Bluff City's Next Attempt at a Traffic Camera Scam

Here's a warning to folks who travel 11-E. In light of the recent shut-down of the speed camera in the southbound lane, the "city" of Bluff City wants to expand the ridiculous 45 mph speed zone further up the highway so they can keep their traffic scamera alive. As part of this process, it appears that they may be doing a traffic study, using the little trailer that records people's speeds and shows their speed on a sign board as they pass. Traffic studies are required for all new speed cameras under the new Tennessee law and it may be that they are doing this as part of their plan to extend the speed trap and "reinstall" (or re-activate) the speed camera.

Here's the trick - they have located the trailer just a few yards inside of the current 45 mph speed zone, but are measuring speed outside of the 45 mph zone. They basically placed their trailer right behind the sign where the speed limit changes. The sign on the trailer shows 45 mph and it is "inside" of the speed zone, but is set to measure cars that are clearly outside of the speed zone. That way, they can say "we set up a traffic study in the 45 mph zone and most people were exceeding the speed limit." They won't bother telling anyone that they were actually measuring speed in a 55 mph zone. THESE PEOPLE WILL STOP AT NOTHING WHEN IT COMES TO STEALING YOUR MONEY!

I note that this speed measuring trailer was turned off yesterday, but look for a rigged traffic study to go along with the expanded speed limit. This should be illegal. If that camera is turned on, anyone who gets a ticket should challenge the validity of the traffic study that may be being prepared with this speed measuring radar trailer.

Better yet, Bluff City should be disbanded and have its charter revoked. It is a dysfunctional government that seems to exist primarily to keep jobs for a few bureaucrats and few policemen.

Tax Life Insurance and Manufactured Homes

Glenn Reynolds (aka Instapundit) asks for reader suggestions on specific tax proposals that would hit Warren Buffett personally. Rather than rely on email, I'll post my suggestion here - tax life insurance from every direction and put a natural disaster tax on new manufactured homes. Warren Buffett's companies make a ton of money from selling life insurance. One of the reasons the wealthy buy life insurance is because life insurance proceeds can be exempt from income tax and estate tax, when structured and owned properly. As pointed out here, Buffett's companies make a fortune from the estate tax and repealing the estate tax would do away with a lot of Buffett's wealth. But since we'll likely never see the end of the estate tax (because guys like Buffett keep lobbying for it), this may be a good way to hit Mr. Buffett where it hurts.

Life insurance is still important for middle class families and many of them buy a large amount of it. Accordingly, I would propose that all income from life insurance proceeds in excess of fifty times median household income, as adjusted for inflation. This would exempt approximately $2.5 million in proceeds which would provide more than enough insurance for all but the richest of households. Anything above that threshold arising from the death of any individual would be taxed as ordinary income. Additionally, any insurance proceeds arising from the death of any individual shall be included in that person's gross estate for estate tax purposes regardless of whether the beneficiary of the proceeds is a person, trust or other entity other than a charity. This disincentive to buy life insurance would likely have a big impact on Buffett's cash cow business.

But maybe that's too complicated. If so, how about a natural disaster tax on all manufactured homes? It seems that these homes often do not fair very well during some types of natural disasters. Buffett's company owns Clayton Homes and I believe it also owns a company that finances manufactured homes.

Do these clowns really want to play the class warfare game?

Obama Hates Blacks and Poor People

So suggests this post which uses census data to show how the poor and poor blacks in particular have suffered under this administration. Imagine for a moment how this kind of analysis would be touted from the rooftops if a Republican were president.

This comment is golden: "Obama is winning the War on Prosperity."

(h/t Instapundit).

More Carter County Insanity

In Carter County, TN, the local government owns its property and it apparently thinks it owns your property, too. Here, the City of Elizabethton's water department has put a 12 inch waterline across a citizen's property on a supposedly temporary basis, apparently without paying him any compensation for it (Look for link to disappear, as money hungry local paper sometimes disables free links. Backup link here.) Rather than remove the line or pay him what could be an unlawful taking of his property in violation of the U.S. Constitution, they are apparently threatening to arrest him if he messes with the line. Meanwhile, the property owner claims that the line is leaking and regardless of whether that is true, it is most certainly an inconvenient eyesore.

This is a county that, within the last ten years or so, adopted an ill-conceived zoning ordinance that borders on ridiculous in its application and enforcement. This is a county where the new county mayor, Leon "Boss Hogg" Humphrey wants to cut the size of the county commission so he can more easily railroad his own proposals through the local government. One letter to the editor in the local newspaper actually said that they should cut the size of the commission by just eliminating any commissioner that did not agree with the mayor. Why not just make him king? This is a county where untold millions have been sunk into not one, but TWO, ill-fated jail projects over the years. Clearly, this is a county with a dysfunctional government. And they wonder why businesses don't want to locate in Carter County.

They Don't Call Him President Zero For Nothing

So sayeth the Blogfather, after ZERO jobs were added in August, for the first time since WWII. I'm sure King Barry's upcoming jobs plan will consist of more platitudes than jobs. I just hope that, in 2012, he will join the unemployed.

A lawyer to love

As dispicable as some lawyers are, you just have to love a guy that defends people against these unconstitutional traffic scameras for free. That's right, attorney Aaron Delgado is defending those who have received tickets for free. He says he has gotten more than a dozen tickets dismissed and generally attacks them based on them not being regularly tested for accuracy.

If I gave a "This Bud's for You" award, this guy would earn today's award, hands down.