Catholic Church so incredibly wealthy. We carefully studied the law (with the help of some of the "best", high-paid, experienced tax lawyers in the business), and then began to do exactly what the "big boys" were doing (except that we weren't steeling from our congregation or lying to the government about our massive profits in the name of God). We took a great deal of care to make it all visible, following all of the rules,exactly the way the law said it was to be done.

The intent of this exercise and our efforts was to bring about a much-needed reevaluation of the laws that allow the monsters of organized religion to make such a
mockery of people who earn an honest living. However, this is where I learned that
there are two "interpretations" for every law; one for the very rich, and one for the
rest of us... Oh, and the monsters are the very ones making and enforcing the laws; the inquisition is still alive and well today in this country.

That little lesson in patriotism cost me $40,000+, 10 years of my life, and set my
retirement plans back to 0. It made me realize for the first time that I live in a country with an ideology that is based on a total and complete lie. It also made me realize, not only how naive I had been, but also the incredible stupidity of the American public; that they buy, hook, line, and sinker, the crap about their "freedom"... and that they continue to do so with eyes closed in the face of overwhelming evidence and all that keeps happening in front of them.

Before even having to make a shaky recovery from the sting of the first lesson on
what justice really means in this country (around 1984 after making my way through
engineering school and still another five years of "paying my dues"), I felt I finally had to take a chance of launching my dream of becoming an independent engineer.

On the subjects of engineers and dreams of independence, I should digress somewhat to say that I'm sure that I inherited the fascination for creative problem solving from my father. I realized this at a very young age.

The significance of independence, however, came much later during my early years of college; at the age of 18 or 19 when I was living on my own as student in an apartment in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. My neighbor was an elderly retired woman(80+ seemed ancient to me at that age) who was the widowed wife of a retired steel worker. Her husband had worked all his life in the steel mills of central Pennsylvania with promises from big business and the union that, for his 30 years of service, he would have a pension and medical care to look forward to in his retirement. Instead he was one of the thousands who got nothing because the incompetent mill management and corrupt union (not to mention the government) raided their pension funds and stole their retirement. All she had was social security to live on. In retrospect, the situation was laughable because here I was living on peanut butter and bread (or Ritz crackers when I could afford to splurge) for months at a time. When I got to know this poor figure and heard her story I felt worse for her plight than for my own (I, after all, I thought I had everything to in front of me). I was genuinely appalled at one point, as we exchanged stories and commiserated with each other over our situations, when she in her grandmotherly fashion tried to
convince me that I would be "healthier" eating cat food (like her) rather than trying to get all my substance from peanut butter and bread. I couldn't quite go there, but the impression was made. I decided that I didn't trust big business to take care of me, and that I would take responsibility for my own future and myself.

Return to the early '80s, and here I was off to a terrifying start as a 'wet-behind-the ears' contract software engineer... and two years later, thanks to the fine backroom, midnight effort by the sleazy executives of Arthur Andersen (the very same folks who later brought us Enron and other such calamities) and an equally sleazy New York Senator (Patrick Moynihan), we saw the passage of 1986 tax reform act with its section 1706.

For you who are unfamiliar, here is the core text of the IRS Section 1706, defining
the treatment of workers (such as contract engineers) for tax purposes. Visit this link for a conference committee report (http://www.synergistech.com/1706.shtml#ConferenceCommitteeReport) regarding the intended interpretation of Section 1706 and the relevant parts of Section 530, as amended. For information on how these laws affect technical services workers and their clients, read our discussion here (http://www.synergistech.com/ic-taxlaw.shtml).

SEC. 1706. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN TECHNICAL PERSONNEL.

(a) IN GENERAL - Section 530 of the Revenue Act of 1978 is amended by adding
at the end thereof the following new subsection:

(d) EXCEPTION. - This section shall not apply in the case of an individual who pursuant to an arrangement between the taxpayer and another person, provides services for such other person as an engineer, designer, drafter, computer programmer, systems analyst, or other similarly skilled worker engaged in a similar line of work.

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE. - The amendment made by this section shall apply to remuneration paid and services rendered after December 31, 1986.

Note:

! "another person" is the client in the traditional job-shop relationship.
! "taxpayer" is the recruiter, broker, agency, or job shop.
! "individual", "employee", or "worker" is you.

Admittedly, you need to read the treatment to understand what it is saying but it's not very complicated. The bottom line is that they may as well have put my name right in the text of section (d). Moreover, they could only have been more blunt if they would have came out and directly declared me a criminal and non-citizen slave. Twenty years later, I still can't believe my eyes.

During 1987, I spent close to $5000 of my 'pocket change', and at least 1000 hours
of my time writing, printing, and mailing to any senator, congressman, governor, or
slug that might listen; none did, and they universally treated me as if I was wasting
their time. I spent countless hours on the L.A. freeways driving to meetings and any
and all of the disorganized professional groups who were attempting to mount a
campaign against this atrocity. This, only to discover that our efforts were being
easily derailed by a few moles from the brokers who were just beginning to enjoy the
windfall from the new declaration of their "freedom". Oh, and don't forget, for all f
the time I was spending on this, I was loosing income that I couldn't bill clients.
After months of struggling it had clearly gotten to be a futile exercise. The best we
could get for all of our trouble is a pronouncement from an IRS mouthpiece that they
weren't going to enforce that provision (read harass engineers and scientists). This
immediately proved to be a lie, and the mere existence of the regulation began to
have its impact on my bottom line; this, of course, was the intended effect.
Again, rewind my retirement plans back to 0 and shift them into idle. If I had any
sense, I clearly should have left abandoned engineering and never looked back.
Instead I got busy working 100-hour workweeks. Then came the L.A. depression of
the early 1990s. Our leaders decided that they didn't need the all of those extra Air
Force bases they had in Southern California, so they were closed; just like that. The
result was economic devastation in the region that rivaled the widely publicized
Texas S&L fiasco. However, because the government caused it, no one gave a shit
about all of the young families who lost their homes or street after street of boarded up houses abandoned to the wealthy loan companies who received government
funds to "shore up" their windfall. Again, I lost my retirement.

Years later, after weathering a divorce and the constant struggle trying to build some momentum with my business, I find myself once again beginning to finally pick up
some speed. Then came the .COM bust and the 911 nightmare. Our leaders decided that all aircraft were grounded for what seemed like an eternity; and long after that, 'special' facilities like San Francisco were on security alert for months.
This made access to my customers prohibitively expensive. Ironically, after what
they had done the Government came to the aid of the airlines with billions of our tax
dollars ... as usual they left me to rot and die while they bailed out their rich,
incompetent cronies WITH MY MONEY! After these events, there went my business
but not quite yet all of my retirement and savings.

By this time, I'm thinking that it might be good for a change. Bye to California, I'll try Austin for a while. So I moved, only to find out that this is a place with a highly inflated sense of self-importance and where damn little real engineering work is done. I've never experienced such a hard time finding work. The rates are 1/3of what I was earning before the crash, because pay rates here are fixed by the three
or four large companies in the area who are in collusion to drive down prices and
wages... and this happens because the justice department is all on the take and
doesn't give a fuck about serving anyone or anything but themselves and their rich
buddies.

To survive, I was forced to cannibalize my savings and retirement, the last of which
was a small IRA. This came in a year with mammoth expenses and not a single dollar of income. I filed no return that year thinking that because I didn't have any income there was no need. The sleazy government decided that they disagreed. But they didn't notify me in time for me to launch a legal objection so when I attempted to get a protest filed with the court I was told I was no longer entitled to due process because the time to file ran out. Bend over for another $10,000 helping of justice.

So now we come to the present. After my experience with the CPA world, following the business crash I swore that I'd never enter another accountant's office again. But here I am with a new marriage and a boatload of undocumented income, not to mention an expensive new business asset, a piano, which I had no idea how to handle. After considerable thought I decided that it would be irresponsible NOT to get professional help; a very big mistake.

When we received the forms back I was very optimistic that they were in order. I had
taken all of the years information to Bill Ross, and he came back with results very
similar to what I was expecting. Except that he had neglected to include the contents
of Sheryl's unreported income; $12,700 worth of it. To make matters worse, Ross knew all along this was missing and I didn't have a clue until he pointed it out in the middle of the audit. By that time it had become brutally evident that he was representing himself and not me.

This left me stuck in the middle of this disaster trying to defend transactions that
have no relationship to anything tax-related (at least the tax-related transactions
were poorly documented). Things I never knew anything about and things my wife had no clue would ever matter to anyone. The end result is... well, just look around.

I remember reading about the stock market crash before the "great" depression and
how there were wealthy bankers and businessmen jumping out of windows when they realized they screwed up and lost everything. Isn't it ironic how far we've come in 60 years in this country that they now know how to fix that little economic problem; they just steal from the middle class (who doesn't have any say in it, elections are a joke) to cover their asses and it's "business-as-usual". Now when the wealthy fuck up, the poor get to die for the mistakes... isn't that a clever, tidy solution.

As government agencies go, the FAA is often justifiably referred to as a tombstone
agency, though they are hardly alone. The recent presidential puppet GW Bush and
his cronies in their eight years certainly reinforced for all of us that this criticism rings equally true for all of the government. Nothing changes unless there is a body count(unless it is in the interest of the wealthy sows at the government trough). In a government full of hypocrites from top to bottom, life is as cheap as their lies and their self-serving laws.

I know I'm hardly the first one to decide I have had all I can stand. It has always
been a myth that people have stopped dying for their freedom in this country, and it
isn't limited to the blacks, and poor immigrants. I know there have been countless
before me and there are sure to be as many after. But I also know that by not adding my body to the count, I insure nothing will change. I choose to not keep looking over my shoulder at "big brother" while he strips my carcass, I choose not to ignore what is going on all around me, I choose not to pretend that business as usual won't continue; I have just had enough.

I can only hope that the numbers quickly get too big to be white washed and ignored
that the American zombies wake up and revolt; it will take nothing less. I would only
hope that by striking a nerve that stimulates the inevitable double standard, knee-jerk government reaction that results in more stupid draconian restrictions people wake up and begin to see the pompous political thugs and their mindless minions for what they are. Sadly, though I spent my entire life trying to believe it wasn't so, but violence not only is the answer, it is the only answer. The cruel joke is that the really big chunks of shit at the top have known this all along and have been laughing, at and using this awareness against, fools like me all along.

I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different. I am finally ready to stop this insanity. Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let's try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well.The communist creed: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.

The capitalist creed: From each according to his gullibility, to each according
to his greed.Joe Stack (1956-2010)

02/18/2010"

After nearly a year of my own negotiating with the IRS, I know the frustration Mr. Stack wrote of. The IRS is more ruthless than ever, and refuses to negotiate in any manner. They want nothing less than 100% of your determined tax, regardless of circumstances or ability to pay. One hand doesn't know what the other is doing. Twice I tried to get them to send responses to my correct address and they couldn't do it. I tried many days to contact IRS officials only to be told to call back because their system was down. They refused or reluctantly documented my call. They had quickly taken 15% of our wages, without the proper notice being given -- because they sent it to the wrong address again.

The IRS is clearly the worst run government agency in the country. Their computer systems fail, no one talks to each other, and agents only seemed interested in taking everything from you. Liens are up 475% and the aggressiveness in which agents are pursuing every nickel is disturbing. The Offer in Compromise procedures is no compromise process at all. They tell you are going to pay after dismissing a large percentage of your debt that they consider discretionary. Reasonable is not found in their calculations. They can erase your debt when computing your ability to pay -- wouldn't that be nice if this debt disappeared that easily from your budget. It doesn't and makes their computations unreasonable.

Rest in peace Mr. Stack, many of agree with you completely. May your family find comfort in something greater than this world.

Tea Party movement lights fuse for right

2010-02-16T09:40:00.000-08:00

Read this great article on the rapidly growing and influential Tea Party movement. Every constitutional violation is an incremental step towards socialism, and ultimately dictatorship. The United States has never been closer than it is right now to government control of everything. President Obama, as a previous member of ACORN, holds their ideals very close. These ideals include infiltrating a system, through increments, imploding it, and rebuilding it. Sound familiar to what's going on in government these days? It should. The White House now has nearly unlimited power since 9/11, is printing money like crazy, and is carefully redistributing wealth. Unlike his promise, President Obama, is feeding big business (banks, car industry, etc.) while crippling the average American. Pay particular attention to every decision made, and where every dollar goes. They show the real plan and it isn't what is being said to the media.

Join the Tea Party movement to stop this plan in its tracks. It's already progressed so far, that it will take a lot of time to set things back to where they should be. For the sake of your own families, our country, and future generations, please get involved.

Another good dad loses custody to a bad mom...

2010-02-12T14:52:00.000-08:00

Today marks yet another day a good dad lost custody to a bad mom. The judge threw out the guardian ad litem report and made it clear -- the mom always win. This case included false accusations of incest (via mothers encouragement), a documented sexual charge (while in mothers care, that was secretly hidden until problems arose), lies regarding employment (mom), etc but it didn't matter. The gender bias is real and easy to prove, yet it is daily digested without second thought. This is a constitutional violation but where are the legislators? They ignore every letter, every email, or personal accountability. What good are more laws if we won't protect them? It's all meaningless without protection!

Note: This was in Wisconsin, but the same goes on here every day. Vote yourself another raise legislators and ignore your obligations to the people. They only count when its election time -- and then only in words and until the election results are in. Isn't there one fighter for rights among you?

Smaller Government

2010-02-10T15:25:00.000-08:00

Dear legislators/public officials/ and fellow citizens:

Please hear my call for long needed change. Below are some of my concerns with the over reaching arm of the government. The time to pull that arm back, a long way, is now, on your watch. I have suffered from the oppression of governmental abuse on numerous occasions, which I’m going to share now. Please read all of it and respond (no auto-replies). I will post your responses to my blog http://returntoindepence.blogspot.com for the masses to read. Your lack of response will also be duly noted.

Can a person who is chained, handcuffed, and jailed call himself free? They cannot. Likewise, a person without guaranteed individual rights is not free.

Limiting Discretionary Immunity Protects Personal Rights

The broader immunity provided a public official is coming at a greater and greater cost for individuals. Individuals are left to the mercy of public officials, whether or not they act in good faith. I have personally experienced the pitfalls of such immunity on many occasions.

One (Divorce/Child Custody): The district court judge was guilty of collateral estoppel and res judicata in my divorce/custody proceedings. Forced to take it to an amended findings hearing, it again entered into the final decision. I appealed, citing the same, as well as a constitutional challenge regarding the legitimacy of the presumption of sole physical and joint legal custody. The challenge was properly submitted, and yet ignored by the appellate court and State Attorney General, in its denial. I appealed to the Supreme Court, where they would not hear my case.

Pro Se Issues: This country was founded on the principles of personal rights, including the right to due process. As a Pro Se plaintiff, you are forced to be an attorney, in writing, method, and behavior. I did the best I could, but was not taken seriously. I essentially wasted my time. A persons’ case should be determined on the material facts of the case, not legal technicalities. In the short time frame in which cases proceed, the founding fathers would not have expected an individual to learn all aspects of law in order to be able to represent themselves. Case law says the court is supposed to show leniency to Pro Se individuals, but they clearly don’t. Individual rights are effectively oppressed to give way to government demands.

Two: The guardian ad litem assigned to my child custody case failed to follow any statutes, and did not complete a written report as required. The head of the guardian ad litem was allowed to enter our court proceedings just moments before closing and drop off a hand-written letter from the guardian. This letter said nothing more than I was insistent on her completing the report, and that I demanded my children half-time. It also said I was rude. Is it rude to want a court appointed guardian ad litem to do the work they are entrusted to do? Is it rude, or unjustified, for a parent to desire half-time with their kids? In our state, a father is not considered equal to the mother. Is this equal protection and equal rights as guaranteed by the constitution? If you look at the court statistics you will see that men in contested child custody cases lose nearly every time. This is clearly a constitutional violation that is ignored on a daily basis.

Title IV child support is also claimed in more cases than it was intended. Title IV cases were intended for individuals that met the federal poverty guidelines. The government has built a system that oppresses individual rights in family courts, while creating itself as an employer of child support collections staff, judges, and magistrates. The federal monies they collect deter them from thinking this out further. The cost of continuing the presumption of sole physical and joint legal custody, as well as Title IV collections, outweighs these federal payments. How? Courts are bogged down with child custody hearings precipitated by parents that are looking for child support. It is not for the benefit of the children the majority of time. A presumption of joint legal and joint physical custody lets both parents start at equal places. Concerned parents could still try their case in court, but this would eliminate those just seeking to punish the other parent financially. In effect, it would truly place the best interests of the children first, not second.

It would also eliminate a lot of unjust Order for Protections that are taken just to gain advantage in court. This saves the police, court staff, and the court additional time.

Children are not at the forefront of the intent behind the current presumptions and statutes, mothers are. These are generally not the mothers that would sacrifice any part of themselves for the benefit of their children; they are the mothers that want to benefit financially from their ex-husband. They would destroy their children, and many do, to collect a free buck. Some do it out of self-centered behavior, some out of dependency issues, and others because they think “mothers” have the ultimate right to the children. Are these the people this state wants to protect while children’s and father’s rights are ignored?

Fatherless homes are proven to lead to higher rates of teenage pregnancy, delinquency, crimes, drug use, suicide, promiscuity, etc. The social costs are devastating, leads to moral decay, and long-standing problems. Shouldn’t the well-being of the children be the real intent of any statutes regarding custody? They aren’t currently.

Three: Building codes are spiraling out of control with too much power entrusted to public officials, some of which behave atrociously. In my case, the building inspector and the plan reviewer both enforced the wrong code for a rehab building, treating it like a new building. This led to hundreds of thousands in additional costs, and subjected us to increased scrutiny throughout. The building inspector trespassed by letting himself in with an old key he had from the township that previously owned the same building. He made unattended visits (that led to a false report), forced the owners to attend scheduled meetings (that interfered with their work schedules), and kept them from renting out the gym as the township had.

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry censured the building inspector for his actions and statutory violations. Even with his censuring, the legal process is difficult because of the cloak of immunity given public officials. The lack of “true” accountability ultimately leads to corruption as evidenced in our project. If there is not an equal and available action for such behavior, what real justice exists?

The township itself is guilty of unethical practices, basing a report based on unsubstantiated claims by an inspector that was trespassing. The fire chief also trespassed twice and contributed to the claims made by the township. The evidence is quite clear to us, if you feel untouchable; you can do anything without the fear of consequences.

Conclusion: Legislators need to refrain from granting additional immunity rights to public officials while returning many of the rights meant to belong to individuals. Our great constitution has been watered down to the point of insignificance and one where individual rights have given way to governmental rights. Our individual liberties promised by our dear constitution are nearly gone in our country’s surge towards socialism. Surveys and books suggest Americans, including children, feel lost in navigating through politics, running for office, and in democracy itself. What democracy exists in a country determined to have a government make all the decisions for them? If you wonder what happened to the “spirit of democracy” look no further than the senate floors, the White House, and all politicians. In the absence of empowerment, there is oppression. Socialism and big government leads to the death of entrepreneurial endeavors, risk taking, and the creative soul. Our country cannot return to prominence without individuals feeling empowered and able to make a difference. Eliminate restrictions to personal freedoms wherever you can instead of adding any more.

The Massachusetts election was less about the Democrats and Republican race for senate seats and more about voting against big government. Everywhere you look, and everything you do, is decided in large part by government. You may not be calling it socialism, but if it feels like one and looks like one, it has the same effect – oppression. The rise of the Tea Party and strong conservatives suggest a revolution is under way. Many of us expect the Independent Party to make big gains in this next election because we feel our voices are not being heard. Quit deciding our futures for us and give us our individual freedoms back. I don’t care if you label yourself a democrat, republican, or independent, I, like many others, just want our freedoms, small government, accountability, and moral/ethical leaders.

Your answers and your actions will determine where you sit in the next election. If you can be voted in or out, shouldn’t there be greater accountability to all public officials, elected or not?

I believe that one individual raising his voice is greater than all those that remain silent in the wake of injustice.

A Rehab Project Gone Awry

2009-09-25T20:20:00.000-07:00

In the fall of 2006, my wife and I bought the Old Washington School in Esko, MN. No one would finance this purchase, so we took the funds from our retirement plans. The zoning board and visitors attending the meetings grilled us for about four hours about our plans. They told us what we were restricted from doing, and wanted to know what our five year plan was. Some people at the meeting wanted assurances that no troubled individuals would be there, that there were no recreational facilities, no automotive, … Some individuals, including one board member, wanted us to submit five year plans for the project as well proof of income and ability. By the end of the meeting one of the neighbors threatened to sue us if we didn’t pay for half the cost of a new fence between properties. Her distrust in the sewer system also brought her threat of water monitoring. After a lengthy discussion on the gym, I threatened to withdraw our purchase request if they kept to their demand that the gym not be rented out.

We began moving our stuff in with the expectation that we could move in after adding a kitchen and bathroom. However, we were issued a stop work order for some demolition and adding some non-structural walls. That was fine, we didn’t know. We submitted some basic plans and requested a building permit and then were rejected. The building inspector told us at that time we would need architectural plans, a master electrician, and a master plumber [and as we found out later, much, much more…structural engineer, mechanical engineer, and fire alarm experts].

We received a basic permit allowing us to perform demolition, and nothing more. I set off to do that while the designs were drawn and submitted.

We scheduled meetings with many plumbers, who largely skipped them without calling. One came, said he could do it only to withdraw a week later. Another came, but he was more interested in what others were doing than performing the job we needed. We didn’t need people around who couldn’t work with other people. Ultimately, we got a plumber from just north of Minneapolis/St. Paul. He started fine, but then disappeared without finishing the job. After numerous letters and calls, we contacted the State Attorney General’s office and the Department of Labor (DOL). As things progressed, he risked having his license pulled, and negotiated a reduced rate for us and finished up per his agreement. One additional problem we had was that most plumbers didn’t do their own drawings.

The electrician underbid the project and requested more money. We paid it and then he needed more yet, and then still more…

Every time we thought we were getting close to getting a permit issued, the building inspector would throw something new into the mix and force us to resubmit. He wanted everything on a set of perfect drawings, and demanded new ones even when minor changes were added. In fact, after the final submittal, the building inspector refused to issue the permit, or specify in writing exactly what was outstanding. His position always shifted and he refused to put his requests in writing. We contacted the DOL and suddenly he [the building inspector] signed the permit. Unfortunately a year later we would face the same delays and opt for a full-scale investigation -- that report is still pending.

The building inspector requested a plan reviewer for the project and passed everything onto him. The plan reviewer, in turn, would charge us for his time. This seemed unnecessary, as the building inspector was very familiar with this building, as he had spent 13 years in it prior to us buying it. He was also the administrator of building codes in Duluth, MN, and was supposed to be an expert. Whether or not it was intentional, or negligence, this building inspector nearly derailed the project altogether. He placed such a large burden on the owners that he nearly bankrupted them, while keeping them out of the place they owned. His interpretations of the code turned out to be erroneous or simply made up.

In all, it took 30 months from the date of purchase to get a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy. Believe it or not, the building inspector has said at one point that there was no such thing. Did he not hear the request correctly or was he testing the owners? Either way, he was very reluctant to issue one. Without the nudging of the state investigator, I do not believe it would have ever happened.

Financing was also a nightmare and continues to be. No one would borrow money for the original purchase and only Wells Fargo would participate to any extent after that. I refused to let them bail out, and kept lowering the amount we would accept just to keep the project alive. It took nearly six months after our first meeting to finalize the loan. Our desperation was obvious and they took full advantage of it. We received a loan for $100,000 less than requested, there was no deferment period [the first payment was due in 20 days], the interest rate was 9.1%, and there were prepayment penalties if we paid it off early. Rather than provide another $25,000 in the loan, the banker suggested Wells Fargo credit cards for this same amount to cover the gap. This resulted in higher monthly payments at a higher rate. We also had to open a savings account for a minimum of $500 and have a checking account with them. The deal was good for them, but a last resort for us.

These terms made it difficult and costly to continue, but the project needed to proceed. The boiler had already quit, water pipes burst everywhere, and an unheated building would have led to additional problems. Wells Fargo agreed to talk about more money when we ran out, but balked when the time came. They desperately wanted us to talk to other banks and organizations. We did and came to a dead end each time. Either it didn’t fit their lending requirements, policy, or mission. The fact that it was a non-traditional multi-residential building with the owners living there was the primary reason no one could borrow us money.

- The Northland Community Fund wouldn’t do it because it didn’t fit the type of funding they usually did. The same went for the NE Entrepreneurial Fund.
- The Carlton County Economic Development Corp. (CCEDC) unanimously approved the loan, only to see the County Commissioners split their vote 2-2. This resulted in its rejection because a majority vote was required. Ironically, one of the commissioners voting no sits on CCEDC, but was a no show the day of the vote. They didn’t only fail us; they failed the group they had entrusted to make these decisions. If you’re going to go against the board you sit on, you owe them the decency of relaying your feeling prior to meetings you miss. They all receive the same information well in advance of the meeting.

This was the first known denial by carlton county commissioners of a recommendation by the CCEDC in the last 4 + years. Why this one?

- Members Community Credit Union wouldn’t do it because they felt there wasn’t enough equity to guarantee their loan. The biggest farce was the ultra-conservative appraisal that was completed. It resulted in a value that wasn’t much more than some large houses that has much less square footage (about ¼ or 1/5 as much) and earned no income. The appraisal was basically a cost approach that took account only those monies already paid into it. There was no credit for the work we did or the income it would generate. What value did it really possess other than to keep us from borrowing more money? Overall, we had 30% equity in this large endeavor – and the original appraisal, even if based on cost alone would surely be higher now. After decades of banking with the credit union, it makes one wonder why one stays with them when they pass on your project and yet fund others. - AgStar said it didn’t handle loans like this, neither did many of the local banks. I tried online, generated a few calls, but nothing panned out.
- We looked for outside investors, but had no success.

The financial market had all but dried up. Banks were not borrowing to anyone who did not have near perfect credit scores, lower debt ratios, and a lot of cash available. In fact, the representative from Wells Fargo asked us to fully pay for the project before requesting a loan. I told him, “If we had the money, we would have no reason to get a loan.” Why would I pay them interest, particularly higher than market rates, for a project I could pay for outright? Sure, they would make money, but I would lose even more.

Until the "lending" institutions actually start "lending" money, there isn't much hope for the building sector and the many people dependent on it.

Brace Yourself America - The Depression Will Take an Ugly Turn

2009-08-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

Obama's pork filled stimulus plan is going to drag the depression on longer than necessary, and lead to inflation. Yes, the 80's is going to be knocking again.

The very plan that is supposed to stimulate the economy is actually going to extend the depression. Historically, these spending programs have always failed, doing nothing to help the economy. In fact, this plan rolls out over the next several years and really hasn't really started -- even though now is when it was supposed to be needed most.

Countries, like China, have been borrowing money to the U.S. to continue this influx, but they are worried. The U.S. has resorted to printing more and more money, threatening to cause a total collapse of its currency. When the stimulus money begins to take hold the recession may be easing, resulting in consumer/business spending and investment. Add this spending to the governments spending and we have the return of "stagflation."

The return of inflation will lead to another round of housing foreclosures caused by the corresponding rise in inflation rates. We will go from low interest rates and excessive spending to a period of higher interest rates and curbed spending. Doesn't make sense, does it?

This country should have balanced its budget and let the once "free market" naturally rebound. There should have been an orderly transfer of good mortgages to solid, ethical banking institutions, and bankruptcies for the toxic ones. There is no place for toxic mortgages that drag down the housing market with them. Throwing more and more money at the toxic ones only prolongs the problem.

Should we continue to subsidize long-term losing ventures, like the car industry, ethanol, and corrupt financial institutions? I don't think so. The government should only have been involved to keep the orderly transition of assets to other, more capable institutions. The truth is, bankruptcy courts already do a lot of this and didn't require intervention.

Why would Obama be so anxious to pass such an outrageously high stimulus bill filled with more pork than imaginable? There are a couple of reasons that immediately come to mind. One is that he wanted to take advantage of the Democratic majority and his ability to further his agenda. Second, Obama is a die-hard believer of ACORN's mission. Their idea of change comes from infiltrating, through incremental steps, organizations and imploding them from within. This seems to be happening by causing the economy to become totally dependent on government. The aim is to grow the lower and middle classes, while passing the financial burden onto the richest sector of the U.S. This of course, can only fail, because the top echelon of the rich in this country can curb their spending and will to deal with their expected tax increase and the system will fail.

Why this country elected Obama, along with his "socialist agenda" that follows ACORN's, is surprising, even unbelievable. The level of voting fraud due to ACORN is disturbing, and who knows, may even have contributed to Obama's win. Obama's ties to William Ayers and Reverend Wright, are also disturbing. What was the American people thinking? They voted for Obama, while running down Sarah Palin (a Vice President nominee) for lack of experience. Mrs. Palin had more experience, and far more Christian values, than Mr. Obama.

We are now a country leaning towards:

Expanded gay rights
Expanded abortion rights
Increased tolerance for dangerous rogue nations
Weakened defense program
Decimated economic programs and greater dependence on other nations
Supporting Hamas, a known terrorist group
Waivering support for our staunch ally, Israel
Becoming an increasing dependent welfare state
Greater government reach and less personal rights
Gun rights battle

This country is in a fight for its very existence -- militarily, morally, and economically. U.S. citizens can lay back and fall into its unenviable position as a socialist democracy, like France, or try to return to its roots -- a free market economy run by average, every day citizens, whose personal rights and freedoms are protected. The time is here and the choice is yours for just a little more time...

Personal Freedoms - Keep the Promise

2009-07-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

What happened to our liberties and freedoms, as so strongly defended in the words of U.S. Declaration of Independence? We have allowed our government to slowly and methodically scale down individual rights promised by the very charter that founded our country. The demise of our once great country is resting fully upon these very liberties. The aura of defeat and hopelessness now fill American air, whereas freedom, the American dream, and hope used to reign. Oppression kills innovation, creativity, ambition, hope, and the spirit of the truly free.

All of us have heard the great words spelled out in the Declaration of Independence, but when was the last time we pondered its great significance. Nothing is more powerful than the passage: “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness --- That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new Government, laying its Foundations on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

When the Electoral College voted contrary to the general population in the Al Gore vs. George W. Bush election, it should have been disbanded. Never should the voice of the people be ignored – never.

In addition to the Democratic and Republican parties, others such as the Independent Party should get equal air time. Barring them from major debates is nothing short of suppressing the voices of many Americans. It’s time for other voices in politics.

Quit making political campaigns about money, and more about issues. Provide equal air time for each candidate winning the primary elections for their parties. The government should pay an equal amount to each party, and restrict all additional monies from being paid to any campaign. The campaigns could add as many non-paid volunteers as they wished.

The original American system boosted the ideals of self, and unleashed the potential of human creativity. As Jefferson said, “Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body & mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day.”

Today’s American system has evolved into one of countless restrictions, extreme oversight, and endless bureaucracy. For example, a person must check with a zoning official just to place a sign on their own property. In my own personal case, I was told I could have just one sign, no greater than 64 square feet, with six words or less, and I had to personally be involved if it was a business.

The number of building codes is swelling at a phenomenal rate. My wife and I bought an old school with the ideals of providing affordable housing, doing charitable good, and providing our children with an experience of a lifetime. This dream was shattered by an ill-intentioned building inspector, building use restrictions, and endless bureaucracy. It took us thirty months to get approval to move into our own building. If you move into your own building without a temporary certificate of occupancy from the building inspector, they can have you forcibly removed and charge you with a misdemeanor. Is this freedom? During the course of the project, building permits were delayed for two months on two different occasions while small items were addressed. Seventeen sets of floor plans were submitted, along with two sets of plumbing designs, fire alarm designs, HVAC/Mechanical Plans, and wiring plans.

Professionals were mandatory, including mechanical engineers, architect, plan reviewer (to help the building inspector), fire alarm design specialist, master plumber, and master electrician. Virtually every detail is dictated to you, leaving little to the imagination.

The Watered-Down Bill of Rights

The United States Bill of Rights grants individual rights that have been attacked and denied for decades.

Article 3 of the Bill of Rights states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peacefully to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

You now need a permit to protest, and even then you are given a designated area, sometimes out of site of the place or even being protested. This practice is clearly designed to silence the dissenters.

Article 7 states in part, “nor shall any person…be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law…”

Every day family courts deprive parents, predominantly fathers, of equal time with their children. Courts routinely give them a couple of weekends a month, while making them pay 25% and up in child support. They tack on daycare and medical portions, as well as insurance coverage.

The court system discourages self-representation by the average American through its numerous filing requirements, terminology, and formalness. The majority of judges warn Pro Se (self-represented) individuals of the risk they entail by representing themselves, further discouraging such attempts. Our founding fathers did not intend for lawyers to have exclusive representative rights in the court room, but only to represent those that needed it. The liberty of Americans is only served through informal procedures that doesn’t require the services of an attorney.

Article 8 states, “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial...”

Alleged criminals, victims, and victims families now wait up to years for a hearing. There are no speedy and public trials. The system itself, and some of its encompassing laws, have created the backlog of cases. For instance, no states recognize the equal right to parental time, and pits mom against dad in a winner takes all competition. This is a clear design for battle, not negotiation. The reward of child support is enough for many unscrupulous, undeserving parents.

Article 10 says, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.”

Child support payments are often excessive and put non-custodial parents in unfavorable living conditions.

The justice system favors the rich over the poor, the educated over the uneducated, the famous over the unknown.

“I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” – Thomas Jefferson

Conclusion

What’s the answer to the many decades of growing restrictions and bureaucracy? Roll it back as far as we can, as fast as we can. Review the endless rules governing areas infringing on individual rights. Eliminate all rules and regulations that are unreasonable and deserves to be left to the judgment of individuals.

The Economy Answer - Natural Gas Vehicles

2009-07-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

Demand Side Economics of Oil

The U.S. imported nearly 70% of its oil in 2008. The U.S. has only 4% of the world's population, just 3% of the world's oil reserves, yet uses 25% of the world's oil. OPEC controls the supplies to boost prices that American's have no choice but to pay. The U.S. demand for oil contributes greatly to its own economic demise.

This demand could be eliminated and result in a great economic boost for the U.S. How? Switch all cars to natural gas and quit using oil altogether. Natural gas is already being used in both diesel and gas cars right now worldwide to the tune of 10 million vehicles.

Supply Side Reaction to Curbed Demand

Even as the United States curbed its demand, OPEC countries would have to deal with growing inventories and need to lower prices. This takes them out of the driver's seat, and in many ways, forced to negotiate on different fronts. Without oil monies, some rogue countries wouldn't have the same power and influence to hold the world hostage.

Other Invaluable Gains

Natural gas costs, on average 1/3 less to fill a vehicle. About 98% of the U.S. consumption is produced in the U.S. and Canada. The Energy Information Agency (EIA) predicts that over 98% of natural gas used in the U.S. will come from the U.S. alone by 2030. A recent study found that the U.S. already has 118 years of natural gas resources itself.

The 1 1/2 million miles of pipelines and distribution lines across the U.S. makes it readily available to nearly anyone.

Natural gas produces 22 to 29% less greenhouse gas emissions than diesel or gasoline-powered vehicles, respectively, and less urban pollution. Source: State Alternative Fuels Plan, California Energy Commission, Adopted December 5, 2007.

Natural Gas has Renewable Options Too!

Natural gas can be produced from any organic waste or energy crop like switchgrass. Conservative estimates suggest that the U.S. could produce the equivalent of 10 billion barrels of gasoline by producing biomethane (renewable natural gas). This potential is nearly infinite when biomethane production from cellulosic energy crops is considered.

Unlike Ethanol, natural gas does not compete with food sources, and drive up its prices. Ethanol also has distribution issues that natural gas doesn't. Greater ethanol use would only create more food shortages and higher prices.

The U.S. Must Act Now

Quit putting the economic status of the U.S. in the hands of foreign countries, by using fuel sources found at home.

Its good for the environment, good for reducing foreign imports, and good for the pocketbook of every American. To top it off, it boosts the economy by keeping the jobs right here at home.

Natural Gas - The Biggest Stimulus in the U.S.

2009-07-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

The biggest stimulus package imaginable with long-term strength lies in our vast reserves of natural gas. In fact, U.S. and Canada have enough reserves to power all vehicles, including diesels, for the next 80-118 years.

The U.S. could break their dependence on foreign oil as fast as cars could be retrofitted or new ones rolled out. Ten million cars fueled by natural gas are already in operation around the world. The distribution channels, such as trucking, pipelines, and train, already exist.

Ethanol has proven to be a global failure especially when produced from food crops such as corn. It's production has dramatically raised food prices and threatens to cause disruptions in the price of other commodities like soybeans. The rain forest is being burnt and cleared at record paces to make more agricultural land for ethanol purposes. This leads to increased global warming.

Natural gas burns much cleaner than gasoline, is readily available, and has alternative sources that aren't food related. North America has enough to provide the U.S. a domestic-based fuel, at the same or lower price as foreign oil. There are enough reserves already to last more than 100 years if used alone. That 100 years could be greatly extended by mixing with alternative fuels (non-food sources). Most importantly it would provide the U.S. ample time to pursue other viable, earth-friendly fuel sources, while reducing price fluctuations due to foreign instability.

The time to use natural gas for vehicles is here. We must get to it as soon as we can, because this is critical to our economy both now and long-term. The benefits include:

Keeps domestic money here, reduces exports, and produces jobs domestically
Reduces greenhouse gases substantially
Stabilizes fuel price fluctuations
Eliminates foreign dependence
Eliminates need to produce ethanol using food staples such as corn. The government should end subsidies to any producers still using corn or other food source.
Reduces inflationary pressures caused by high oil and food prices

The impact on our national economy would be tremendous. It simply cannot be ignored any longer! There are already politicians in favor of expanding the use of natural gas for vehicles, but others need to get on board. Write your representative and tell them that now is the time to put our plentiful natural gas reserves into play.

Boost the Housing Market by Revising Building Codes

2009-07-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

The building codes are overly restrictive, time-consuming, and costly. Many of the requirements are simply nuisances and provide no benefit of any kind.

By the time all of the required professionals are paid, the idea of making money from your venture is greatly diminished. New constructions and many renovations require structural engineers, master plumbers, master electricians, and architects to complete. You will end up spending thousands for designs/plans, that go to zoning boards and inspectors, who review them before issuing a permit. In my own personal case, the building permit itself took two months to get after all of the required paperwork was submitted. This kind of delay can kill a project by itself. Too many people equates to a lot of delay.

Projects should be able to proceed in part so as to eliminate delays. It's allowable in the code, but the option is the inspectors'. Unfortunately, we had a building inspector who was only interested in delaying the project until he knew where every screw went. Even then, he was highly reluctant to proceed.

The code tells you which way the doors should swing, how you should drywall, if you need railings, etc. Some of it is necessary, but come on, when is enough enough. Make the process easier, quicker, and less costly. The sheer stress of navigating the bureacratic process of building is the biggest deterent itself. If you decide to take it on, the costs and delays are the next obstacle. And, in the end, you hope that you can one day earn some equity in your home or make some money back on your investment. Those possibilities get more difficult with the constant addition of more building codes.

Can you remember the day when building permits were easy to get? I can. The number of tragedies avoided with today's enormous requirements is negligible, or simply unknown. Everyone used to be a carpenter and those buildings are still standing. When and why did we allow our personal freedoms to be so micromanaged by government entities? Yes, high-rise, corporate, and businesses need to follow certain guidelines to insure the safety of everyone, but the personal homeowner should have some latitude. If we applied these same guidelines to driving, we'd all be driving 5 mph to avoid serious accident, wearing multiple seatbelts, and have 360 degree surround airbags. It would save a lot of lives, but it would take all day to get anywhere.

We are supposed to be free, liberated Americans who weigh their various options and decide from there. Today, we have assigned our government officials to decide too much for us.

Where will we be if we continue to hand off our personal liberties? We are already headed towards socialism -- the first step to dictatorship.

Free Patents

2009-07-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

If America wants to return to greatness, they need to be the leaders in innovation. Throw out all patent fees, eliminate the bureaucracy that takes forever to review patents, and let everyone participate in the patent process.

The money it takes to file for a patent is prohibitive to many individuals with ideas. You shouldn't have to be rich to protect your idea.

At the very minimum, make it income based, so people in the middle and lower class can participate in the patent process. Anyone with incomes under $250,000 should be able to have all fees waived.

If you want to return to innovative greatness, you must remove the barriers.