The United States Supreme Court today (in a 5-4 ruling) ruled that some restrictions on speech that were contained in the McCain-Feingold Campaign finance act were un-Constitutional.
While the Supreme Court should have tossed out all restrictions on television ads airing close to elections and campaign funding as contrary to the First Amendment (among other things), the Supreme Court today did loosen restrictions on ads airing near an election.
Every small victory for freedom and freedom of speech is welcome.
Chief Justice Roberts said:
Discussion of issues cannot be suppressed simply because the issues also may be pertinent in an election. Where the First Amendment is implicated, the tie goes to the speaker, not the censor.
As you may already know, the State of Florida is currently considering a measure to eliminate the Florida Property tax during a special session (June 12-22, 2007), so action today is important. Property values in Florida have increased significantly over the past 5 years – 11 percent, 12.2 percent, 18.2 percent, 19 percent and 25 percent. The combined impact from all taxing jurisdictions is that property tax revenues have doubled, significantly outpacing inflation. Over the last decade state population has grown by 25 percent, personal income has grown by 86 percent, but property taxes have increased by 148 percent. The politicians whining about not having enough revenue want power over you, nothing more and will use fear and any technique than can in order to keep it. Their special interest friends want their handouts that the politicians take from you.
Abolishing the property tax would be a boon for the State of Florida for many reasons:
* Increased property values: people can afford more for their money without worrying about property taxes each year.
* Increased growth: lower taxes increase growth; meaning more jobs and better wages.
* Easier Home sales: people will be able to afford a more expensive house and be more mobile because they won?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t fear a huge tax increase that a move currently would cause. Continue reading Florida Property Tax Reform and Elimination→
“All safe deposit boxes in banks or financial institutions have been sealed… and may only be opened in the presence of an agent of the I.R.S.”
– Attributed to President F.D. Roosevelt, 1933 after making it illegal to own gold [There is dispute about this quotation, but the result was the same.]
The phrase “Race to the Bottom” is a semantic slight of hand used to attempt to color your opinion prior to even looking at the situation over which the phrase is used. The phrase “Race to the bottom” was coined by US Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis in the 1933 case, Ligget Co. v. Lee (288 U.S. 517, 558-559). Brandeis didn’t fail to see that competition helps to increase liberty, Brandeis merely believed that this was a bad thing. Coining a phrase like “race to the bottom” is a wonderful technique if you wish to stifle dissent and put other views immediately on the defensive.
“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here. Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.” Senator Obama, March 20, 2006
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Sen. Kennedy on ‘settled’ law
Senator Kennedy’s assertion (Wall Street Journal, July 25, 2005) that Commerce Clause jurisprudence is settled is laughable for many reasons.
1. First and foremost, Commerce Clause jurisprudence was “settled” in favor of freedom and liberty until the Supreme Court of the 1930s gutted the doctrine in order to make way for a socialistic, big-government nanny state. Continue reading Sen. Kennedy on ‘settled’ Constitutional law→
Taxpayer Bill of Rights
The Governor of Colorado, Bill Owens (Wall Street Journal, Letters, June 24, 2005) laments that the ratcheting down effect in the Tabor and calls it a “flaw.” In fact, it is a strength of those bills. He also claims that it “hurts”. The question is, who does it hurt? The politicians who want more money to spend! Letting you keep more of your own money doesn’t “hurt,” unless you are the person who wants to spend someone else’s hard earned dollars! Continue reading Taxpayer Bill of Rights→
Tuesday, March 08, 2005 Social Security & Withholding
It isn’t just the under-30s who are fed up with social security. Many of those of us under 40 feel the same way. Right now, I would be happy to just write-off all my previous social security “contributions” (wait, “contributions” are supposed to be voluntary, aren’t they?) Continue reading Social Security & Withholding, a Generational Transfer Scheme→
Monday, November 22, 2004Enumerated powers, not enumerated libertyThe United States was founded on the principle that we are a country of enumerated government powers not of enumerated individual liberty. Anyone in grade school knows the theory. Anyone in the real world knows that the practice has no bearing on the principle. The Founders created a system to protect that liberty, however as the 20th century showed, a tireless minority in search of power will pervert such a system and then defend their lust for power over you to the death. Continue reading Enumerated Powers, not Enumerated Liberties→
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Back to the USSR?
Rep. David Dreier introduced Legislation (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.r.05111:) to force people to carry national ID cards with them which are tied into a national database. If Dreier is an example of the Republican party, the Republican Party is no longer the party of Reagan and Goldwater, only of the old USSR. So much for maximizing Liberty, Dreier is taking us one step closer to totalitarianism. Continue reading Back to the USSR? Compliments of Rep. David Dreier→