The Lone Libertarian

Last Thursday night, vandals destroyed the marble idol of Madonna and Child that sits in front of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Germantown, TN.

The 5-foot statue was 1,000 pounds, made of Italian marble, and was decapitated.  The speculation is that someone used an automobile and a tow-cable to topple the statue.

Catholic, Jew, Protestant, Athiest, no matter what you are, you have to agree that this isn’t right.

I always used to gaze at the serenity of that statue as I passed the church on Poplar Avenue.

What a shame.

This is what some Massachusans are hearing lately, as 5% of the state’s population will be fined for not having health insurance.

You read that right, if you live in Massachusetts you are required by law , signed by former Governor Mitt Romney in 2006, to have health coverage, or pay a penalty.

I wonder what private insurance funds lobbied for this mess, and have had huge windfall profits?

So, an Associated Press report came out yesterday detailing that almost 100,000 citizens within the state did not comply with the law, and will be penalized, potentially to the tune of $912 a person .  What happens to these penalties, you ask?

A total of $9.7 million in fines was deposited into a trust fund to help cover the cost of the law. Monthly penalties for those who can afford health care but refuse will jump and could total as much as $912 for individuals by December.

The penalties are used to cover the cost of the law???  Is this a sick joke?

Furthermore bureaucrats set what deems whether a person can afford to pay for health insurance or not.

In a statement explaining the penalties, the revenue department said, "These penalties apply only to adults who are deemed able to afford health insurance."

Residents who cannot afford insurance, based on state standards, won’t be penalized. Residents who face penalties can appeal.

This is just amazing to me.  What happens if I made just enough money to "qualify" for the requirement of being able to "afford" health insurance, but have a ton of unexpected expenses, and actually cannot afford it?

What if I have a preexisting condition, and cannot get insured, or can for an extremely exorbitant amount that I could never afford?  Do I have to pay a penalty?

I guess I pay for a ton of services that I don’t want to pay for now through my taxes, why would this be different?

My only question is, when are we going to be mandated to have telescreens in our homes?

Here’s an interesting piece of Memphis news .

I just caught wind of this news this morning, so I guess I’m a little behind the times.  It seems that Fred Smith, CEO of FDX Corporation, parent company of FedEx Express, is a potential cabinet choice for a McCain Administration.  Several articles indicate that he could occupy the Secretary of Defense , citing his experience in the military, or Secretary of Commerce, citing his experience as CEO of one of the largest overnight delivery companies in the US.

From the Commercial Appeal:

"I know that he has an enormous amount to contribute," McCain said. "But whether he would have an official job or not, it’s a little early. But he’s a marvelous, great American, and as I say, we’ve been friends for 20 years."

It’s official. After many months of speculation and rumors, former Congressman Bob Barr has thrown his hat into the ring. Barr is seeking the nomination of the Libertarian Party, which holds its convention in a few short weeks during Memorial Day weekend.

The audio of his announcement as well as questions fielded by the press can be found here.

Video of the announcement, plus an interview below.

I find this announcement both predictable, and yet refreshing.  Maybe Barr could lend a certain credibility to the party considering he was a Congressman for the 7th District of Georgia in the US House, as opposed to the field of other candidates (past and present), such as a professional sports handicapper and a comedian.

I know that this is probably old news, but I’m just catching it. I know it’s not the candidate that said it, but wow.

It makes one wonder.

Edit: It would seem that I, and much of the blogosphere were bamboozled. The video clip comes from the movie “The War Room” that follows the 1992 Clinton campaign. The statement “How would you like to be a white n*gger”, seemingly uttered by campaign manager Mickey Kantor, was fabricated and edited in. The original clip I posted has been removed, which is telling. You can watch the unaltered footage below. The real meat starts around 4:30.

Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield decided to inject a little levity into the Georgia land grab, and send a truckload of water with a guy wearing a coonskin hat. He made the official proclamation that today, Wednesday, February 28th 2008 shall be known as “Give Our Georgia Friends A Drink Day.” The proclamation reads as follows.

–PROCLAMATION–

WHEREAS, it has come to pass that the heavens are shut up and a drought of Biblical proportions has been visited upon the Southern United States, and

WHEREAS, the parched and dry conditions have weighed heavily upon the State of Georgia and sorely afflicted those who inhabit the Great City of Atlanta, and

WHEREAS, the leaders of Georgia have assembled like the Children of Israel in the desert, grumbled among themselves and have begun to cast longing eyes toward the north, coveting their neighbor’s assets, and

WHEREAS, the lack of water has led some misguided souls to seek more potent refreshment or for other reasons has resulted in irrational and outrageous actions seeking to move a long established and peaceful boundary, and

WHEREAS, it is deemed better to light a candle than curse the darkness, and better to offer a cool, wet kiss of friendship rather than face a hot and angry legislator gone mad from thirst, and

Whereas, it is feared that if today they come for our river, tomorrow they might come for our Jack Daniels or George Dickel,

NOW THEREFORE, In the interest of brotherly love, peace, friendship, mutual prosperity, citywide self promotion, political grandstanding and all that

I Ron Littlefield, Mayor of the City of Chattanooga, Tennessee,

Do hereby Proclaim that Wednesday, February 27, 2008 shall be known as

“Give Our Georgia Friends a Drink Day”

Somehow I don’t think the Georgians will be amused. Let’s see if the guy in the coonskin hat makes it back across the border this afternoon.

Georgia lawmakers are trying to make a huge land grab (approx 50 square miles) in Tennessee to obtain access to the Tennessee River’s water. Georgia state senator David Shafer is behind the action that would move the Georgia state border 1.1 miles north into Tennessee. I know the northern part of the state is experiencing drought conditions, but attempting to redraw the state’s border seems desperate and naive.

This action comes in light of the original survey of the border. Tennessee’s southern border was to be drawn along the 35th parallel. Using the technology of the time in 1818, the border was drawn 1.1 miles off (not too shabby). Thus, the Tennessee River and parts of Chattanooga that would be technically in Georgia, reside in Tennessee.

Now some would argue that if it’s in the law books that Tennessee’s border is supposed to coincide with the 35th parallel, that Georgia should by default have recourse and should be able to obtain the land (as well as Mississippi taking parts of Shelby County and Memphis, the largest city in Tennessee). However, there is a common law concept called adverse possession.

Adverse possession, in layman’s terms, more or less entitles a “squatter” to land rights after a specified period of time has passed and the original titleholder does not contest the possession.

Georgia has had a brush with adverse possession in the past with South Carolina. South Carolina dredged an island in the Savannah River to it’s bank, even though all islands in the river were considered Georgian property, as defined in The Treaty of Beaufort (1787) . Georgia did nothing about this action, and then when they finally got around to challenging South Carolina, the US Supreme Court granted the land to South Carolina in a decision in 1990.

Georgia HR 1206 / SR 228 will probably go down in history as the biggest waste of taxpayer money and resources for solving their drought problems. Maybe they should try trade next time, instead of posturing.

Hector “Big Weasel” Marroquin plead guilty to selling assault weapons to undercover federal agents last Thursday. In 1996, Marroquin, started an anti-gang/anti-gun group in Las Angeles called “No Guns.” The group siphoned $1.5 million from LA, over a three year period, under the guise of “steering Latino youths from a life of crime.” Big Weasel also was tapped as a arbitrator for a local detention center, quelling race riots.

Marroquin was arrested in May in a case that stemmed from an investigation by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives into gun sales by the 18th Street gang.

Using video surveillance and a confidential informant, the agency bought several weapons from Marroquin, Harmon said.

In one case, Marroquin sold a MAK-90 semi-automatic assault rifle out of his bar, Marroking Seafood and Bar on Atlantic Avenue in Cudahy, to a confidential informant for the firearms bureau, authorities said.

He also sold a Ewbank 7.62-millimeter assault rifle to the confidential informant and a M-11, similar to an Uzi, to an undercover bureau agent, authorities said.

Marroquin has had numerous run-ins with law enforcement.

He is a reputed longtime member of the South-Central Los Angeles 18th Street gang. A gang expert testified to a grand jury that Marroquin remained a shot-caller in 18th Street despite claiming to have dropped out, Harmon said.

You really have to appreciate the “do as I say, not as I do” attitude of this guy. A real role model to be sure. He may have helped some youths stay clear of a life of crime, but it seems like he just transferred it in the process.

He was sentenced to 8 years in prison.

Always look at those who wish to rid the community of guns with a great deal of scrutiny, whether it be an individual or a government. You may find, as in the case of Marroquin, they aren’t practicing what they preach.

Ron Paul hit this one out of the park last night in South Carolina. The only thing that could make this sweeter is if they showed the smug moderator’s face right afterwards.

As reported in the Tennessean, St. Charles, Missouri will review a bill to ban swearing in local pubs. In addition to swearing, “profane” music, table-dancing, and drinking contests are also named as activities to be prohibited.  The proposal will be reviewed on Monday, January 14th.

I’m not familiar with St. Charles’ age restriction on bar patrons, but I do know that St. Louis is 21 and up. We are talking about full grown adults here. In other words, the government of St. Charles thinks that people cannot control themselves and need to be given a spanking for saying dirty words, and businesses cannot be trusted to regulate themselves.

Anyone ever hear of someone getting thrown out of a bar for saying a swear word in present day America? I’m sure the incidents are few and very far in between. The proprietors of pubs reserve the right to refuse service to those whom they deem unruly, and can ultimately throw them out. However giving someone the boot because they say a foul word is almost ridiculous as throwing a smoker out (in an area that actually allows smoking in bars); you wouldn’t have any patrons left to serve.

Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, even Pigeon Forge bars are not without the occasional lewd country/rock/techno/rap music playing on the old jukebox. If patrons do not approve, they reserve the right to leave. I have yet to hear an adult, after a night on Beale Street, complain about the dirty dueling piano songs at Silky O’Sullivan’s at city hall.

I daresay a ban on swearing is nigh unenforceable. What do they propose, a monitor or law enforcement officer at every bar? The second that someone says a “bad” word all patrons within earshot degenerate to first graders and point to the offender and in unison say “ooooohhhhhhh you’re in trouble!”

This is a bunch of puritanical nonsense.