The following is a press release from Representative John Linder, and published at the FairTax.org web site. With each new Congress, the FairTax bill must be reintroduced. Please make sure you let your Senators and Representative know of your support for the FairTax.

Washington, D.C. - Today, Representative John Linder (R-GA) introduced H.R. 25, the “The FairTax Act of 2007.” This bill was first introduced by Congressman Linder in 1999, and has become increasingly popular since that time. At the close of the 109th Congress the FairTax Act was the most popular tax reform bill in Congress with 59 supporters in the House, which far exceeded any other piece of tax reform legislation.

“The progress we have made since first introducing the FairTax is simply amazing. The grassroots growth has been phenomenal and it is evident that Americans get it. They are way ahead of the politicians on this one. In the 109th Congress, we had 59 supporters on the bill, and we did not solicit a single one. They came to my office because their constituents demanded it. That is happening all over the country.”

This bi-partisan legislation, with Congressman Dan Boren (D-OK) as an original co-sponsor, will repeal all corporate and individual income taxes, payroll taxes, self-employment taxes, capital gains taxes, estate taxes and gift taxes and replace them with a revenue-neutral personal consumption tax. The revenue neutral number advocated in the bill is 23%, which is very near to the average 22% embedded cost of the current system in every good purchased today. This embedded cost will be driven out of the price of goods because the FairTax will also eliminate all business to business taxes.

“Americans realize that we can achieve a voluntary tax system by allowing everyone to pay taxes when they choose and how much they choose by how they choose to spend. We are giving Americans an option of paying 23 cents of every dollar they spend with the freedom of anonymity, or paying 33 cents of every dollar they earn and the fear that the IRS will come knocking because of some unintentional mistake. They get it, and they are coming in droves to support change.”

The FairTax achieves voluntary taxation by providing a prebate to all Americans that offsets the tax consequences of spending up to the poverty level. This aspect of the bill makes it the most progressive tax proposal today. In essence, if a family of four does not exceed the poverty level spending which is established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, then, with the prebate, they will pay no federal taxes for that year.

“Big ideas take a long time to achieve in Washington D.C., and I am excited with the progress we have made in such a short period of time. There are certain economic forces that are pushing us toward the FairTax. If we are going to continue to compete in a global economy, then we will have to move towards a system that removes the foot of the IRS from the throat of our economy.”

Congressman Linder added that he has a new grassroots oriented website, linderfairtax.house.gov that contains answers to any FairTax related questions.

Of course, you may also find the latest and most definitive information about the FairTax right here at FairTax.org.

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If you live in or around Charlotte and you're generous with your money, you're likely going to be hit up for a donation to the "Arts and Science Council," or ASC. They've set new goals for this year's fund-raising drive to not only raise $11 million, but also to obtain 5,000 new donors.

What's missing in the news releases and press releases from the organization is how much everyone in Charlotte is already FORCED to give them. There's no word in these press releases about how much they plan to extort from the various government agencies. They normally get hundreds of millions from the taxpayers already, but now what do they want? Like every other socialist organization, MORE.

If they ask me for money, they will get it -- but not because I'm willing to fund them, but because if I don't fund them, they will put me in jail. Oh, maybe not member of the ASC themselves, but their agents, the government, absolutely will throw me in jail if I refuse to fund them. That's how socialist governments work. And that's how it works in the city of Charlotte.

For those who are considering additional voluntary contributions, why bother? If you think your $10, or even $100 will make any difference, consider that the city is already giving them hundreds of millions. Your contribution will be 0.0000005%. No, there is no point. And if they don't raise enough through voluntary contributions, they'll just make up the difference from involuntary contributions, anyway.

The Charlotte Arts and Science Council: forcing you to fund anything they consider art, whether you like it or not.

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One man, Ed Brown, seems to be prepared to live free or die in New Hampshire. He is challenging what he calls a "Kangaroo Court" and would rather be killed by the federal government than submit to a court that will not allow facts or law into the case. This may be developing as this is posted, so watch the news carefully!

Apprently Ed wanted to be sure that the jury was informed that their job, according to the Constitution, is that they are not only able to judge the facts of the case, but also the law. And that is absolutely correct -- if a jury disagrees with a law, ANY law, they can simply declare the defendant "not guilty" no matter what else has transpired. It's called freedom and it's very, very important that juries retain that right. Well, Ed found out that the judge in his case would absolutely no allow the jury to be informed of that right, so Ed left the trial and isn't coming back.

Various people and organizations are rallying behind Ed and his cause. There's even a conference call number set up to hear details and up-to-date information.

But the latest details indicated that Ed has been told that hundreds of federal agents are "likely" to come arrest him from his house for not coming to his kangaroo trial. Ed has vowed that he will not be taken alive. Ed also has "some people" with him that will assist in his defense. He's been talking on the phone with the US Marshall who will attempt to bring him in. From all outward appearances, the federal government is going to have to kill more than one person in this case, or they're going to have to give up -- and we all know the odds of the federal government giving up on anything bad.

So what's all this about? Taxes. If the feds go through with this, Ed and his friends will be assassinated by the federal government for non-payment of taxes. That's all, nothing else. He's commited no violent crimes, he's harmed no other people. He just didn't pay some taxes. And know what? He even offered to pay every single dollar the government says he owes -- but the government said that wouldn't be enough, they needed to punish him.

Ed is in Plainfield, NH. His email and phone are posted on sites linked above. You may join him and his friends if you like. But be prepared to be killed because that appears to be the government's choice.

Realize now that when I say that taxation is government by force, this is what I mean. When I say that raising taxes means you will be killed if you do not pay them, this is exactly what I'm talking about. Godspeed, Ed, and those with you. I truly hope this does not turn out as it appears it will.

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Have you heard about Chavez' plans for government in Venezuela? It's not a new plan. It's the exact same plan that has been tried many times since 1900. It's a direct copy of the Khmer Rouge. And yes, I realize that if you were "educated" in a government school, you likely know nothing about that period of history. And in case you forget who Chavez is, he's Cindy Sheehan's role model. He is the model of the left in this country today.

In addition, Chavez is very clear about the type of government he's going to set up. He clearly states that "Those of you who want to know what type of socialism I have planned for Venezuela should read Marx and Lenin." Well, how did that system of government work out?

Marx: provided the framework for Lenin's government.

Lenin: murdered over 200,000 between 1918 and 1919; paved the way for Stalin (who killed another 20 million with the same type of government).

Pol Pot, who set up the exact same system that Chavez proposes (Khmer Rouge): murdered as many as 2 million people (1/3 of the population)

So where does that leave Venezuela? With a population of around 25 million, as many as 8 million are about to be murdered. So, what do you think the United States should do, now that Chavez has openly announced that he's going to murder 8 million people? Perhaps we should currently be more worried about his various allies in the Democrat Party today that might be planning to do the same in America soon.

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By Loma Alta at LinknZona

Let us try to sort out what this armed invasion from Mexico means in the broader sense.

The US-Mexico border is out of control. Corruption and drug cartels drive Mexico further to a violent, crime-controlled country; our biggest supplier of illegal drugs.

Political self-interest, bribery by a broad spectrum of US industrial and agricultural interests of top US politicians, and the President’s family ties to Mexican “Big Oil” and possible ties to the drug cartels, cause them to support illegal immigration. This, in turn, causes them overlook the armed invasions and the millions of illegal immigrants and their billions of crimes because there are votes, political power, and big money in supporting illegal immigration.

Smuggling, illegal immigration, drugs, murder and other crimes are spilling over the US-Mexico border and making many areas no-go zones. In Arizona, for example, I previously reported that the US Forest Service posts signs warning US citizens to avoid areas of the US National Forests and the Arizona Fish and Game Department warns hunters to avoid all of southern Arizona south of the I-10 and I-8 corridors.

That the 2000 mile long open border presents our greatest security threat is obvious.

The Administration and its supporters accuse the Democrats of wanting to “cut and run” from Iraq. At the same time, the Administration denies our National Guard troops on the border permission to defend our country or themselves. When the Mexican Army and/or its drug cartel thugs invade America, our National Guard troops must cut and run. Whatever the reason, it is sickening to see American troops running from Mexicans invading the United States. No one who supports illegal immigration and armed invasion of our country can be a patriot; likewise, all who do are traitors to their country.

Our national government supports illegal immigration. The governors of AZ, CA, NM, and Texas all support illegal immigration. Thus, there is no avenue of redress for the American people short of drastic changes in our national and state governments. Some hope that the Democrat and Republican Parties will wither and be replaced by a patriotic third party. However, this is not happening, and, if it happens, it may be too late to save America. Shed a tear for America all of you who love her. Our only hope may be our prayers to God that through His mercy He will save our nation from its government.

This has been a production of the Guard the Borders Blogburst. It was started by Euphoric Reality, and serves to keep immigration issues in the forefront of our minds as we're going about our daily lives and continuing to fight the war on terror. If you are concerned with the trend of illegal immigration facing our country, join our Blogburst! Just send an email with your blog name and url to admin at guardtheborders dot com.

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The number of home foreclosures in North Carolina last year reached an all-time high. So since the government in North Carolina is ruled with an iron-fist by Democrats, you know what they're going to do, don't you? Yes, they will pass some laws and screw freedom. And they're still operating in fantasy-land:

Experts blame the growing availability of mortgage loans -- especially high-interest and adjustable rate subprime mortgages -- in part for the increase in foreclosure filings.

It doesn't matter if they lost their job, didn't know about the fees, or even, as is the case much of the time, didn't realize their payments would go up massively every year because of property taxes. The bottom line is that these people took out a loan and agreed to repay it -- and THEY didn't repay it.

In the real-world (where Democrats have never been), it's called RESPONSIBILITY. I know in the world of socialism, there's no such thing. In fact, the Democrats are so sure the that people who violated the terms of their signed contract are NOT at fault, they're going to

get some legislation onto the floor. I'm committing to making that happen."

Democrats. Is there anything they can't do by destroying freedom?

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Wow. For the first time in the long history of the Tarheel Tavern, it was closed this week! Well, all things run their course, so perhaps the Tarheel Tavern is on it's last legs. Especially on the web, things move quickly and change even faster. But despite this last week, it's not over yet!

In fact, this very week The Tarheel Tavern will be hosted right here! The Tavern first appeared way back in February, 2005 and has been going every week since then. The Tavern is a Blog Carnival round-up of blog posts from or about North Carolina. It's a great place to go if you want to read what North Carolina Bloggers are writing about.

Sometimes there's political entries, sometimes there aren't. Some weeks there's a "theme," but most often it's just wide open. This next edition will be number 100! And it's here! Cool, huh?

Well, if you're blogging from North Carolina, or even blogging ABOUT North Carolina, you can submit an entry. My contact email is all the way at the bottom of the main page (I guess I need to add it here on the post pages, too, huh?). And if you're so inclined and need an idea for your writing this week, I'll suggest a theme of "winter."

This theme could be very interesting in North Carolina, as today it was just about 70 degrees and sunny most of the day. Sure, it was 25 degrees a few days ago, and might snow and ice this week, but it's 70 degrees now. So if you're in North Carolina, or even just write about North Carolina this week, please submit your entry to me!

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Have you seen this week's blog renter? It's Celebrity Smack. This site may not be safe for work, but if you want to read about the latest exploits of morons in Hollywood, it's not a bad place to check out. Head on over and take a peek.

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John Bolton should be the ambassador to the United Nations. He's a good man who absolutely pulls no punches and lets people know how things really are. But, because Democrats are super-partisan and simply cannot abide even hearing the truth, John Bolton is not our ambassador. But that's not stopping him from speaking the truth.

He says that the UN should be replaced. Well, of COURSE it should. It's a horrible corrupt and utterly impotent organization. No one listens to them, all they do is take money and spend it on their own corruption. The US should absolutely toss them out of the US. If the US stopped funding them, they'd be bankrupt in a minute.

Bolton says that Rice's efforts for peace in the Middle East are a waste. About time someone realized this!! Did you notice recently when Rice offered Palestine statehood that they REFUSED? Palestinians claim that's what they want, but they're outright lying. The only reason Palestine exists is to destroy Israel. They will absolutely never settle for anything less. I guess the only reason Israel hasn't nuked them is because they don't need the parking lot nearby.

Bolton tells is like it is on Iran: "I wouldnÂ’t have engaged in negotiations with Iran in the first place." No KIDDING! Why does everyone in the world EXCEPT government realize that "UN Sanctions" are utterly and totally meaningless? Everyone else realizes that only sheer power will stop Iran, nothing else. It's very refreshing to hear someone like Bolton actually admit it. Now if we can just convince Bush...

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Martin Luther King, Jr. had a wonderful idea. He had "a dream." He wanted people to be seen for their abilities and for who they were, rather than by the color of their skin. In America, thanks to his efforts, we reached that point. Then we went beyond it, and away from what he wanted.

Today, many people do see and judge people by the color of their skin. Large, wealthy organizations continue to profit immensely off viewing people by the color of their skin. Various government programs continue to blatantly judge and hire people primarily by the color of their skin. Unfortunately, this is the opposite of what Martin Luther King, Jr. wanted.

Even more unfortunately, those who profit from these racist actions are primarily those who have a darker skin tone than others. Today's so-called "civil rights" leaders are more interested in the color of your skin than anything else. These people like Jesse Jackson cannot see or talk to anyone without considering their skin color first. The concept of being color blind to skin color is absolutely and completely foreign to them. And that's a shame.

It's horrible that these people continue to use a great man's name to advance their racist political agendas. I only hope and pray that enough people will see and understand eventually that these people are nothing more than race hucksters and liars -- and are only interested in their own power and money.

Martin Luther King, Jr, I'm sorry that your legacy has been so perverted. Like you, I hope and dream that one day everyone really will be able to view people as people and not as races. But we are strongly opposed by various black "civil rights" leaders today.

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It seems the socialists in North Carolina are on the move, planning to "march" on Raleigh on Feb 10th. Why? Well they've got 14 points of socialism they want to advance. And who's marching? Why the NAACP and 20 other groups: such as the communist council of churches, the anti-freedom AFL-CIO, and the pro-criminal group El Pueblo. What do they want? Cash:

Cash for public schools

Abolishing the death penalty

collective bargaining power for government employees

And they want the government workers to be able to strike -- and get paid for the entire time they're on strike. Why? Because they want your cash. They want those who work to be punished for working while they reward those who do not.

expanding health care coverage for all

So watch the news on February 10th and see how much news coverage the socialists get "for the children." The liberal press will be more than happy to do anything to advance socialism and destroy freedom -- which is what all these groups want.

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This week's new neighbor is

Martha's Distraction

a 40 something woman who is always trying to figure out how to be a Christian while living within American Evangelicalism.

"Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus."--John 11:5 "But the Lord said to her, 'Martha, Martha you are anxious and troubled about many things...' --Luke 10:41

The latest post claims to explain her "beef with American Evangelicalism." But reading it, I can't tell what her beef actually IS. I mean, I think she's complaining about false teachings, but is that a condemnation of everyone who tries to spread the Word? Can anyone else tell what that's about?

And if she started what she promised to start last week, well, she's ahead of me and I need to invite her over to start me going in that direction, too. I need the (my) money!

She's also got some suggestions on getting the Bible read in a year, including links with other suggestions. I did that once -- actually did it while I was on an aircraft carrier. For some reason, I found that I had plenty of time...

So hey, on this wonderful Sunday afternoon, while you're sitting around reading blogs (perhaps while watching some football), why not head on over and take a peek. You might meet someone new and find you like them. You can go now, there will be no more posts here until tomorrow morning!

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Well, The Ogre is fresh out of jokes (and time) for this Friday afternoon, so if you're looking for the Friday afternoon funnies, I'll direct you to One Happy Dog. This week's "Humor for Dreaded Wednesday" included one REALLY bad pun and a computer joke.

And before you complain, I already warned you it was a BAD pun, right?

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Now that's a llama nose!

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1 looks like he's been using his tongue to good effect. (*)>

Posted by: birdwoman at January 12, 2007 11:12 PM (Sc2Wh)

2 Good and clean, huh?

Posted by: Ogre at January 13, 2007 12:33 AM (y8XDA)

3 No I never wanted to look up a llama's nose... I see enough stuff out of my sons... ugh

Posted by: vw bug at January 13, 2007 02:04 AM (OBsVv)

4 I'm thinking the llama nose is cleaner than your sons at times...

Posted by: Ogre at January 13, 2007 02:09 AM (y8XDA)

5 I need to show my boys this. This is great!

Posted by: Bou at January 13, 2007 03:02 AM (PQFHD)

6 Bou, where do you think I got this one?

Posted by: Ogre at January 13, 2007 11:59 AM (y8XDA)

7 I found a present for you but it won't let me put it in your comments! I'll post it on my blog

Posted by: ktreva at January 13, 2007 07:52 PM (MsT2U)

8 That sounds scary!

Posted by: Ogre at January 14, 2007 12:01 AM (pHUVv)

9 Again, my prediction that you could post photos of llama nostrils with success has been fulfilled. I've got a new challenge for you: post photos of Osama in a Hello Kitty outfit.

Posted by: Stevin at January 15, 2007 09:37 AM (LfL8N)

10 I just might have to accept that challenge...

Posted by: Ogre at January 15, 2007 02:01 PM (oifEm)

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I just read this post over at Dagney's Rant. It's a story that I am very familiar with. However, I realize that there are likely many people out there that are quite unfamiliar with the story about the Barbary Pirates. I'm quite sure there's no mention of these battles in government schools any more, they're too busy teaching students how to be a Muslim. Go over and read that story. It's excellent and it's very historically accurate.

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Now I realize that there's a lot of people that are, well, let's just say that they're a few beers short of a six pack. And for those of you reading this, if you're of "average" intelligence, or even above average, realize that means that there's over 100 MILLION people in America who are dumber than you. But I have to wonder -- am I the ONLY person who actually reads all the labels on medicine?

I mean, this "big news" from the CDC really makes me wonder. They're talking about how more than 1,500 babies wound up in emergency rooms because of reactions to medicine. And it makes me realize how useless the CDC is, too...

I hate to take medicine. I only take it when I really have to. But I always read the side of the box and the bottle to help me decide how much I need to take. No, really. I don't just open up the bottle of cold medicine and take a "swig," figuring that would help. But apparently, there's a lot of people who. Instead, I read the side and see how much it tells me to take. And I've noticed there's usually at least 3 categories for dosage: one for adults, one for children 2-12, and one for children under 2. And without exception, as far as I've seen, the section that says "children under 2" says, "CONSULT WITH A DOCTOR."

So I wonder about those 1,500 people. Did they read that line and ignore it? Or did they never read it at all. I would love to see the demographic breakdown of those 1,500 families. I would like to know how many were illegal immigrants, how many couldn't speak English, or how many couldn't read. But to even ask that question today, despite it's validity, is likely to get me branded as a racist. Heck, it might even be a "hate crime" now to even ask. I do know that not only do hospitals not keep such records, they're not allowed to. How screwed up is our government when it won't let a hospital keep records on people that might actually lead to saving more lives?

Worse, since this report was released by the CDC, a massive, massive government agency, look for more government. Whenever government sees a problem, they always have a solution: and the solution is ALWAYS more government. Since the CDC named the particular type of drug that contributed to these injuries and deaths, look for it to be regulated more. Look for pseudoephedrine to be added to the list of government-controlled substances in the next year. Be prepared for today's cold medicines to get even LESS effective as the government orders companies to not produce them. Watch for lawsuits from lottery entrants who seek cash from companies who make medicine with the product in it.

So what's my point? Folks, we can't save people from themselves and we should not try. Is that harsh? Perhaps. But it's reality. Life isn't safe, by definition. No, I am not advocating death to the stupid. I'm just saying that some people ARE going to be killed because of their lack of sense or brains -- and there's absolutely no amount of government regulation or spending that will stop that. Unfortunately, Democrats and bureaucrats don't understand or care. They will use any excuse to take more money from taxpayers and spend it on "programs" that are designed to save people from themselves. And in a free society, that's just wrong.

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Picture this, if you will:

It's a late-night television show -- one where the FCC doesn't really mind what goes on. Maybe it airs at 11pm or later. Imagine it's a comedy show. Perhaps they do skits often for laughs. Now imagine for one skit, a fellow comes out on stage with a guitar and sings a song with these lyrics:

"I like you Allah, but that's as far as it goes. I know you like boys, but I don't want to be your toy.
Mohammed might like it from behind, but that's not me. I'll kill and murder for you, but let my rear be."

What do you suppose would happen? Do you think people would laugh? How many things would be burned the next day? How many "hate crime" violations would be filed? How much news time would be spent on "reaction" from "outraged" Muslims? How many people would be sent to re-education camps sensativity training?

Or how about if the skit was a little different:

Let's say the person was introduced as "a complete idiot" and then sang:

"I'm black, I'm black, I like it in the back. Whitey is supreme, us blacks should take it inbetween."

How fast do you think Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson would make it to every single national stage and news report? How many millions do you think Jesse would demand for "reparations" against the network and studio? How many more "offended" people would be interviewed? How many opinion columns the next day would scream for government regulation and shut down of the network and show?

But what if the skit introduced "the idiot" and the lyrics went like this:

"Oh I love you Jesus, But only as a friend. You touched my heart but I hope that's where the touchin' ends.
You're always lookin' over me when I need a higher power. But you better look at somethin' else when I'm in the shower."

Well then, no one would care. There'd be no news reports. There'd be no opinions in the newspapers about it. There's be no lawsuits, arrests, or screaming offended victims on television. Why? Because it's okay to make fun of Christians, but it's not okay to make fun of anyone, or anything else.

How can I say this with assurance? Because that's exactly what happened on Late Night With Conan O'Brien. Did you hear about it? Did you read about any outrage? Did you see "civil rights" lawsuits filed? No. Did you hear any network or public figure condemn the skit, network, or studio? Not one.

Of course the difference also reflects which type of people actually are interested in "acceptance." The Muslims would, according to their holy book, have rioted in the streets and burned things. They would have killed people and tried to burn down the network. The blacks, through their spokesmen Jackson and Sharpton, would have screamed about oppression and demanded lots of money. They would not relent until the studio paid a hefty fine (to be used by Jackson and Sharpton) and until the network agreed to be racist and hire people based on the color of their skin instead of their abilities.

Christians, however, tend to follow their holy book. They tend to turn the other cheek. Their book tells them that they will be persecuted in Jesus' name. And instead of killing and destroying people, they simply pray for those who offend them. They know that those people will be dealt with by a power higher than themselves.

Now you tell me which group of people you'd rather have more of in America today.

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Yesterday, NC Senator Smith explained various budget problems with the state of North Carolina. And showed how the "next governor" Purdue (yes, in NC, we select governors long before people vote. It's how the Democrats have retained power in Raleigh for over 100 years) was wrong with her suggestions on how to deal with the problems.

Newspapers are now starting to notice the $1 BILLION or more gap. Of course Easley, because he's the governor, simply denies there's any gap. Everyone else estimates that there's between $500,000,000.00 and $1,000,000,000.00 in expenditures for North Carolina planned for next year MORE than the income the state will take in. But don't worry, they're still planning on giving away even MORE money!

Yes, while there is talk of problems with the state of North Carolina not having enough money and complaints about the millions of dollars NOT coming in from the lottery; the North Carolina Democrats are doing what they do: planning MORE spending! They're preparing to give tax money away to "the poor" and using taxpayer cash to bribe even more businesses. Apparently in the mind of the North Carolina Democrat, the way to get out of a fiscal problem where you don't have enough money is to spend MORE money.

But of course, it's a government -- so they won't ever run out of money. They'll just take more in taxes from those who work. Last year they increase spending and raised taxes over $1 billion dollars. This year they're starting out a billion short, so they're planing on spending MORE.

Oh, and to put the numbers in perspective, the entire budget of the state is "only" $18 billion. So that's over 5% that they're in the hole, BEFORE you start adding in all the new expenditures for this year that they're planning. The ONLY thing keeping North Carolina from completely collapsing in upon itself is the weather. Literally. The nice weather continues to draw unsuspecting working plebes who will pay into the system and keep it afloat. One day the people will stop coming -- and the North Carolina State government will completely collapse because there's no one left to shoulder the burden of the total fiscal irresponsibility of the Democrats.

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MeKender, who's been commenting here recently has taken my insults prodding suggestions about starting a blog seriously and has actually gone and started one: My Little Corner. And it's got a perfect tagline:

Insane ranting, raving, driveling and general madness brought on by the world we live in.

And to think I really used to like Bangor, and made a point to visit there whenever I was near. You can forget that happening any more. Any locality that makes laws based on junk science is shows themselves as total fools.

So anyway, head on over, there's other good stuff there -- and lots of it already!

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1 Congrats! Your a blog fatha!

Posted by: Quality Weenie at January 11, 2007 10:46 PM (BksWB)

2 Is that possible without a mother?

Posted by: Ogre at January 11, 2007 11:57 PM (y8XDA)

3 Yes. Done it plenty of times :-)

Posted by: Harvey at January 12, 2007 01:39 PM (L7a63)

4 Heh. I just don't seem to remember the conception part...

Posted by: Ogre at January 12, 2007 01:54 PM (oifEm)

5 Heh, thanks for the notice... as for not remembering... im sure it had something to do with all the alcohol you drank that night :-D as for the blog, ill probably be more offensive than ogre here is, and I'm sure that ill be more abrasive... but I'm also a person that wonders at least twice a day why my tax dollars are still paying for nuclear weapons that we AREN'T using...

Posted by: chris at January 13, 2007 07:25 PM (rBjHa)

6 That's a darn good question. A darn good one.

Posted by: Ogre at January 13, 2007 11:59 PM (pHUVv)

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by John Stephenson

I just finished reading Indefensible : 10 Ways The ACLU Is Destroying America by Sam Kastensmidt. I highly recommend it for everyone.

The book covers most of our own top ten reasons to stop the ACLU, however much more extensively. It covers everything the ACLU stands for. From the agenda of silencing the churches and abortion to the sexualization of children...the book covers it in excellent detail.

There have been many great books written on the ACLU. Most focus on the social and religious issues that are under attack. Alan Sears' book, ACLU Vs. America, focused on mainly on these issues, however it did touch upon how the ACLU attacks our soverignty. This book, Indefensible, also focuses on the social issues, but I was happy to see that it devoted an entire chapter on how the ACLU is Impeding America's War On Terror. I'm going to share a few excerpts from sections within that particular chapter.

ACLU Fights Measure To Halt Terrorists' Funding

Only weeks after the tragedy (911), Congress acted to dismantle the financial infrastructure supporting known terrorist organizations. On October 3, 2001, U.S. Rep. Michael Oxley (OH) introduced the "Financial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001," seeking to freeze all accounts directly linked to the "financing of terrorism."

The need for such legislation was deemed so vital to national security that it passed the U.S. House on a vote of 421-1. Almost the entire Congress recognized that this legislation's passage was imperative. Still, on the day before the vote was scheduled, the ACLU delivered letters of opposition to all members of Congress.

"We urge you to oppose the 'Financial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001,'" the letter began. Why? One portion of the bill made it a federal crime to conceal large amounts of "illegally obtained" cash (over $10,000) while traveling. In a desperate and shameful attempt to justify its stance, the ACLU played the race card. The letter argued, "This provision may impact, disproportionately, people of color and immigrants....[because] these groups of people often have a more difficult time getting access to sources of credit and bank accounts and so use cash transactions more frequently than others do."

Under the ACLU's reasoning, impoverished people would be discriminated against by this bill. The likelyhood of impoverished minorities carrying around more than $10,000 in cash and concealing it was supposedly a grave concern for the ACLU. Thankfully the ACLU's efforts to stop this were unsuccessful.

A little more from the book:

Later in the war, the ACLU actually volunteered its legal services to represent suspected terrorists!

In 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments from several alleged "illegal combatants," including two cases involving U.S. citizens and one case involving 14 foreign "illegal enemy combatants." The ACLU filed amicus briefs on behalf of the suspected terrorists in each case, arguing that ll "enemy combatants" cpatured during a time of war should have access to American courtrooms-regardless of their citizenship.

The Pentagon contended that "enemy combatants" should face military tribunals-the standard procedure in all previous international wars. U.S. Solictor General Theodore Olson, whose wife, Barbara Olson, was killed on September 11, when Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, reminded the Supreme Court Justices that the plaintiffs were requesting a "jurisdiction that is not authorized by Congress, does not arise from the Constitution, and has never been exercised by this Court."

Though the U.S. Constitution does not extend rights to non-citizen enemy combatants, judicial restraint did not prevent the moder Court from creating this new right out of thin air.

Thankfully this decision was made moot by the passing of the Military Commission Act. However, the ACLU's war on National Security continues, and giving habeous corpus to non-American citizens is on their New Year Resolution list. It is actually number one on the list, followed by destroying the NSA terrorist surveillance program, and destroying our ability to keep secrets.

Overall the book was well put together and very informative. I highly suggest checking it out.

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