Friday, July 22, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

ACLU warns Florida city about Christmas display

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 07:28 AM PDT

By Robert Nolin and Lisa J. Huriash, Sun Sentinel

PLANTATION— Joseph, Mary and the Baby Jesus have no business posing in a public park — even if they’re accompanied by a Hanukkah menorah.

“Inappropriate” is the word the Broward chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union uses to describe the holiday display planned for Liberty Tree Park.

It’s like Christmas in July, with all the traditional trimmings: squabbles over religious displays in super-sensitive South Florida.

The ACLU, in a letter to city officials, warned that displaying a Nativity scene and menorah violates the separation of church and state. The problem, the rights group said, is that the city is advocating for two religions while ignoring all the others.

“We feel it’s a violation of the First Amendment and an endorsement of religion,” said the ACLU’s Barry Butin. “If they were really neutral and didn’t favor one over the other, they’d have a more inclusive display: Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist.”

Butin didn’t mention the Wiccan religion, whose symbol presumably would be a broomstick.

The ACLU has already warned Plantation — twice — against setting up religious displays. It was acting on a complaint from an unidentified board member who doesn’t live in Plantation but photographed the creche and menorah one Christmastime.

“We trust that the city will uphold religious freedom and refrain from any further displays on city property,” Broward chapter president Brad Koogler wrote last month.

The group’s original letter, in March, was met with a terse two-sentence reply. Mayor Diane Veltri Bendekovic simply said the city would “take it under advisement.”

To read more, visit:  http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/plantation/fl-plantation-aclu-20110718,0,4466967.story

A Gun Activist Takes Aim at U.S. Regulatory Power

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 06:58 AM PDT

By JESS BRAVIN, The Wall Street Journal

MISSOULA, Mont.—With a homemade .22-caliber rifle he calls the Montana Buckaroo, Gary Marbut dreams of taking down the federal regulatory state.

He’s not planning to fire his gun. Instead, he wants to sell it, free from federal laws requiring him to record transactions, pay license fees and open his business to government inspectors.

For years, Mr. Marbut argued that a wide range of federal laws, not just gun regulations, should be invalid because they were based on an erroneous interpretation of Congress’s constitutional power to regulate interstate commerce. In his corner were a handful of conservative lawyers and academics. Now, with the rise of the tea-party movement, the self-employed shooting-range supplier finds himself leading a movement.

Eight states have adopted his Firearms Freedom Act, which Mr. Marbut conceived as a vehicle to undermine federal authority over commerce.

Ten state attorneys general, dozens of elected officials and an array of conservative groups are backing the legal challenge he engineered to get his constitutional theory before the Supreme Court. A federal appeals court in San Francisco is now considering his case.

Mr. Marbut isn’t basing his pro-gun effort on the Second Amendment, the one that talks about a right to bear arms, but on the 10th, which discusses the limits of federal power.

“This is really about states’ rights and federal power rather than gun control,” Mr. Marbut says. There is “an emerging awareness by the people of America that the federal government has gone too far,” he maintains, “and it’s dependent on a really weird interpretation.”

To read more, visit:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304584404576442440490097046.html?mod=wsj_share_twitter

‘Gang of 6′ plan would raise taxes

Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:50 PM PDT


By Karen Datko, MSN Money

Would your taxes go up or go down if the “Gang of Six” plan were adopted? That’s the $1 trillion question.

That $1 trillion is the amount of new revenue in the 10-year deficit-reduction plan drafted by a bipartisan group of six U.S. senators. The rest of the plan to trim the deficit by $3.7 trillion would come from spending cuts.

This paragraph in the plan will interest you: “Reform, not eliminate, tax expenditures for health, charitable giving, homeownership, and retirement, and retain support for low-income workers and families.” Yes, popular tax deductions like that for mortage interest would be on the table.

(Of course, nothing is certain here. President Obama and House Republicans are once again having talks on raising the debt ceiling and, The Washington Post reports, “According to congressional sources, Obama has apparently offered to forgo any tax increases in the initial deal, postponing an overhaul of the tax code until next year.”)

To read more, visit:  http://money.msn.com/saving-money-tips/post.aspx?post=a57e7349-f636-4fb4-9a4e-26a2d49e8d2b

Debt-limit talks: As Obama, Boehner rush to strike deal, Democrats are left fuming

Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:48 PM PDT


By Lori Montgomery and Paul Kane, The Washington Post

President Obama and House Speaker John A. Boehner rushed Thursday to strike agreement on a far-reaching plan to reduce the national debt but faced a revolt from Democrats furious that the accord appeared to include no immediate provision to raise taxes.

With 12 days left until the Treasury begins to run short of cash, Obama and Boehner (R-Ohio) were still pursuing the most ambitious plan to restrain the national debt in at least 20 years. Talks focused on sharp cuts in agency spending and politically painful changes to cherished health and retirement programs aimed at saving roughly $3 trillion over the next decade.

More savings would be generated through an overhaul of the tax code that would lower personal and corporate income tax rates while eliminating or reducing an array of popular tax breaks, such as the deduction for home mortgage interest. But the talks envisioned no specific tax increases as part of legislation to lift the debt limit, and the tax rewrite would be postponed until next year.

Democrats reacted with outrage as word filtered to Capitol Hill, saying the emerging agreement appeared to violate their pledge not to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits as well as Obama's promise not to make deep cuts in programs for the poor without extracting some tax concessions from the rich.

When "we heard these reports of these mega-trillion-dollar cuts with no revenues, it was like Mount Vesuvius. . . . Many of us were volcanic," said Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.).

White House budget director Jacob J. Lew denied that a deal without taxes was in the works. "We've been clear revenues have to be part of any agreement," he told reporters.

After a lunchtime meeting between Lew and Senate Democrats, Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) made no attempt to hide his anger, telling reporters that his caucus would oppose the "potential agreement" because it appeared to include no clear guarantee of increased revenue.

"The president always talked about balance, that there had to be some fairness in this, that this can't be all cuts. There has to be a balance. There has to be some revenue and cuts. My caucus agrees with that," Reid said. "I hope that the president sticks with that. I'm confident that he will."

Congressional and administration officials said the White House informed Democratic leaders about the talks after Obama met privately with Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) late Wednesday. Congressional aides, speaking on the condition of anonymity to detail private discussions, said the White House acknowledged that the emerging agreement is "to the right of the Gang of Six" — a bipartisan Senate debt-reduction framework unveiled this week — and far removed from what Democrats have said would be acceptable.

Obama summoned top Democratic leaders in both the House and the Senate back to the White House later Thursday for further discussions.

While Senate Democrats fumed, other Democratic officials familiar with the administration's approach to the talks said the goal is still to reduce the debt in a balanced way that tackles both the tax code and rising entitlement spending. While the two sides are nowhere near an agreement, the officials said, they are focused on a two-part package. The first measure would raise the debt limit through 2013 and specify cuts to domestic agencies, including the Pentagon, over the next decade.

If both sides agree, that measure could also include some tax and entitlement changes, such as ending breaks for corporate jets, raising the Medicare eligibility age or changing the measure of inflation used to adjust Social Security benefits. However, the largest tax and entitlement changes are likely to be left until next year, the officials said, when policymakers will have more time to weigh the effects on taxpayers, program beneficiaries and the economy.

The officials said the toughest part of the negotiations has been finding common ground on the magnitude of those changes and the shape of a mechanism that would automatically cut spending or raise taxes if Congress fails to follow through. In any case, the officials said, no taxes would go up and no entitlement changes would take effect until at least 2013.

To read more, visit:

Florida Makes $63M Selling Drivers’ Info

Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:40 PM PDT

By Jeff Weinsier, Local10.com

MIAMI — The state of Florida made $63 million last year selling what many think is personal information.

Local 10 has learned the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is selling people’s names, addresses, dates of birth, a list of the vehicles they drive, and it’s legal.

“Per federal mandate, there are companies that are entitled to this information. Insurance companies, for example, are entitled to this information. Employers are entitled to this information,” said Ann Howard of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

The state is currently selling this information to companies including Lexus Nexus and Shadow Soft. Those companies gather data on people and then sell that data. The companies must sign contracts with state claiming they won’t harass people.

“This information cannot be sold to a company that plans to solicit business, such as companies that want you to come to their ice cream store or companies that want you to buy their vehicles,” Howard said.

The state does not sell Social Security numbers or driver’s license numbers, and a Florida judge said what the state is doing is legal.

No one outside the driver’s license office in Lauderhill believed it.

“This is my own personal information, and I don’t think it should be out there,” said John Platt.

“You’re kidding me,” said Bebe Neice

“That’s crazy. I didn’t have a clue about it,” said Mischka Peralto.

To read more, visit:  http://www.local10.com/news/28600374/detail.html

Fears mount about ‘Big Brother’ database in Massachusetts

Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:34 PM PDT

By O'Ryan Johnson, BostonHerald.com

Civil libertarians are raising the alarm over the state's plans to create a Big Brother database that could map drivers' whereabouts with police cruiser-mounted scanners that capture thousands of license plates per hour — storing that information indefinitely where local cops, staties, feds and prosecutors could access it as they choose.

"What kind of a society are we creating here?" asked civil rights lawyer Harvey Silverglate, who along with the ACLU fears police abuse. "There comes a point where the surveillance is so pervasive and total that it's a misnomer to call a society free any longer."

The computerized scanners, known as Automatic License Plate Recognition devices, instantly check for police alerts, warrants, traffic violations and parking tickets, which cops say could be an invaluable tool in thwarting crime. The Executive Office of Public Safety has approved 27 grants totaling $500,000 to buy scanners for state police and 26 local departments. The purchases are on hold while state lawyers develop a policy for the use of a common state database all the scanners would feed.

Some ALPR scanners already are deployed on Massachusetts roads. State police have two. Several cities use them for parking enforcement. Chelsea has four scanner-mounted cruisers.

"It's great for canvassing an area, say after a homicide if you are looking for a particular plate," said Chelsea police Capt. Keith Houghton. "You can plug it in, and drive up and down side streets. It sounds an alarm if you get a hit."

To read more, visit:  http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1353264

Scientists want human-animal tests monitored

Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:31 PM PDT


From Yahoo Health

British scientists say a new expert body should be formed to regulate experiments mixing animal and human DNA to make sure no medical or ethical boundaries are crossed.

In a report issued on Friday, scientists at the nation’s Academy of Medical Sciences said a government organization is needed to advise whether certain tests on animals that use human DNA should be pursued.

Tighter regulation isn’t needed for most such experiments, said Martin Bobrow, chair of the group that wrote the report. “But there are a small number of future experiments, which could approach social and ethically sensitive areas which should have an extra layer of scrutiny,” he told reporters in London.

The group analyzed evidence from academics, the U.K. government, animal welfare groups and others. An independent survey was also conducted to gather public opinion. It found people were mostly supportive as long as the work might contribute to the development of medical treatments that would be widely available.

Scientists have long been swapping animal and human DNA. Numerous tests on mice with human genes for brain, bone and heart disorders are already under way and experiments on goats implanted with a human gene are also being done to study blood-clotting problems.

Controversy erupted several years ago in Britain after scientists announced plans to make human embryos with the nucleus removed from cow and rabbit eggs. Authorities allowed limited experiments and ruled the embryos should not be allowed to develop for more than two weeks.

To read more, visit:  http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/ap/eu_med_animal_human_experiments

Tea Party members have mixed views on a Rick Perry candidacy

Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:26 PM PDT

BY DAVE MONTGOMERY, Star Telegram

AUSTIN — Many of his favorite themes could have come straight from the Tea Party handbook: limited government, resistance to federal intrusion, contempt for big spending and “Obamacare.”

As Gov. Rick Perry moves closer to a run for the presidency, he packs a message that seems well-attuned to the conservative activists who could influence the selection of the next Republican nominee.

Indeed, among Tea Party supporters, Perry topped the field of announced and unannounced Republican candidates in a McClatchy-Marist poll last month.

But back home in Texas, Perry has drawn criticism from some Tea Party activists for his stances on immigration, toll roads and other issues.

And in Iowa and New Hampshire, which will host key early contests next year, leaders in the Tea Party and related movements effectively say the jury is still out on Perry until they take a closer look at his record.

“I don’t think there is really a consensus,” said Adrian Murray, former president of the 912 Project Fort Worth. “You could sit down with someone who absolutely can’t wait for him to run, and you talk to others who are absolutely aghast at the prospect.”

What isn’t in doubt is the continued potency of the Tea Party movement, which emerged in 2009 and helped fuel Republican sweeps in Texas and other states in the 2010 elections.

Although the intense, placard-filled rallies that first helped define the movement seem to have diminished, Tea Party leaders say activists may be better organized and more energetic than ever ahead of an election that will decide the fate of President Barack Obama.

“No one really knows just how big [the Tea Party movement] will be, but clearly it is the primary source of energy within the Republican Party right now,” said Lee M. Miringoff of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, which conducted the June 15-23 poll with McClatchy Newspapers. “There isn’t a Republican wannabe who doesn’t want the blessings of the Tea Party right now.”

To read more, visit:  http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/07/21/3238351/tea-party-members-have-mixed-views.html

Tea partiers tweet the most

Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:22 PM PDT

By David Catanese, Politico

Tea party candidates tweet more frequently than Democrats and even their generic Republican rivals.

That’s the finding of a study out of the University of Michigan, which surveyed 460,000 tweets over a three-year period from 687 candidates running for U.S. House, Senate and governor.

Over the study period, tea party candidates tweeted an average of 901 times compared to 723 times for Republicans and 551 for Democrats.

“The conservative candidates—Republicans and Tea Party members—definitely used Twitter more visibly and showed a more coherent set of messages and topics,” said Eytan Adar, assistant professor in the School of Information and the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “They also followed each other much more closely. I think it’s fair to say they were much more cohesive in a lot of ways and at the end of the day that makes for a stronger campaign.”

To read more, visit:  http://www.politico.com/blogs/davidcatanese/0711/Tea_partiers_tweet_the_most.html

Black Tea Partiers to Protest NAACP Convention: Claims Org Hurts Blacks

Posted: 21 Jul 2011 03:29 PM PDT

By Alexis Garrett Stodghill, The Atlanta Post

An African-American contingent of the Tea Party plans on protesting the NAACP this weekend during its 102nd convention. The historic civil rights group will host events at the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 23-28 that will focus on issues like youth empowerment, and attract up to 12,000 daily participants. But members of BOND Action, a right-wing black organization, view this positive happening with dark suspicion. Rejecting as false the NAACP's stated mission to operate as a multi-ethnic coalition fighting all discrimination, BOND sees it as exploitative to blacks. The Rev. Jesse L. Peterson, BOND's leader, believes the NAACP encourages blacks to become dependent on social programs while using African-American's resources to promote its own agenda. The Grio explains Peterson's point of view in a new report:

On July 24th members of the South Central Los Angeles Tea Party and hundreds of others will rally against the NAACP in an event sponsored by Peterson's organization BOND Action.

The "rally to expose the failed big government agenda and lies of the NAACP" will be held directly outside of the Los Angeles Convention Center, where the NAACP is holding it's 102nd annual convention. [...]

Peterson cites several reasons for the rally and came up with the idea after learning of the convention's location on his turf. Peterson says the NAACP lies by saying America is a racist society and holds black American's down. [...]

"That's' the problem I have with the NAACP," said Peterson in an exclusive interview with theGrio. "[They're] a political pawn of the liberal-elite, white, racist Democratic Party and not really for the people."

To read more, visit:  http://atlantapost.com/2011/07/21/black-tea-partiers-to-protest-naacp-convention-claims-org-hurts-blacks/
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