Apr 03

Governments worldwide launch efforts to crush criticism of government, calling it “fake news”

Recently the government of Malaysia voted to ban “fake news” as defined by the government. A new law will punish those who spread misleading information by up to six years in prison.

Although the New York Times described the law as the first of its kind, such laws have actually been enacted hundreds of times by governments everywhere.

Throughout the 1600s through the 1800s, all British presses had to be licensed, and governments prosecuted hundreds of people for “seditious libel,” the crime of bringing the government into disrepute. (America’s Founding Fathers all used alias names when they published political letters, knowing they faced punishment if they were identified.)

(Today in the U.S., pro-government forces call such anonymity “dark money,” and prosecute such speakers and publishers for campaign-finance violations.)

The EU has also launched a committee to study the issue. In the U.S., major platforms such as Facebook and Google (upon the urging of government officials) have launched efforts to censor “fake news” (meaning, mostly, news critical of government or offering an anti-government philosophy).

The government of Turkey has imprisoned dozens of journalists for circulating what the government calls fake news.

Now there is news that the government of India has backed away from similar plans to ban “fake news.” The Wall Street Journal reports that “India withdrew plans on Tuesday to punish journalists judged to be promoting “fake news” after widespread criticism that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government was trying to muzzle the press.”

Apr 02

Seattle property taxes rise 43 percent in 4 years; hundreds prepare to flee

The Seattle Times reports that hundreds of home owners are preparing to sell their homes and leave the city. Property taxes have risen more than 40 percent during the past 4 years.

The city has become known for pro-government politics, and its voters seem to vote for every proposed mill levy. In some areas, mill-levy votes have increased property taxes significantly.

Two years ago, the Seattle City Council voted to impose a $15-per-hour minimum wage.

Apr 02

Thousands flee socialist Baltimore

Baltimore–once one of America’s greatest cities–has collapsed under the weight of government, cops, taxes, and murder.

As thousands flee, the City’s population is now lower than at any time in a century.

The Baltimore Sun newspaper recently reported that “The city’s outrageous property tax of $2.248 per $100 of a property’s assessed value is more than double of its surrounding jurisdictions,” and has produced more renters than homeowners.

Additionally, the city’s high income tax of 3.2 percent–the maximum allowed by Maryland law–drives away many productive residents.

Baltimore has the nation’s second highest rate of cops-per-residents. Perhaps because of so many cops, the city has some of America’s highest crime rates.

Mar 31

Stephen Reinhardt, one of America’s greatest judges, dies during doctor visit

U.S. 9th Circuit judge Stephen Reinhardt, known as the “Liberal Lion” of the 9th Circuit, died Thursday while visiting a dermatologist.

Reinhardt was “liberal” in the old, anti-police-state, sense. He fought to save habeas corpus from the police state. He fought for criminal defendants who were given no chance and little due process.

If you were wrongly convicted of any crime in a western federal courthouse, and you were lucky enough to draw Stephen Reinhardt as one of your three 9th Circuit judges in your appeal, you had a chance of overturning your conviction.

R.I.P. Stephen Reinhardt, March 27, 1931 – March 30, 2018.

Mar 29

Medicaid and pensions now eat 1 out of 5 state tax dollars; this share is about to explode.

Has the entire American experiment been for the benefit of one cohort of people: 21st-century government workers?

In the 240 years since the American Revolution, the U.S. prospered like no other nation in world history–due to the Bill of Rights and low levels of government interference and regulation.

But now government programs and regulations are choking the life force from the American society.

A recent report by the Wall Street Journal warns that Medicaid and government-employee pensions now threaten to displace all other government spending within the next several decades. America will become, in all essence, a redistribution program designed to take all the money from the private sector by force and deliver that money to (retired) state employees and state medical programs.

Already Medicaid and government pensions consume about one out of every five tax dollars collected by state and local governments.

Those costs are outpacing growth in tax revenue year after year.

Connecticut has just 31.7% of what it needs to pay its employees’ future retirement benefits, according to state financial reports. A fund for teachers has 52.3%. Together, that adds up to more than $37 billion in unfunded pension liabilities, or about $10,300 per Connecticut resident.

Mar 26

Government of Big Timber, Montana–population 1,600–spends $5.6 million on new water treatment plant

Government-provided water is often polluted, dirty, and toxic, despite its exorbitant cost.

Yet government trusters tend to defy water privatization to their dying breath.

The town council of Big Timber, Montana recently voted to spend $5.6 million–approximately $3,400 for every man, woman and child in the town–for a new water treatment facility.

Big Timber is nestled between two large, clean rivers (the Yellowstone and the Boulder).

Mar 26

Mass murder at gay night club was committed by undercover FBI

New evidence suggests the FBI may have staged the 2016 mass murder at the gay “Pulse” nightclub in Orlando to spur gun control and anti-Muslim sentiment.

At the time of the 2016 massacre of some 49 gay nightclub attendees, the government-supporting, or “mainstream,” press reported the event as a Muslim hate crime or terrorist attack. There were hints, however, that the event may have been something of a false-flag operation; and ultimately, the mass-media mostly dropped the story.

Now it has come out that the government concealed evidence in a federal criminal trial showing that the alleged shooter was an FBI asset. The shooter’s father was a long-time FBI informant who regularly made anti-gay speeches and statements. (The father’s supposed anti-gay sentiments are now called into question as potential false-flag staging.)

Mar 26

Philadelphia sewage flows directly into City drinking water

Drinking water delivered by municipal governments is often dirtier and more toxic than water from any other source.

And when one does the math, one almost always finds that government-provided drinking water is vastly more expensive (in the aggregate) than private-sector alternatives.

Now there is news that the City of Philadelphia’s public water supplies are cross-connected to the City’s sewer lines in numerous instances. See here.

Mar 23

Government officials poisoned the drinking water of Flint, Michigan; now a lawsuit alleges that donation money was diverted to the mayor’s political account.

The Government of Flint, Michigan knowingly poisoned the public drinking water with lead.

And when numerous tests (of both the government drinking water and the blood lead levels of children in the City) showed high lead levels, the government officials concealed and covered up their crimes.

When the poisoned water became a major news story, some government leaders exploited political divisions. Democrats (who controlled every office in Flint) blamed the Republican governor some 50 miles away in Lansing.

Donation money poured in from concerned citizens everywhere. The donations were intended to fix the polluted government water system.

But now a lawsuit alleges that the mayor of Flint diverted donation money intended to fix the water crises into a political account supporting the mayor. See here.

Mar 22

Americans now taxed and regulated at record levels

Today’s government officials and employees live like kings among starving peasants. Many have second homes and barely work more than a couple hours per day.

Meanwhile many Americans struggle for daily existence. Many dwell in trailers, RVs or in homeless camps.

A new report shows that Americans now pay record levels of state, federal and local taxes. State and local property and income taxes have hit record highs.