Someone Needs to Say It

Hunker Down

2011-12-15T08:58:00.004-05:00

Charitable donations are down and firearm sales are up, this year. It's almost like people are hunkering down....like they are afraid something bad is about to happen. Why on earth would people believe that? I mean, after all, we have Obama: The Greatest President in the History of Everything. It's almost like people are losing faith in Obamessiah. What this man stands for is no surprise to anyone who was paying attention in 2008. I'm glad the rest of the rubes are starting to catch up.

What liberal media?

2011-12-06T17:42:00.002-05:00

If you don't believe the media has a pro-Obama agenda, take a look at these headlines at The Right Sphere.

Most Democrats Don't go to Church

2011-11-08T09:00:00.003-05:00

So sayeth Gallup. Well, duh. It would be pretty tough to spend a lot of time in church and then vote for candidates who support this. (WARNING: Graphic video at link)

Do it for the children

2011-11-07T16:43:00.003-05:00

So says Rahm Emanuel. According to Rahm (aka the "Godfather," whose motto is to never let a crisis go to waste), revenue cameras are all about the children and are part of an overall strategy to protect the children. He wants us to believe that it's not about the revenue. Ok, so why aren't you using that money to, well, actually do something for the children. Nope. Gotta burn that money on some other big government scheme!

Who will protect our children from a government run amok? Who will protect our children from someone who would trash the Constitutional right to confront an accuser? If you want to do something to protect the children, how about giving them a country that values freedom and Constitutional rights.

Hey, it's Unconstitutional!

2011-11-07T09:06:00.003-05:00

Bluff City has responded to the class action lawsuit against it. It sounds like, while the plaintiffs made many arguments, they did not address the constitutionality of the fines in Bluff City. As I stated before (in much greater detail here), I believe there is a good argument to be made that their fine structure was unconstitutional under the Tennessee constitution. Article VI Section 15 of the Tennessee Constitution plainly states that "No fine shall be laid on any citizen of this state that shall exceed $50, unless it is assessed by a jury of his peers." The original Bluff City ordinance charged a $40 administrative fee on top of a $50 fine and that administrative fee was nothing but a fine by a different name. GO GET 'EM!!

Camera Scam Might Prevent you from Buying a Home

2011-11-07T08:58:00.003-05:00

Governments are now turning over unpaid traffic scamera tickets to collection agencies. This can have a significant adverse impact on your credit score. It could keep you from buying a home, cause you to pay higher mortgage rates, etc. Since most insurance companies check your credit score, it might also prevent you from getting good rates on your car insurance.

Aren't these all things that are great for local economies so the local government can have a few more bucks in the short term? Isn't it good news that your local housing inventory continues to build due to fewer and fewer buyers who have good credit? Won't it be great when you get into an accident and learn that you (or your UIM carrier) will have to pick up the tab because the other guy cancelled his insurance because he could no longer afford it.

The use of these cameras is so short-sighted. We get the government we deserve.

Roads Being Made Less Safe to Increase Revenue

2011-10-31T13:45:00.002-04:00

Yet another report shows that red light cameras increase accidents. That's no surprise. PennDot has raked in over $21 million for their portion of the revenue from the cameras. So, do you think they care if you get in a wreck? Have they taken the cameras down? Nope. Despite this study, they will keep the cameras and make the roads less safe so that they may have more money to spend.

It's all about the money.

King Barry Sounding More Like a Dictator

2011-10-26T11:40:00.003-04:00

President Obama (aka King Barry at this site), said "I've told my administration to keep looking every single day for actions we can take without Congress. . . . And we're going to be announcing these executive decisions on a regular basis." He says that, where Congress won't act, he will. One could get the impression that he is setting himself up to be a dictator. After all, we have an emergency. . . . a crisis. Congress is doing nothing, so he must take charge.

If this country is given the opportunity to re-elect this bozo and chooses to do so, we deserve what we get. If the emergency / crisis gets bad enough, he may just decide that elections should be suspended until times improve. Does suggesting that make me an alarmist? Maybe so, but considering that trial balloon has already been floated by one of his cronies in NC (Bev Perdue), don't be surprised to hear more about it if the economic crisis "unexpectedly" worsens.

Why no one in Bluff City stood up to the camera clowns

2011-10-14T12:38:00.005-04:00

Well, the Bluff City speed cameras are about to be turned back on, the speed limit will be reduced and the length of the speed trap will be extended. The city "leaders" continue to maintain the incredulous position that the extension of the speed trap is for "traffic calming." In any event, some of my non-local readers might be interested in knowing why no one in Bluff City would bother showing up at the Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting to complain. It's simple, really.

Very few people actually live in the speed trap. It's in a commercial area.

Very few people live in Bluff City to begin with and, those that do, benefit greatly from it because nearly 100% of the violaters are from outside of Bluff City. Bluff City has a population of under 1,700 people, but yet they pull in millions from these two speed cameras. You do the math. It allows the citizens of Bluff City to have a much larger government than they otherwise would and they don't have the burden of having to pay for it.

The area of the speed trap is essentially strip-annexed into Bluff City. The center of mass of the population of Bluff City is well outside of the speed trap. Depending on the direction of travel, many residents of the area that has been historically known as Bluff City can partially or entirely avoid the speed trap, particularly if they are traveling toward Elizabethton or Bristol.

In other words, why should the citizens of Bluff City care? You're paying for it! It's the new American way - get others to pay for stuff that you want. Whenever one group gets all the benefits and pays little of the costs, what do we expect will happen? It's the same thing that we see happening when over half of the citizens of this country pay no income tax....but that's an issue for another rant.

The Bluff City Rip Off

2011-10-07T09:13:00.004-04:00

Not surprisingly, Bluff City is moving to extend their speed trap "north to the Charlie Worlie Bridge." This is probably over two miles from the speed camera. So they have used the camera law as an excuse to extend their speed trap for an additional two miles. For the uninitiated, the Charlie Worlie Bridge is at the bottom of a rather large hill. Look for the police to set up at the bottom of the hill or at the pull-off next to the flea market.

As I predicted, they are using a "traffic study" as justification for this, one that is likely rigged. "[Interim City Manager Judy] Dulaney said a recently completed traffic study of the area showed that most vehicles, northbound and southbound in all lanes of travel, pass through at an average of 66 mph." This is in a 55 mph zone on a 4-lane divided highway in a generally non-congested area. The flea market brings in a fair amount of traffic on the weekend, but commuter traffic is less on Saturday so the net effect is probably de minimus. My guess is that they put their speed trailer on the hill going to the Charlie Worlie Bridge on the northbound side and near the other side of the hill on the southbound side so they would get a higher speed reading.

You people who elect this pathetic group of misfits called the Board of Mayor and Aldermen need to get on the phone and cut this off at the legs. Before this becomes effective, they have to have a second reading that that is scheduled for October 13. Let your voice be heard. You are allowing a government to grow out of control. In no circumstances should so much of any government's revenue be dependent on extracting money from motorists in a speed trap.

Of course, Delaney claims that the speed camera "isn't the primary reason for extending the 45 mph speed limit to the bridge." If you believe that, please contact me about a bridge that I have for sale that is a real money making opportunity. That is such a complete and obvious lie that I cannot believe any bureaucrat is dumb enough to actually say it.

Bluff City's Next Attempt at a Traffic Camera Scam

2011-09-23T10:11:00.010-04:00

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

2011-09-19T14:55:00.005-04:00

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

2011-09-13T22:07:00.003-04:00

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

2011-09-12T21:24:00.004-04:00

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

2011-09-02T10:04:00.004-04:00

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

2011-09-01T17:57:00.002-04:00

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.

Casey Anthony Lesson - Don't Talk to the Cops

2011-07-08T11:02:00.004-04:00

Here is further evidence that Glenn Reynolds' quip that the lesson from the Casey Anthony trial is to not talk to the cops. If she had been tried in federal court, she would have possibly received 20 years for the same conduct.

Remember, Martha Stewart was also convicted of lying about a crime that they could not prove she committed.

Calling for Congressional Investigation

2011-06-23T15:12:00.003-04:00

Considering oil prices had already fallen over 16% in the two weeks prior to the release of oil from the strategic petroleum reserve, Congress should find out who knew about this release in advance of it happening and how they knew. Key people who were "in the know" have made a fortune off of this. That doesn't even include today's slide of several more percent.

Didn't King Barry say just a few months ago that he would not be releasing oil from the SPR? This oil release is nothing more than a coordinated, world-wide effort to manipulate the price of oil. Be scared. Be very scared.

We're watching you anyway, SO GET OVER IT!!

2011-06-23T09:02:00.003-04:00

That's the fair implication of The People's Republic of Farragut's photo enforcement enforcement manager's words to the "TEA Party" members at a meeting regarding the Republic's red-light camera system. According to Ben Harkins, the photo enforcement manager, "Love or hate red-light cameras, surveillance has been with us for many, many years."

Not surprisingly, he also thinks Tennessee's new law that prohibits traffic cameras for citing right turns on red is "misguided." Considering how the vast majority of these red light tickets are for "rolling" rights on red (that cause nearly no accidents anyway), I suppose Mr. Harkins sees the writing on the wall and realizes that his job could be in jeopardy. Well, BOO HOO.

Maybe he should have been a little more direct: "Dear subject, the government is watching you. We want to know your every move. We want to know where you go and who you associate with. It's in your best interest. Trust us. Nothing bad can come from this. We will take care of you. If you have done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear. This is for your protection. We know what's best. Bwaahaaahaaahaaa."

There Was Once a Day

2011-06-20T17:02:00.003-04:00

There was once a day when endorsement by a Russian president would be the kiss of death for someone seeking the presidency. Anymore, I'm not so sure.

A few questions that the rubes who supporte Barack Obama should ask themselves:

1. Do you think it is in Russia's best interest for the U.S. to be a strong nation?
2. Do you think the leaders of Russia want the U.S. to be a strong nation?
3. If they wanted the U.S. to be a weak nation, who would they support?

Rest assured that Medvedev's support of King Barry has nothing to do with "improving ties" and has everything to do with further weakening America.

Winnipeg Results Show Red Light Cameras Aren't Working

2011-06-14T09:32:00.002-04:00

The number of people killed at intersections in Winnipeg, Manitoba is basically unchanged for years after the enforcement cameras came into use. While I really believe the statistics shown in the article are to erratic to mean much, they certainly do not show that the cameras provide any material safety benefit. If they can't show a benefit, then why have them? The purpose of these cameras is to take money from your pocket and use it to enrich companies with powerful lobbyists and to give play money to politicians so they can buy votes. DON'T BE FOOLED.

Mindless Culprits

2011-06-14T09:18:00.004-04:00

After a speed camera in the U.K. was set on fire for the second time in a few weeks, a spokesperson for the Safer Roads Partnership "blasted the 'mindless culprits', claiming the damage put motorists and pedestrians at risk." She then goes on to lament that the "irresponsible perpetrators should realise the cameras are put in place to protect road users."

Meanwhile, John Danneskjold, spokesman for Americans Who Love Liberty*, blasted politicans who install speed cameras and red light cameras as "mindless culprits" who would rather defecate on the Constitution than actually read it. He stated that "their appetite for revenue and the corresponding ability to use that revenue to buy votes and thereby cement their political power is a sad statement on American politics and culture. We have allowed ourselves to be ruled by a political class that is more concerned with cementing its own power over the populace than with liberty and the freedoms entrusted to us by our founding fathers. It's time for that to change."

*No, Americans Who Love Liberty does not exist as a formal organization....but perhaps it should.

Judge Rules that Cops Can't Write Red Light Tickets

2011-06-09T09:10:00.003-04:00

A Broward Co., Florida judge has ruled that cops can't write red light tickets because they are more expensive and create points on a driver's license when compared to red light cameras. He has held that red light tickets issued by a police officer are unconstitutional, essentially because it's the same infraction but creates a different punishment, based solely on who/what generated the ticket. In other words, there is no equal protection under the law as required by the U.S. and Florida Constitutions.

Of course, the reason most states treat traffic camera tickets differently is to avoid the entire issue of it being a criminal matter. They feel they can avoid the confrontation clause of the applicable Constitutions if they make a red light ticket "a civil matter."

It seems to me that if you have one offense with two different levels of punishment (depending solely on how the ticket is issued), then both statutes should be unconstitutional under the same reasoning. The judge had no reason to reach that issue because that was not the issue in front of him. However, it stands to reason that the same argument could and should be used in red light camera cases. In both circumstances, you have the same offense but are treated differently based solely on how the ticket is issued. That is unequal on both sides of the equation.

The circle of despair

2011-06-08T13:42:00.004-04:00

The automobile company bailout is but one example of the circle of despair that taxpayers are caught up in. Today, the CEO of GM is saying that higher gas prices would be "good for the environment." Let's see how this works:

1. Incompetent car company is failing because not enough people want to buy its product.
2. Incompetent car company's union helps current regime get elected.
3. In order to pay back the union for its support, current regime bails out incompetent car company. [Enter the taxpayers into the circle of DESPAIR].
4. Incompetent car company bets the taxpayers' "investment" on an unproven hybrid car.
5. King Barry works to do everything he can to make sure gas prices stay high. [taxpayers/drivers continue in the circle of despair].
6. High gas prices cause more people to buy hybrids.
7. Gas prices start to drop and less people become interested in hybrids.
8. Have CEO of incompetent car company suggest higher gas taxes so that gas prices will go back up.
9. TO COME: King Barry and the CEO get their higher gas taxes [taxpayers continue in despair]
10. TO COME: Higher gas prices lead to higher inflation - union goons get raises [taxpayers continue in despair]
11. TO COME: Union goons continue to support King Barry Obama and work to get him re-coronated. [taxpayers continue in circle of despair].

The higher gas prices are coming. If you think you're grabbing your ankles now, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Busted!

2011-05-24T17:07:00.004-04:00

An American Traffic Solutions EXECUTIVE was "suspended for an uncertain amount of time" when he got caught posing as a citizen and posting positive spin about traffic cameras. A spokesman for the company described the outed EXECUTIVE as being passionate for the company but said he went about promoting it the wrong way. MY. BUTT. He just got caught. Note that nowhere in the article did you see the phrase "without pay" to go along with his suspension.

This industry will stop at nothing to convince the populace that these cameras are desired. We can expect that the traffic camera industry will pay to have studies done with pre-ordained results. We can expect that the industry will hire lobbyists and PR firms. We can expect that they will make promises to crooked politicans of vast wealth that they can squander on their pet vote-buying projects.

They will stop at nothing. Use your common sense. If someone is advocating these unproven and unconstitutional devices, FOLLOW THE MONEY.

Traffic Enforcement Camera Quotes of the Day

2011-05-19T09:35:00.003-04:00

This Jeff Ward opinion piece is chock full of traffic camera / freedom goodness:

"Because once our civic leaders begin to see law enforcement as just another revenue stream, you won't be able to tell the difference between the cops and the criminals."

"[red light cameras are] a despicable abomination that needs to go the way of the Humvee."

The English Solution to Speed Cameras

2011-05-17T09:12:00.004-04:00

In Lincolnshire, England, the locals there have taken to burning the speed cameras. "Vandals" have damaged nearly 1/3 of the speed cameras there. I believe that CNN popularized the phrase "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter." Could the same be said about one man's "vandal"?

Just as a note: At this point in time, I do not condone vandalism against cameras. We still have a legal process that allows us to fight these things, and as long as that process remains, we should fully utilize it.

Bluff City Candidates' Positions on Speed Cameras

2011-05-17T09:02:00.003-04:00

Tricities.com has a story today about the candidates for Bluff City's board of mayor and aldermen. Only one of the candidates, Melvin Carrier, has the guts to publicly oppose the speed cameras in Piney Flats / Bluff City. I would encourage the few people who actually live in Bluff City to support him in his election.

Bluff City is a town that's government is in complete disarray. I don't think it currently has a mayor and they have had consistent problems with the board of mayor and aldermen for quite some time. Why does this town even exist? The population is only 1559 people, but yet they put up a speed camera to rip off revenue from thousands of non-residents. It seems to me that the only reason the town exists is to provide a few guvmint jobs for the locals, rip off passersby and run a few police cars. What would it take to force Bluff City to surrender its charter of incorporation? I mean, really, do the 1559 Sullivan County residents who reside in Bluff City need another layer of government?

It is clear that the speed cameras there put a disproportionate burden on non-residents of Bluff City - people who have no voice in the election of the leaders there or those who make decisions. This is truly a unique situation and should not be allowed to continue. The entire Tri-Cities area must pay the price in lost tourism and money being sent out of our economy to an out-of-state traffic camera company. Literally millions of dollars are leaving the local economy and the state, just so a few tyrants in a tiny town will have some $$$ to blow on their pet projects. Enough!

$835 parking ticket

2011-05-13T16:53:00.004-04:00

I hope none of the other money-grubbing municipalities hear about this. This lady received an $835 ticket for parking in the grass. Unbelievable.

Just Be Honest

2011-05-11T13:06:00.002-04:00

The Arizona Daily Star suggests that we be honest and call traffic cameras what they actually are: short term revenue generators.

Are you better off today than you were four years ago?

2011-04-13T13:38:00.002-04:00

Well, duh. Interestingly, the chart shows how much gas prices have increased over the last four years. And I haven't personally had a pay raise in 4 years, but instead get phantom pay cuts with every increase in the costs of insurance, etc. I've spent 4 years essentially going backwards. I hope you have fared better.

Well, it's official

2011-04-04T15:37:00.003-04:00

Gas prices have doubled in just over two years of Barack Obama's presidency. We've been watching this for a while here. At the same point in their respective presidencies, this is much worse that Bush or Clinton. Remember when Barack Obama took office? Gas was $1.81 per gallon then. So, whose fault is it? Nancy Pelosi blamed Bush when gas became more expensive during his term. Where is Nancy now?

More on Gas Prices

2011-03-11T13:42:00.004-05:00

The Weekly Standard gets in on the game, showing how gas prices are now up 67% since Obama took office. They include a helpful graph from the Heritage Foundation which compares this to the same period in the Bush administration. Of course, my readers have been aware of this issue for quite some time.

Facebook Group

2011-03-04T09:21:00.002-05:00

Looks like the legislation that is supported by the "Kill Tennessee Traffic Cameras" Facebook group is the one that is causing all the ruckus with the math impaired and/or lying Morristown government officials. Power to the people!

Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics

2011-03-03T17:52:00.006-05:00

Morristown officials are freaking out because they might have to raise taxes to cover lost revenue if the red light cameras are removed. Morristown Police Chief Roger Overholt argues that "the cameras have dramatically reduced fatalities and serious crashes." Of course, he offers no hard data to back it up. According to a source for the story, "fatalities were down 600 percent last year." How, exactly, is that possible? Well, it isn't. A number can never drop by more than 100%. If you have 10 fatalities and fatalities go to zero, that means fatalities have dropped 100%. You cannot have negative fatalities.

Folks, I'm not sure if they are math impaired, making it up, or both. Ironically, in the same paragraph, the police chief poo-poos the idea of earmarking 95% of the traffic camera revenues to education. The city officials cannot do basic math, but yet they don't want their scamera revenue to be used for education. I'm choking on the irony of this.

In Morristown, $1.4 million has been taken out of the local economy and sent to Redflex. How many jobs would be generated if that money were spent locally? The other $1.4 million went into city coffers to make up for their mismanagement of the rest of their budget.

UPDATE: It looks like the Citizen Tribune article has been moved or is no longer available. The Kingsport newspaper has a similar version of the story which also cites the "600 percent" decrease in fatalities. Welcome to all the readers from Say Uncle (and thanks for the link).

Where is the Outrage?

2011-02-28T15:44:00.005-05:00

Back in 2008, Nancy Pelosi was screaming about how Bush's "big oil agenda" was scamming the American people. Where is the outrage today? I've talked about this previously, but with gas prices continuing to rise, where is the outrage?

Gas was $1.81 per gallon when Barack Obama was coronated.

Where is the outrage in the media? Where are the interviews of grandmas and working class folks telling us, in their best Southern drawl, that they just can't make it to work, that they can't afford their medicine, that they are having to cut back in every area of their life, etc.? Where is the outrage? We saw these stories and interviews when Bush was President. Every. Single. Day.

Based on the February 21, 2011 weekly average of $3.189 per gallon, gas prices are up 76.19% since Obama took office. [Updated to add: AAA says the average is $3.368 per gallon today.] Let's call it 25 months. So, to update my prior post on this subject:

8 years of Bush - Gas prices up 25%
8 years of Clinton - Gas prices up 38%
2 years of Obama - Gas prices up 76.19%

Visualizing Obama's Budget Cuts

2011-02-21T12:59:00.000-05:00

See the impressive video at the link.

You mean it's not about safety?

2011-02-21T09:21:00.003-05:00

In South Florida, some municipalities are losing more money on the tickets than they are taking in. If this were really about saving lives, the debate would be about whether the lives saved were worth the extra costs and burdens that these cities are dealing with. They can't have that debate because the facts show that these things just don't provide an overall safety benefit. Governments spend (i.e., "lose") money all the time on things that promote well-being and safety. They give up tax revenues to build a hospital. They spend money on a new medical school. They spend money to improve roads and make them safer. They're not talking about spending money in this case to make roads safer. They are talking about spending money because they plan to make money and when they don't make money, the cameras aren't fulfilling their purpose.

It isn't about saving lives; it's about lining pockets.

Red Light Camera Company Has Facebook Poll

2011-02-08T14:53:00.005-05:00

The traffic enforcement camera company, American Traffic Solutions, has a poll on their Facebook page that asks whether red light cameras reduce fatalities. You can go to their Facebook page and answer the poll yourself.

According to CameraFRAUD, all of the posts on their page say red light cameras are a scam, so it doesn't appear as though their Facebook presence is giving them the support they desire. CameraFRAUD also says that ATS is paying $0.50 to $1.00 to get fake Facebook friends.

UPDATE: If you scroll down American Traffic Solutions' Wall on Facebook, they post several polls from various media organizations where you can go and express your opinions on red light cameras. Here are a couple of the polls they want people to go visit. So....go visit!!!

http://wsbradio.com/localnews/2011/02/wsb-poll-79.html
http://www.nbc12.com/Global/story.asp?S=13946493

State Troopers Guard Against Speed Cameras

2011-02-04T14:43:00.003-05:00

An interesting thing happened this morning while driving through Piney Flats (Bluff City). I followed a Tennessee Highway patrol vehicle, a large SUV, through the speed camera area. It was one of those times where a video camera would have been great.

For perspective, these speed cameras are placed at the bottom of a hill in an area with an artificially low speed limit. It is a divided highway that is rather rural, but has a few low-traffic businesses on the side of the road.

As the officer approached the speed camera, he (or she) jabs his brakes, gets past the camera and then speeds back up to a normal and safe road speed that just happens to be in excess of the posted (and artifically low) speed limit. This is essentially what a majority of people do when they pass this area.

So, in summary, Piney Flats, Tennessee is a speed trap. Avoid it at all costs. Take your business elsewhere. Do not patronize the businesses there.

A proposal to cut into King Barry's re-coronation campaign

2011-01-24T11:53:00.002-05:00

A proposed bill would end funding for the signs that say "Project Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act" or "Putting America to Work." You know, the signs with the Big O on them that remind us that all good things in life come from Barack Obama. If you need a reminder, photo at this link.

Gas was $1.81 when Barack Obama took office

2011-01-12T10:17:00.003-05:00

Really, what else needs to be said? I guess with his economic policies, the good news is that fewer and fewer people are affected by the high gas prices. The cost to drive to work doesn't matter as much when you are unemployed.

Moron Alert

2011-01-11T14:10:00.006-05:00

New York Republican Rep. Peter King is apparently a complete moron. He plans on introducing legislation to ban the carrying of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a "high-profile government official." This is nothing more than a way to put the screws to some innocent individual who is otherwise legally carrying a firearm, as it will do absolutely nothing to prevent tragedies like the one in Arizona.

Mr. King, could you please tell us why someone who is willing to violate the laws against murdering someone would be deterred by your proposed legislation? Do you really think the criminal mind will say "hmmm, I was going to murder that crooked politician, but since I cannot carry my gun within a 1,000 feet of him, I won't do that"?

Mr. King, I do not care what party you are in. Your constituents should send you packing at the first opportunity as you clearly lack the ability to think logically or rationally. If you so fear "We the People" (i.e., the "little people"), you should go into hiding somewhere and avoid being an elected official. We would all be better off for it.

UPDATE: Instapundit points to a couple of different commentators: Benjamin Domenech expounds on King's "silly idea" and Ann Althouse further points out the idiocy of this gun-free bubble proposal. I especially like the first comment at Althouse's site: "What a wuss." Yep, that about sums it up.

Speed Cameras Take Everyone's Photo

2011-01-03T09:47:00.005-05:00

These speed cameras were taking photos of every car that passed by. Unless you can confront the person who maintains the camera that took your photo, how can a court be assured that you were actually speeding? Insist on the right to confront your accuser. Insist on having whoever maintains the camera present and available to testify. The government needs to be able to prove that the camera is operational and not just snapping photos.

Stimulus Funds are Being Wasted

2010-12-21T10:22:00.002-05:00

Say it ain't so! Make a pot of money available and people do what they can to get a piece of it??? Surely not! The Tennessee comptroller has determined that "Stimulus money meant to help the poor prepare their homes for winter has been wasted and misspent." A pork-barrel project plagued with waste and fraud....you would think that taxpayers would learn these things by now.

Cut 'em off

2010-12-21T10:07:00.003-05:00

A city in southern California is turning off the street lights to save money. Other towns should follow suit. Automobiles have, for years, had these things on the front of them which are known as headlights. They work amazingly well at lighting the area directly in the path of the operational automobile. They cost basically nothing to operate. They are the sole source of light at night on most roads throughout the country. Yet, cities insist on burning street lights at all hours of the night when there are very few cars on the roads.

A generation of children has grown up without knowing what the night sky looks like. A good start in most places would be to turn street lights off no later than midnight. If there is a compelling safety reason to have them on for shift workers (which I doubt), you could leave them off from midnight until 6 a.m.

Pigs Get Fat and Hogs Get Slaughtered

2010-12-16T16:19:00.002-05:00

I've heard that statement so many times that I could scream. But here is a case where it is bound to happen and we all might be better off for it. According to Cheetah, the manufacturer of a GPS-based red light camera detector, there are some locations in Florida where red light fines can run from $5,000 to $10,000, with some being as high as $30,000. I assume that is after all court costs, etc. are added in, but that is a chunk of change for anyone.

For $50, it might not be worth someone's time to take off from a day of work, hire a lawyer, etc. to fight these unconstitutional pariah's. But for $10,000, it is worth the time and the trouble to fight like mad by hiring lawyers, filing appeals, etc. Once these cases get out of the "Star Chamber" Mickey-Mouse courts, you just might find a court that actually applies the Constitution.

This level of fines reminds me of a case involving BMW from several years ago. Basically, the Supreme Court held that certain levels of punitive damages violate due process. As far as I can tell, the red light cameras and speed cameras violate due process anyway, but these mega-fines make it worth the trouble to get binding case law that outlaws them (since it is clear that most gutless legislatures are bought and paid for by the scamera companies and thus refuse to do anything).

Poll on Red Light Cameras

2010-12-15T09:17:00.002-05:00

KnoxNews has a poll up on red light cameras. The question is "What should the city of Knoxville do with the revenues collected from redlight runners? There aren't a lot of votes yet, but so far, "Surveillance cameras are the work of the devil - this is ill-gotten money, give it back" has 60% of the votes.

Careful and Prudent

2010-12-15T08:37:00.002-05:00

A new law in Florida allows rolling right turns on red if you are "careful and prudent." That would take a lot of wind out of the sails of the red light camera mafia if Tennessee were to adopt such a law. Of course, the best thing Tennessee could do is ban them.

Word on the street is that a new law will be proposed in Tennessee this year to specifically address the situation where a town (such as Bluff City) annexes a strip of highway and installs speed cameras on it. They will be required to spend the money on safety improvements in the annexed area rather than using it to fund their bloated government.

King Barry Masters the Art of Understatement

2010-12-14T10:52:00.001-05:00

"No, I don't think there's a sense that I've been successful." From the lips of Mr. Obama himself.

Another lost shopper

2010-12-13T17:48:00.002-05:00

It looks like businesses would figure out that people stop shopping in areas where speed cameras and red light cameras are located. Just the other day, I noticed one of these cameras basically in Food City's driveway in Jonesborough, TN. If I lived near there, I would not go into that shopping center at all.

One shopper in Lenoir City makes it known that he will no longer be shopping in Knoxville for the same reason. Good for him.

The Vindication of George W. Bush

2010-12-09T09:58:00.005-05:00

Well, I predict this won't be the first time that President Bush is vindicated. The WikiLeaks contain plenty of information about the actual, confirmed presence of WMD's in Iraq. Of course, anyone who was paying attention already knew this.

President Bush was wrong on the bailouts and wrong on a lot of big government spending initiatives. But on Iraq and terrorism, I believe he will be largely vindicated and that vindication has already started. King Barry is already following many of his policies, policies which The Chosen One campaigned against in 2008. The WikiLeaks confirmation of wmd's in Iraq is just a taste of what is to come on this. Of course, the media will do all it can to bury this one.

UPDATE: A commenter at Instapundit refers to King Barry as Barack W. Bush and explains why.

TSA Gropes a 3 year old

2010-11-19T16:30:00.002-05:00

As a parent, watching this makes me furious. I do not think I could have stood by and watched someone do this to my child. This is ridiculous. When the first 3 year old non-Arab blows up a plane, I'll eat crow, but until then, how about we focus on searching the people that we KNOW are our enemies?

Beth Harwell is New TN Speaker of the House

2010-11-19T09:49:00.005-05:00

Well, not officially, but it is a done deal. On Twitter, Chas Sisk says that the Republican caucus will not release the breakdown of the votes. My question is, "why not?" Do they fear the Tea Party and the gun rights advocates? Are they concerned that if word got out of who voted for her, Tea Partiers and gun rights advocates would target them in primaries?

Well, thanks Republicans for showing no transparency at all. This is an important vote and you are hiding the ball. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO HIDE? I want to know if my representative represented my interests. So, man up, Scotty Campbell. Tell us how you voted. Or are you stuck under a oath of secrecy? My guess is, considering Mr. Campbell's relationship with the disgraced former Republican Kent Williams, that he supported Harwell. That will be my assumption unless he tells us otherwise.

Here's a message to you if you get too far off track: We are watching you. We have the Internet. We will not forget. The chickens will come home to roost. If you get too far off the reservation, we will work our butts off to see you out of office in a couple of years. We don't care about your party.

More American Recovery Act Waste

2010-11-12T10:13:00.008-05:00

Here are some photos from downtown Bristol, TN. First, there is the huge sign with the taxpayer funded "O", to remind us that King Barry is providing us with this (let's not forget that).

Then, it is time to take a look at the project:

In short, this is a red light project. Or, as the "shovel-ready" folks like to say, an "intersection infrastructure improvement project." One photo shows the wires on the ground and the other photo shows both the old and the new red lights. As you can see from the photo, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the old red lights. They work fine. I pass through this intersection periodically and have never seen a malfunction. The new red lights are on the large black bars. You can see one of them on the upper left and another bar can be seen just behind the old red lights.

What will happen to these perfectly decent red lights that are being removed? They will likely be tossed in a landfill. Why should we remove perfectly usable infrastructure and replace it with something else, just to "make jobs" for people. This is incredibly wasteful. We don't need to be spending money to fix things that are not broken.

This isn't the second time I've seen junk like this. Last summer, I saw a perfectly fine that was being repaved. There was no reason that I could see to repave the road. It was probably at least 5 years away from needing paving.

Why does our government continue to blow money like this? And they think they know how to better spend my money than I do. Good grief.

A Plea to Indonesia - Please Take Him Back

2010-11-10T11:16:00.002-05:00

With all the accomplishments of King Barry, don't you think you should consider keeping him over there a while? After all, he knows the language, has a great affinity for Islam and is a former resident. With your history of political, economic and social instability, Mr. Obama is sure to have a government solution to all of your problems. Please make him welcome there.

King Barry Goes Home

2010-11-09T13:07:00.001-05:00

King Barry's old digs in Indonesia look much the same as they did when he was there in his youth, back when he was known as "Barry."

Kent Williams to Support Beth Harwell for Speaker

2010-11-04T09:24:00.005-04:00

Well, it's official that Kent Williams won't be running for speaker of the Tennessee House. He says he is going to support Beth Harwell. Ah, Kent won't run because he knows he'll get spanked, so I naturally must inquire about his reasons for supporting Beth Harwell.

It seems the two have quite the history. She moved to get the ethics complaint against him dismissed (an ethics complaint which, according to the blog post, was "for telling Rep. Susan Lynn that he’d give a week’s pay to see her naked"). She opposed Williams' removal from the Republican party, to no avail. But more offensive to me, she voted against overriding the governor's veto of the law that allows concealed handgun permit holders to carry their guns in restaurants that serve alcohol. On top of that, she has "supported" Democrats in recent election. That is no way to advance a conservative agenda.

Sounds to me like Beth Harwell is a bad idea for Speaker of the House. The support from Kent Williams is enough to make me doubt her, but when you look at the rest of the story, it is certainly troubling. You know full well that Kent Williams' support is all about Kent Williams. My guess is that he is thinking that if he supports her, she will bless him with a nice committee assignment. It wouldn't surprise me if he already had a "back room" deal with her. After all, his election to Speaker came as a result of a "back room" deal with Democrats. Without someone like Harwell to scratch his back, he will be powerless and ineffectual in Nashville, as he should be.

Sometimes the Scum Rises to the Top

2010-11-02T23:07:00.004-04:00

Usually, the "cream rises to the top." It looks like that in Carter County, the scum has risen to the top this time, with disgraced former Republican Kent Williams being re-elected to the Tennessee House. WJHL just reported that Williams said that he didn't think he would be chosen again as Speaker of the House. Well.....duh.

Jerome Cochran reportedly stated that he had no other political aspirations. Well, that's probably a good thing. Mr. Cochran is a very nice, upstanding guy. I have a lot of respect for him, but I think he has a difficult time connecting with the voters in Carter County. Of course, Mr. Cochran also had to run against the constant pro-Williams bias of the Elizabethton Star and the Johnson City [de]Press[ed]. I seldom read the dePressed, because I refuse to give my money to such a leftist newspaper. I read the Star on occasion, and it seems that they were relentless in their positive exposure for Williams and in their negative exposure for Cochran. I have no idea if the Star endorsed a candidate, but they didn't need to. Their support for Williams was obvious from the content of its stories.

Carter County needs a strong conservative to step forward to defeat Kent Williams in the next election. I predict that the need for that will become more apparent during this term for Williams. His day in the sun is over. He will be relegated to nothingness in Nashville as he is a man without a party. Carter County will pay the price for sending him back to Nashville, as I predict he will be completely ineffectual.

A Vote for America

2010-11-02T22:36:00.004-04:00

Well, it is clear now that Brandon Dodds did not win the Tennessee governor's race. That's not a shock to me. But I am glad that my vote went to someone who seems to be doing fine in life without a mega-rich father (as far as I know) to put him in charge of a successful business. The same can't be said for either Mike McWherter or Bill Haslam.

Folks, as long as we keep voting on party lines, we are going to get people who are all about power and money. I'm proud to have placed at least one vote for someone who doesn't appear to have those two things as his agenda.

The Shifting CBS News House Projection

2010-11-02T22:31:00.003-04:00

At 10:00 or so, Katie Couric stated that CBS projected that Republicans would ultimately gain 44 seats in the house. By 10:30, she stated that CBS projects that Republicans would ultimately win at least 50 seats. Wonder where the projections will end up?

Rick Boucher loses in Virginia

2010-11-02T21:23:00.003-04:00

Rick Boucher (D) has lost his seat in southwest Virginia. That is one "change" for which we can thank King Barry. I can not tell you how many times I heard Mr. Obama say "I looooove Rick Boucher." King Barry is probably so full of himself that he thought all of those commercials that included the "I love Rick Boucher" line were for Boucher. After all, who would go against the king? Oh yeah, most of the electorate if you look at tonight's early results.

Hey King Barry! How 'bout some more change like the involuntary retirement of Rick Boucher? That's CHANGE I can believe in!

Exercise Your Rights or Lose Them

2010-11-02T08:56:00.003-04:00

Every year at election time, we hear about how important it is to exercise your right to vote. Some would even say that you have a civic duty to do so. So today, I am reminding you to exercise your right to keep and bear arms. The civic duty associated with exercising your 2nd amendment rights is no less important than exercising the civic duty to vote.

So go out and buy a gun. If you already have enough guns, buy some ammo. If you already have plenty of guns and ammo, go to the range and improve your skills.

Rick Boucher is now behind in the polls

2010-10-29T15:47:00.002-04:00

According to TPM PollTracker, entrenched incumbent Rick Boucher is now losing to Morgan Griffith. Boucher has been in office entirely too long. I think the only reason he has managed to stay in Congress this long is that he brings home the pork to SW Virginia. People are finally starting to wise up and see that more spending is not the answer. Add to that the fact that Boucher went against Big Coal with his role in Cap and Tax, it should come as no surprise that this fellow traveler of Barack Obama is about to get sent home to retire.

Electorial Consequences for Supporting Red Light Cameras

2010-10-22T15:43:00.006-04:00

I went to early voting today and voted for Brandon Dobbs, one of the independent candidates for the Governor of Tennessee. Some might say that it is a wasted vote and that he has no chance of winning. Well, you know what? I don't care. Mr. Dobbs is an optometrist and a business owner. He is willing to take time out of his busy life to serve the citizens of Tennessee. I agree with most all of his positions on the issues.

After reviewing his website, it is clear to me that he has the best interests of Tennesseans at heart. My view is that Haslam and McWherter are playing the game to benefit themselves. If we keep on voting for the same old power-hungry politicans, we are going to keep getting the same thing we've always had.

Haslam will probably win and I can live with that. I do not trust him because he does not trust the people. He's a big backer of red light cameras which tells me a lot about him. He's also inconsistent on gun rights. I won't even address Mike McWherter. As far as I'm concerned, he's a zero.

Obama Loves Rick Boucher

2010-10-21T10:07:00.004-04:00

Which is a good reason to send Mr. Boucher into retirement.

PC Lefties Eat One of Their Own

2010-10-21T09:48:00.005-04:00

NPR has fired Juan Williams for comments made about Muslims on FoxNews. I'm not fan of Juan Williams, but this is ridiculous. This is what he said to Bill O'Reilly:

"Look, Bill, I'm not a bigot. You know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous."

How dare Juan Williams breach the PC protocol and say what probably 90% of honest Americans think. I would love to see a poll on how many people agree with Mr. Williams.

Lawyer Gives Strategy for Fighting Redlight Tickets

2010-10-20T08:55:00.002-04:00

Lowell Steiger, a Los Angeles attorney, has some good information on fighting red light camera tickets (and by analogy, speed camera tickets). Of course, this is California law, but enterprising individuals might find the California precedent useful in other states.

More Help in Defending Red Light Camera Violations

2010-10-18T17:10:00.004-04:00

As it turns out, these cameras tear up. They "[fall] out of synchronisation." That's why you need to insist on having someone from the camera company at your hearing so they can testify as to when the last synchronisation check took place. This article shows that multiple cameras have been removed from a single highway because of this problem. That would seem to indicate a high probability that a lot of these cameras are simply screwed up.

What?! You Mean Red Light Cameras Don't Work?

2010-10-18T17:07:00.001-04:00

Now, it's officially called a scandal in Los Angeles. And I'm linking to the Huffington Post. Don't count on that happening too many times.

King Barry in all his Regalia

2010-10-18T15:24:00.003-04:00

Instapundit has a nice pic King Barry, strutting his stuff:

http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/108075/

Now, if I can only get folks to join me in popularizing "King Barry," I'll be an Internet mini-celeb. And if I can convince someone to present this photo to a judge in defense of a speed camera violation, I'll consider myself a true patriot.

ABC Stores

2010-10-04T13:46:00.004-04:00

Maybe if Mike McWherter gets elected to the Tennessee governorship, he can buy Virginia's ABC stores for the State of Tennessee. After all, his primary qualification for being governor appears to be running a beer distributorship.

Yes, I know it is a bad joke. In all seriousness, Virginia should sell its ABC stores. The Commonwealth has no business being in business. It's time that states stopped depending on liquor, cigarettes and math-impaired lottery players for their survival.

The Incompetence of Los Angeles

2010-09-30T14:42:00.003-04:00

Can you imagine a city that cannot make money from red light cameras? Try Los Angeles. They charge $446 per red light ticket and they still lost $2.5 million on them over the past few years. Yes, you read that right - FOUR HUNDRED FORTY SIX DOLLARS per ticket. In additional to that, they cannot even prove that safety has been improved. Their solution? Double the number of cameras! Apparently, they aren't losing money fast enough.

As Bugs Bunny would say, what a bunch of maroons!

(H/T Instapundit).

More on Mandatory Public Service ("pro bono")

2010-09-30T10:07:00.003-04:00

The more I think about the Missisissippi Supreme Court's desire to force attorneys to do mandatory pro bono, the angrier it makes me. I'm not affected at all by this, other than the way it affects all of us; the mindset of those in government to control every aspect of a person's life. It's not your time, it's the government's time. It's not your money, it's the government's money. These people have a philosophy that everything belongs to the government and you only get to have what they allow you to have, be it time, money or whatever.

While some lawyers have been charitable in their views on this, I will not relent on my opposition by this type of activity against any profession. There is no free lunch. Who does this court think will bear the cost of this increased burden on attorneys? The reality is that the cost will be paid by the lawyers' other clients. In other words, it is an indirect tax on consumers of legal services.

If the government wants to give away more goodies, then it should at least have the stones to step up and call it what it is - a tax. Why not tax consumers of legal services directly instead of stealing time from attorneys?

Can the President Order the Assassination of an American without Due Process

2010-09-30T09:56:00.004-04:00

Well, apparently, the answer is yes. It seems like some liberal ought to be saying something about this. Maybe those who were up in arms about Gitmo might oppose this. If it were George Bush, they would be screaming this from the rooftops. Money quote:

There are no mitigating factors, here. Obama is arguing the executive has the power to execute American citizens without a trial, without even so much as an airing of the charges against them, and that it can do so in complete secrecy, with no oversight from any court, and that the families of the executed have no legal recourse.

I find this to be disgraceful. Now, he not only thinks he's the Messiah, he thinks he's God.

Mandatory Pro Bono in Mississippi

2010-09-29T10:10:00.006-04:00

A current proposal in Mississippi would require attorneys to perform 20 hours of pro bono service or pay a $500 fine. Don't tell Obama about this, or he'll seek to put the same requirements on doctors so that the doctors get so pissed off over such involuntary servitude that they decide to change careers.

The people who come up with junk like this ought to be tarred and feathered. It sounds more like a sentence handed down from the bench. Just change "pro bono" to "community service" and you get: "you are required to perform 20 hours of community service or pay a $500 fine." Your crime? You chose the wrong profession and the government wants a pound of flesh so it can implement its pet project.

Chief Justice Bill Waller, Jr. said "I am interested in making sure that the poor have the same access to courts as those who can afford to hire attorneys. These are challenging economic times. We must be vigilant in making sure there are sufficient funds and people available to represent the poor."

Stealing time from attorneys will not solve the problems of the poor any more than stealing time from doctors will cure all the sick. Chief Justice Bill Waller, Jr. should be impeached for his lack of understanding of liberty and the individual rights set forth in the Constitution.

Taxing the Rich

2010-09-29T09:45:00.001-04:00

I love this from John Stossel:

As I've said before, a tax cut is not a handout. It simply means government
steals less. What progressives want to do is take money from some -- by force --
and spend it on others. It sounds less noble when plainly stated.

As they say, read the whole thing.

Why is Winnipeg hiding the red light crash data?

2010-09-28T09:51:00.004-04:00

It's all about the money, of course. Here, they have a red light program that is causing more and more crashes, but they do not care. It is all about cashing the checks so they can spend money on pet programs.

We've had enough government. We need to starve it at every opportunity. Tea Partiers need to get on the anti-camera bandwagon as well because these cameras are a symptom of a larger problem - government ignoring our rights, confiscating money from us without due process and spending that money to increase the size of government. ENOUGH!

Manitoba finds red light cameras cause more accidents

2010-09-24T17:17:00.002-04:00

More great news for chiropractors and orthopaedic surgeons... yet another study finds that red light scameras cause more accidents than they prevent.

The Skewering of Jon Stewart

2010-09-24T09:49:00.002-04:00

Glen Reynolds calls him a rube, and rightfully so. [And yes, I tag Stewart with the media, since so many dumb masses consider his reports to be news instead of entertainment. Incidentally, those are many of the same people who cannot differentiate between news and opinion on Fox.]

Media ignores Edwards affair but will smear Boehner

2010-09-24T09:18:00.004-04:00

In case you need any more evidence of the liberal media bias (tut, tut), it appears that The New York Times plans an expose on a supposed affair by Minority Leader John Boehner. You read that right, The New York Times, not The National Enquirer. Of course, they basically ignored the John Edwards affair until they became so embarrassed by it from the few outlets and bloggers who held them accountable.

How many more examples do the sheep of this country need to realize that, by and large, the mainstream media is a puppet for the Democrat Party?

Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic..

2010-09-23T13:56:00.001-04:00

What a fitting title to this Althouse post. (H/T Instapundit)

Mourning in America

2010-09-23T12:00:00.003-04:00

I think this sums up the mood of the country rather well. I don't think it is being disingenuous to call this a depression.

Ronald Reagan had an ad called "Morning in America." He thought America was great. King Barry apologizes for America.

Red Light Cameras - All About the Revenue

2010-09-21T17:07:00.004-04:00

Just in case you've been living under a rock, yet another study shows that there is no appreciable safety benefit from red light cameras. They actually increase the number of rear-ender accidents. But, they did bring in $60 million to the City of Chicago in 2009 alone!

Now, let's do the red light camera hokey-pokey!

You put your hand
in
You pull your wallet
out
You pull the money out
and you shake it all about
You do the hokey-pokey
And you send the cash downtown,
That's what
its
all
a-bout

A tool to check the power of the federal government

2010-09-21T11:57:00.004-04:00

Here's something that Tennessee politicians should consider as well: an Article V call for a Constitutional convention to propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would allow for 2/3 of the states to nullify any act of Congress.

Two points: (1) You probably wouldn't need this if you repealed the 17th amendment (direct election of senators), and (2) You could probably count on Kent Williams to vote with the Democrats to make sure this never made it out of the Tennessee legislature.

Why doesn't Tennessee sue over Obamacare?

2010-09-17T13:43:00.005-04:00

My understanding is that Tennessee would be joining in the lawsuit with the 20 states who are suing the federal government if the bill authorizing it had passed the Tennessee house. Jerome Cochran says that the reason is that Kent Williams joined with the Tenessee House Democrats to defeat the bill.

Kent Williams needs to be sent back to Carter County to retire. He's a tax and spend RINO who cannot even be trusted by his own (former) party. For more background on Mr. Williams, start with the famous "Judas" photo.

I think a lot of people in Carter County think that Judas Williams brings something "to the table" because he is the Speaker of the House. However, when you think ahead a little bit, it is easy to see that Judas Williams' days as Speaker are likely over. A vote for Williams is probably a vote for Jimmy Naifeh, a Democrat, as Speaker. Judas Williams was elected as Speaker as part of back room, shady deal. It is unlikely that he will ever be able to pull that deal off in the future. He'd probably join up with the Democrats today if he didn't know that it would kill his chances of getting elected in Carter County.

Bill Clinton rips Jerry Brown

2010-09-13T11:41:00.004-04:00

Great new Meg Whitman ad - Bill Clinton takes Jerry Brown to task. Hasn't California had enough Jerry Brown? He's clearly depending on the fact that most of the people who live in California today that would vote for him lived in Mexico the last time he was governor.

We can only hope!

2010-09-13T11:31:00.003-04:00

A government shutdown if Republicans win in November? We can only hope. Now, there if finally some "hope" from King Barry's group that I can believe in!

You mean the traffic cameras are inaccurate?

2010-09-13T09:45:00.004-04:00

Well, what would you expect? These cameras are "beset with accuracy issues." When guilt or innocence is determined in the STAR chamber and individuals cannot confront anyone with the camera companies or the police, this is the result that you are destined to have. The incentive they have is to issue as many tickets as possible. They have no incentive to make sure you don't get screwed. The government has no incentive to make sure you don't get screwed. Guess what? You're getting screwed.

Voters need to take care of business and elect people who will get rid of these anti-American devices.

Knox County Man Shoots a Scumbag

2010-09-10T08:24:00.004-04:00

That's the way it is supposed to work. If you break into someone's property, you risk getting shot. In this case, the alleged burglar broke into a barn, but it could just have easily been a home. What's shocking is that there even has to be a consideration of whether to charge the property owner in a case like this.

More Stimulus Waste

2010-08-26T11:39:00.005-04:00

Elizabethton's "bridge to nowhere" is now complete and open to the public. This bridge was build with federal stimulus money. It is a five lane bridge with a bike lane and sidewalk that replaces a two lane bridge that "did not even have room for a sidewalk." There was no need for a sidewalk and no need for five lanes.

This bridge goes to the Old Bristol Highway. So, we now have a five-lane bridge that runs into a crooked, two-lane road that was replaced many years ago by a modern highway. Can these people find nothing better on which to spend taxpayer's money? I think the lack of need for this is apparent from the map.

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Is Subsidized Employment the Answer?

2010-08-26T11:00:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, Lynn Tilton was a guest on Bill Bennett's show. She suggested that the way to solve America's problem with people staying on unemployment forever was to adopt a policy of "subsidized employment," like they have in Germany. The way she explained it, if a company was about to lay off people, it would go to the government and the government would pay to keep those people on the payroll so they could keep doing something productive. It would keep factories from going idle, etc. She provides additional explanation on her blog.

While I agree that it would be preferable for people to engage in productive work over drawing a check for doing nothing, I am concerned that this proposal could create perverse incentives. In particular, if a plant is idle, it is likely because no one is buying what the plant is producing. Creating more things that few people are buying will only increase inventory (i.e., supply) and result in lower prices for those goods. How much good would it do to put all of GM's factories to work to build more cars that no one wants (or can afford) to buy? This seems to me to be a temporary fix that could ultimately result in a colossal misallocation of resources and massive market distortion. On the other hand, more people might buy cars if they were cheaper and they might be better able to compete globally. But does a new car really add value to a society that is already awash in automobiles?

Tere is no easy solution. What could the unemployed do that would truly create long term value so that the taxpayer's get something in return for the payments they are making? I am no fan of FDR's policies, but it seems to me that we should be able to find something that could be done to create value without using something like "subsidized employment" to build a bunch of unneccessary inventory. What if, in order to get unemployment benefits beyond, say, 6 months, you had to be willing to work at a project to benefit all of society? Maybe that means building a dam or building some windmills. Maybe that means modernizing and rebuilding schools that actually need it (or roads that actually need it), unlike this recovery.org crap where we are paying for Obama-esque re-election signs to build bridges to nowhere and pave roads that don't need paving. Or does it mean subsidizing employment so we won't have to buy from China?

While I would love to see a free market solution, there is no way that will happen with King Barry in charge. So, we must decide where to get the most bang for the buck. Certainly, paying people to sit at home and watch Oprah is a recipe for disaster. That is creating its own set of perverse incentives and must be stopped. I would certainly prefer subsidized employment to what we currently have - subsidized unemployment.

Ground Zero Mosque Video

2010-08-26T10:08:00.002-04:00

While one of his statements has been disproven, I think is general sentiment is one worth considering.

Hollywood Idiot of the Day

2010-08-23T10:14:00.002-04:00

I don't spend a lot of time with celebutards, but Brad Pitt is worthy of today's Idiot of the Day honors. He apparently things the death penalty would be a good idea for those responsible for the gulf oil spill.

Warning and Apology to Bristol Race Fans

2010-08-19T13:46:00.005-04:00

Don't forget to watch out for the speed cameras located on 11E in Piney Flats. Don't forget to watch out for the red light cameras in Johnson City and Kingsport. Do not turn right on red. It may be legal, but you have to come to a complete stop and you will have a tough time proving that you did. The camera will take your photo regardless of whether you come to a complete stop. I would encourage you to patronize the businesses in Bristol, Tennessee (not Virginia) or Elizabethton, Tennessee, because they have managed to keep enough pressure on the local politicos to keep the cameras at bay, at least for now. Those towns prefer to get your money the honest way - by giving you something in return for it.

You won't be any safer here because of the cameras, but your wallet will feel lighter when you leave if you aren't very careful. On behalf of those of us who oppose this scam, I apologize, for whatever that is worth.

What happens when you extend unemployment benefits?

2010-08-06T11:02:00.003-04:00

You get situations where people turn down jobs to stay on the dole. Food stamp use is at a record high while unemployment benefits continue to get extended. A days back, I met with a local businessman and we discussed some of the aspects of his business. He has a large number of employees and says his biggest challenge is getting and keeping employees. Due to the type of business he is in, wages are always low - just slightly over minimum wage. That is what the market demands, as it is a labor-intensive business and the customers simply will not pay more. In the past few months, he stated that he is having particular difficulty hiring people because they are waiting until their unemployment runs out to go back to work. They don't want to work at $8 per hour when their unemployment plus their food stamps is almost that much. And who could blame them? If unemployment plus food stamps equals $7 or $8 per hour, why go back to work for just marginally more? In Tennessee, you can draw up to $275 per week in unemployment. That is equivalent to $6.88 per hour, based on a 40 hour week.

This is not just idle speculation. He told me that several of the potential employees have told him that they do not want to start work until the unemployment runs out. One of them told him they would be ready to start in three months, once the checks stop.

When you pay more for something, you get more of it. That is what is happening with unemployment. Look at the long-term unemployment in this chart. If you scroll down on this chart, you can see how this has compared to prior recessions back to 1990.

UPDATE: The Wall Street Journal comes forward with additional examples of this phenomenon.

Conservatives Split Vote in Republican Primary

2010-08-06T09:29:00.003-04:00

I haven't read today's news, but I suppose the Wamp camp is blaming the Ramsey camp for not bowing out of the Tennessee governor's race and the Ramsey camp is blaming the Wamp camp for the same. In any event, it is sad that Tennessee will have to choose between a Democrat and a so-called Republican who has supported red light cameras and who has associated himself with groups who want to curtail gun rights.

Speed Cameras Create Bad Drivers

2010-08-06T09:25:00.002-04:00

An insurance company surveyed drivers to determine that, shock of all shocks, drivers quit paying attention to the road and start looking at their speedometer when approaching a speed camera. It also found that drivers have a tendency to brake when they get to the cameras.

Of course, if you have been reading this blog, you already knew that speed cameras are a distraction from driving.

People who know Bill Haslam best vote for Ron Ramsey

2010-08-03T11:32:00.003-04:00

I just talked to a friend of mine in Knoxville. Not only are he and his wife voting for Ron Ramsey, his wife's parents are voting for Ramsey as well. They say they have had enough of Bill Haslam.

I couldn't agree more. I've already voted for Ron Ramsey and the primary reasons I voted for him over Bill Haslam are:

1. I like Ron Ramsey's voting record. It is simply rock solid.
2. Bill Haslam was involved in Bloomberg's anti-gun mayor group and opposed allowing law-abiding citizens with carry permits to be able to carry in parks.
3. Haslam has not denied supporting global warming hypocrite, Al Gore. That probably should be number one.
4. Haslam has been a big proponent of red light cameras in Knoxville.

To me, his position on guns and red light cameras speaks volumes about his views on government. Basically, he seems to believe that you have few or no rights that the government cannot take away at will. He has already tossed the 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th amendments out the window when it suited his convenience. Which amendments will be next?

Benjamin Franklin Comments on Obama Administration

2010-08-03T11:24:00.002-04:00

"He that lives upon HOPE will die fasting."

Well, that's probably more of a comment on America as a whole....

But let's not forget this gem as King Barry continues to blame Republicans for everything that is wrong with the world:

"He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else."