krome2ez

Atlanta Street Vendors Fight Regulations Forcing Them Out of Business Posted on July 29, 2011 at 6:09am by Meredith Jessup Travel to any major metropolitan area in the United States and you will undoubtedly see some of the country’s fastest-growing entrepreneurial opportunities: street vending. The option to trade in an expensive storefront for a cheaper, more mobile business option has attracted many business owners to parking lots and street corners once reserved only for hot dog vendors. Nowadays, you can get everything from kabobs to cupcakes to-go out of the back a food truck. But many American cities are cracking down on these novelty businesses to prevent competition with brick-and-mortar establishments and to collect revenues from renting out public spaces. In Atlanta, Larry Miller and Stanley Hambrick have made names for themselves with their well-known vending businesses located just outside the Atlanta Braves baseball stadium. Although their businesses create jobs and cater to customers, the city of Atlanta recently decided assign a single company to regulate all public-property vending. Now, that company is threatening to squash Miller and Hambrick’s businesses to build rented kiosks so the city can collect rent of almost $20,000 a year: Miller and Hambrick’s story is not unique. Many American cities have set up roadblocks to this expanding business option, including a number that have approved anti-competitive restrictions on vending. To protect the economic liberty of all Georgians, Larry and Stanley have joined with the Institute for Justice to challenge Atlanta’s vending monopoly. Their lawsuit, filed today in the Superior Court for Fulton County, Georgia, is the second case in the Institute’s National Street Vending Initiative. In a recently released report, the Institute for Justice looked at America’s 50 largest cities and found that the majority of them have multiple onerous regulations on vendors: - Eleven of these cities ban vending on public property for some or all goods, limiting the places where vendors can sell and forcing them to partner with private property owners to operate—or to vend anyway and face fines or worse. - In 33 large cities, entire areas are off-limits to vendors, often including potentially lucrative areas such as downtown commercial districts or streets around sporting venues. - Twenty major cities ban vendors from setting up near brick-and-mortar businesses selling the same or similar goods. - Five of the 50 largest cities prevent mobile vendors from stopping and parking unless flagged by a customer, making it difficult for vendors to establish regular stops or easily connect with buyers. - In 19 large cities, mobile vendors may stay in one spot for only small amounts of time, forcing vendors to spend much of their time moving instead of selling. Click here to learn more about city regulations on street vendors across the country. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/atlanta-street-vendors-fight-regulations-forcing-them-out-of-business/ Another great government jobs program.

Is This The Best Version Of The National Anthem EVER? 10-Year Old Girl Fighting Cancer Delivers it With Poise Posted on July 29, 2011 at 9:59pm by Mike Opelka Lily Anderson is just 10-yrs-old, but her rendition of the National Anthem before Thursday’s Braves-Pirates game at Turner Field in Atlanta inspired the longest standing ovation Braves pitcher Peter Moylan has ever witnessed. Lily’s remarkable performance was part of “Rally Night,” a special event for kids fighting cancer. And fighting cancer is exactly what Lily has been doing since she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma Cancer in 2009. Despite a two year battle that included chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, on Thursday night Lily Anderson delivered the National Anthem with all of the grace and professionalism one might expect from a seasoned performer. We salute this young lady and all of the participants in Rally Night. And for the record, The Pittsburgh Pirates came to Atlanta and beat the Braves on Thursday night, 5-2… but thanks to Lily and the rest of the Rally Kids, there were no losers. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/lily-andersons-inspiring-national-anthem/

Caught on Video: News Cameraman Arrested For Filming Police Chase Posted on August 1, 2011 at 8:42am by Jonathon M. Seidl A videographer responsible for capturing news footage became the news on Friday, when he filmed part of his own arrest while trying to capture video of a police crime scene. But was it fair? Phil Datz works for a third-party news outlet that tapes footage for other stations. On Friday, he was sent to capture the tail end of a police chase in Suffolk County, NY. But when he got there, one officer who claimed to be a 30-year veteran of the force wasn’t happy with his presence across the street. So he confronted Datz, telling him that Datz couldn’t film because the crime scene was “active.” A confused Datz respectfully tried to reason with the officer, but that didn’t work. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years and there’s nothing you can hold over my head; go away” the officer who Datze refers to as “sergeant” can be heard telling Datz, who then gets in his car and moves a block away. But that still wasn’t good enough for the officer. In Datz’s video, the cop can be seen speeding up to Datz’s new location, leaping out of his cruiser, and then telling Datz he is under arrest. Datz can be heard saying that he called the “PIO” — or public information officer — and he told him to keep filming. Then the footage stops: Datz, who works for Stringer News Service, was arrested and charged with obstruction of governmental administration. He was finger printed and released. According to the Long Island Press, another officer apologized to Datz at the station, but said that since the arrest had already been made, nothing could be done. Tony Ryan, who owns Stringer, said his company is considering a lawsuit. According to him, this is the third time in the last two three years that one of his employees has gotten arrested at the scene of a crime. (H/T: MyFoxNY.com) http://www.theblaze.com/stories/caught-on-video-news-cameraman-arrested-for-filming-police-chase/

Legal Theft: Florida DMV Makes Millions Legally Selling Personal Information Posted on July 29, 2011 at 2:14pm by Becket Adams According to a recent report, the Department of Motor Vehicles in Florida has been selling names, addresses and dates of birth to companies in return for a promise that they not to harass anyone. Among the firms that allegedly pay for information many consider confidential are Lexis Nexis and Shadow Soft. The only people who are exempt from the sale of their personal information are judges and police officers. What many people don’t realize is that under the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act the information gathered by is legally available to certain companies. Ann Howard of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said in a U.K. Mail Online article that, “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.” “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,” she added. According to the report, there are 15.5 million registered drivers in Florida and the state charges firms one cent per electronic file. Motorists quizzed by local news stations were amazed when they found out that this practice was occurring in their state. “This is my own personal information, and I don’t think it should be out there,”said John Platt in the report. “You’re kidding me,” said Bebe Neice. “That’s crazy. I didn’t have a clue about it,” added Mischka Peralto. The DMV claims that selling the information is a matter of public safety because if there is a vehicle recall, the manufacturer involved will have the most current owners details. Situations where the information is available for sale include when it is requested by any government agency, licensed private investigation agencies (in certain circumstances), insurance companies, employers, or businesses that seek to verify or correct personal information for producing statistical reports and other research. “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. “If a company violates the Federal Driver Privacy Protection Act, they do face federal charges and federal fines,” she added. If it’s any consolation to the people of Florida, Social Security numbers and license plates are not included in the sale to companies that gather data and then sell it on for various different purposes. Furthermore, companies that buy the information must sign contracts pledging not to bother people. But that’s very little comfort indeed. The question is: how does a company that purchases this information define “bother”? http://www.theblaze.com/stories/legal-theft-florida-dmv-makes-millions-legally-selling-personal-information/

Pro-*** Groups Sue MN School District For Not Discussing Homosexuality in the Classroom Posted on July 30, 2011 at 7:47pm by Christopher Santarelli Seven suicides within two years at one suburban school district outside Minneapolis has enflamed a culture war between teachers, parents, and national interest groups in regards to the district’s policy of leaving the discussion on homosexuality outside of the classroom. A clip from a CNN special on the events to air tonight: The Southern Poverty Law Center and National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a federal lawsuit against Anoka-Hennepin Public Schools last week in regards to the district’s “curricular neutrality” about LGBT issues, and the U.S. departments of justice and education have announced formal investigations into the policy. “Sam Wolfe, an attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center, one of the advocacy groups behind the federal lawsuit, wrote the district a letter in May, saying the ‘gag policy’ prevented ‘meaningful’ classroom discussion on lesbian, ***, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.” CNN reports that parents and friends say that four of the seven dead students in Anoka were either ***, perceived to be *** or questioning their sexuality, and they say at least two of them were bullied over their sexuality. The official district policy states that: “Teaching about sexual orientation is not a part of the District adopted curriculum; rather, such matters are best addressed within individual family homes, churches, or community organizations. Anoka-Hennepin staff, in the course of their professional duties, shall remain neutral on matters regarding sexual orientation including but not limited to student led discussions. If and when staff address sexual orientation, it is important that staff do so in a respectful manner that is age-appropriate, factual, and pertinent to the relevant curriculum. Staff are encouraged to take into consideration individual student needs and refer students to the appropriate social worker or licensed school counselor.” The seemingly rational policy has been criticized by some outside the district and even some teachers within it. Jefferson Fietek, an openly *** middle school theater teacher at Anoka, advisor for the neutral school’s ***-Straight Alliance, and participant in the school’s anti-bullying hotline, spoke to CNN despite saying it “could cost him his job.” “‘I’m worried and concerned about the kids in my school district who are struggling to navigate in a toxic environment,’ explained Fietek, who said talking to CNN could cost him his job as a theater teacher at Anoka Middle School for the Arts in Anoka-Hennepin. The suburban Minneapolis school district, he said, has a climate where kids ‘feel they have to lie and cover up who they are.’ ‘If they’re a kid that’s questioning their identity, that they have to hide that,’ he said. ‘If there’s a girl that’s too masculine and is being harassed about that, or if there‘s a boy that’s too feminine, [they're] just not feeling a collective support.’” Fietek answers the texts and Facebook posts of suicidal teens questioning their sexuality. CNN states that Fietek has reason to worry, pointing to studies that show since the 1990s *** and lesbian youth consistently have suicide attempt rates at least twice that of their heterosexual peers. The school’s superintendent defends the neutrality policy as a reasonable response to a divided community, and points to the district’s comprehensive bullying prohibition policy as a means to try and protect students of any sexual orientation who feel harassed. The district “strongly disagrees” that there is a link between the harassment of LGBT students and their neutrality policy. Do you agree with groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center and National Center for Lesbian Rights that say the “policy imposes a stigma on LGBT students as pariahs, not fit to be mentioned within the school community,“ or many district parents who believe they ”have the right to raise their children any way they want to, and the school district doesn’t need to be sitting there saying, ‘Your parents are wrong.’” http://www.theblaze.com/stories/pro-***-groups-sue-mn-school-for-not-discussing-homosexuality-in-the-classroom/

Agenda 21 Update: Family Farms Are Under Attack Posted on July 31, 2011 at 1:07pm by Mike Opelka Is the US government starting to implement the policies of the United Nation’s plan for global management of people and resources known as Agenda 21? The latest efforts out of the Department of Transportation (DOT) seem to indicate this is happening. And they are starting by targeting America’s farming communities with costly and oppressive regulations. In Late May, the DOT proposed a rule change for farm equipment, and if it this allowed to take effect, it will place significant regulatory pressure on small farms and family farms all across America – costing them thousands of dollars and possibly forcing many of them out of business. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), part of the Department of Transportation (DOT), wants new standards that would require all farmers and everyone on the farm to obtain a CDL (Commercial Drivers License) in order to operate any farming equipment. The agency is going to accomplish this by reclassifying all farm vehicles and implements as Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMVs). (It is also important to note here that DOT Secretary Ray LaHood holds a seat on the newly created White House Rural Council. A powerful group whose members have ties to George Soros and The Center For American Progress.) The move by the DOT appears to be “legislation through regulation.” By reclassifying all farm vehicles and implements as Commercial Vehicles, the federal government will now be able to claim regulatory control over the estimated 800,000 farm workers in America, at the same time, overriding the rights of the states. This proposed change literally means family farms could no longer legally allow young workers, not old enough to drive and seniors who no longer drive on the public streets, to operate a tractor… even on the family’s private property. Waco, TX television station KXXV has the story: The proposed change also means ANYONE driving a tractor or operating any piece of motorized farming equipment would be forced to pass the same rigorous tests and fill out the same detailed forms and diaries required of semi-tractor trailer drivers. This reclassification would bury small farms and family farms in regulation and paperwork. Some of the additional paperwork and regulation required: •Detailed logs would need to be kept by all drivers – hours worked, miles traveled, etc. •Vehicles would have to display DOT numbers •Drivers would need to pass a physical as well as a drug test – every two years. The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation (WFBF) is one of many farm organizations not happy about the idea and has sent the DOT a letter expressing this opinion: “WFBF opposes any change in statue or regulatory authority that would reclassify implements of husbandry or other farm equipment as Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMVs)” WFBF Director of Governmental Relations Karen Gefvert continues, explaining the excessive cost to farmers if this allowed to move forward: “The proposed guidance by the FMCSA would result in an initial increased cost to each Wisconsin farmer and employee of $124 just for the CDL license, permit and test; not to mention the time and cost for the behind-the-wheel training that is several thousand dollars.” Additionally, Illinois farmers believe this regulation will also force new restrictions on trucks used in crop-share hauling. (One estimate claims more than 30% of Illinois farmers utilize shared land.) These crop-share trucks are typically limited-use vehicles that often travel fewer than 3000 miles each year, mainly hauling crops from the fields to nearby grain elevators. To require them to follow the same rules as semis would also mean a farmer would be forced to purchase substantial insurance. The Hancock Journal-Pilot covered the story: Earlier this year, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) began to define crop-share tenant farmers as “for-hire“ carriers and implements of husbandry as ”commercial motor vehicles.“ The ”for-hire” designation for crop-share tenant farmers would have a dramatic effect on farmers because it voids exemptions from the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) program and would require a minimum of $750,000 in insurance coverage for the farmer. The DOT is holding hearings for public comment on the topic, but only through Monday, August 1st and farmers all across the country are rightfully concerned. No matter what the feedback is from the people who actually grow the food, it appears that the DOT’s mind is made up. Just last week, DOT Administrator Anna Ferro posted an Op-Ed addressing the controversial regulation. The opinion piece closes with this statement: Everyone in this Administration – from President Obama, Vice President Biden, and Secretary LaHood on down – is committed to the long-term success of America’s agricultural industry. In many ways, agriculture is the backbone of our economy – feeding hundreds of millions of Americans and billions more around the world. As the largest user of freight transportation in the nation, the agricultural industry is also one of USDOT’s most important constituents. We hope that this comment period is the start of a new and productive relationship. We may not ultimately agree on every issue, but we will always listen — and do our best to help America’s farmers succeed. (A personal aside, when someone tells you, “We may not ultimately agree on every issue, but we will always listen… ” it has always been my experience that they are going to do whatever they wanted to do in the first place. The “listening” was just to make you feel better.) The FMCSA has said their intent is to create uniformity in how federal safety regulations are carried out across America. The farming community and many of the states that would be affected by this change feel differently. Almost to a man, the farming community believes this to be a local issue, best handled by state governments, and not some Washington DC agency. To make a comment to the DOT visit their website. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on the Federal electronic docket site. Or you can fax your comments here 1–202–493–2251. H/T – All the active Farm Bureaus working to protect their rights and states rights. And to the ever-vigilent “Resist UN Agenda 21” groups (you know who you are) http://www.theblaze.com/stories/agenda-21-update-family-farms-are-under-attack/

Yep.. I missed that. He deserved the neg's then. You don't go bashing someone's religion. Well, except for that "Pastafarian" guy. He's an idiot. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8635624/Pastafarian-wins-religious-freedom-right-to-wear-pasta-strainer-for-driving-licence.html

I have to disagree with you on this Easy. This guy said it best.... Or...maybe Max did. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F_G2zp-opg

IDK why the negatives. +1 to help out. I don't agree with you and really hope that your wrong. I feel that we are on the precipice of an RV. Too much accomplished toward the goal and too much to loose for the Iraqi's, if held out much longer.

Iraqi PM: American Trainers May Stay July 31, 2011 Associated Press|by Lara Jakes and Rebecca Santana BAGHDAD -- Iraq's prime minister said Saturday he was reviving a stalled deal to buy multi-million-dollar fighter jets from the United States and affirmed the need for American trainers to help Iraqi forces operate and maintain the 36 F-16s. However, Nouri al-Maliki avoided saying whether the trainers would be active-duty troops or private contractors - sidestepping the key question of whether American military personnel will be asked to remain past an end-of-year deadline for withdrawing. That question is Iraq's top political issue and is being hotly debated among the country's leaders. The fighter jet deal, which al-Maliki announced at a press conference, more than doubles the number of aircraft Iraq initially planned to buy. "We should provide Iraq with the means, including warplanes, to protect its sovereignty," al-Maliki told reporters after addressing a closed session of parliament. It was a turnabout from earlier this year, when Baghdad abandoned the deal and decided instead that it would spend hundreds of millions of dollars on food rations for poor Iraqis. Al-Maliki did not say when the purchase of the F-16s would proceed, where the money would come from or how it would affect other government programs already in place. The prime minister's parliamentary appearance came after Iraq's top political leaders postponed, for the second time in a week, a meeting to discuss whether U.S. troops would be asked to continue training Iraqi security forces beyond the end of the year. The U.S. is pushing for a fast decision, arguing that it will soon be too late for it to plan for an extension of its troop presence. Under a 2008 agreement between Baghdad and Washington, all American troops must leave Iraq by Dec. 31. But Iraq's continued instability - in its government and security measures - has led many Iraqi and U.S. officials alike to push for some troops to stay. The issue has deeply divided Iraq's leaders, however, and a key political Shiite bloc that helped al-Maliki keep his job last year after his political coalition fell short in national elections has threatened violence if troops remain. Fueling the debate, a new report released Saturday by the U.S. inspector who oversees Iraq's reconstruction concluded that the nation is more dangerous now than it was a year ago because of frequent bombings, political assassinations and attacks on U.S. and foreign missions. In his press conference, al-Maliki reaffirmed his desire for trainers to remain next year to help Iraqi security forces use and maintain tanks, jets and other equipment the government is expected to buy from the U.S. He did not specify whether they would be active-duty military troops or private contractors and did not say how many trainers he thought would be needed. Iraqi officials have predicted that the 325-member parliament will reject extending the U.S. military mission in Iraq, but al-Maliki on Saturday said "the presence of trainers does not need a parliament vote." The prime minister appears to be preparing the Iraqi public for some type of American military presence in Iraq past 2011, but has been trying to paint it as a training force as opposed to combat units. Asking for active-duty U.S. military forces to stay in the country after years of war would be a difficult sell for the Iraqi leader when it comes to the Iraqi public. Al-Maliki defended his decision to have political leaders weigh in on whether troops should stay - instead of settling it alone - as a "big national issue that is related to sovereignty." If parliament ultimately must decide to ask U.S. troops to stay, then "it is better if the political blocs express their opinions in advance," he said. The prime minister would like to have the backing of Iraqi political parties before making such an unpopular political decision. On Saturday, a patrol of U.S. and Iraqi forces came under fire in a village north of Baghdad and killed three people. Clashes between the security forces and villagers broke out while solders were conducting a raid outside Balad, 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of the capital, said Ali Abdul-Rahman, a spokesman for the Salahuddin provincial governor. Abdul-Rahman said seven people were also wounded. He said the clashes began when residents noticed suspicious movements in orchards near their houses and grabbed their weapons. The U.S. military said troops in helicopters came under fire as they approached the area, and fired back. U.S. military spokesman, Col. Barry Johnson said the U.S. troops were helping Iraqi forces look for suspected terrorists. Al-Maliki went to parliament seeking reductions in the size of Iraq's government, and lawmakers quickly responded by voting to eliminate 12 government offices among the Cabinet's 45 ministries. Al-Maliki told lawmakers the cuts would continue "in the aim of reform." But Abbas al-Bayati, a legislator with al-Maliki's State of Law political coalition, said an overhaul of the remaining 33 ministries could take time, as merging and restructuring them will require new laws. http://www.military.com/news/article/iraqi-pm-american-trainers-may-stay.html?ESRC=eb.nl

I know that, and I know now that you know that. But to the many who only get thier info from the lamestream media, it is a secret. Whoa!!! I'm glad your socialist arse is not here. We have enough of those now.

Obama’s Secret Plan: Tax the Middle Class to Death Posted on July 30, 2011 by Victoria Jackson Brian S. Wesbury, the chief economist at First Trust Advisors, LP explains; “Just looking at the government’s actions over the past few years, it appears that a strategy of “gorge the beast” is being employed. What’s that, you ask? Well, it’s “spend and borrow so much that the U.S. is forced to raise tax rates to pay for its swollen size.” What most people don’t realize is that the U.S. has gorged so much (boosting spending from roughly 18% of GDP in 2000 to 24% of GDP today), that the only way to pay for it is to tax the middle class. The president keeps blaming “millionaires and billionaires,” but the top 25% of income earners already pay 86% of total taxes. And even if we raised the 35% top tax rate to 100% (meaning we confiscate all income in that top tax bracket), the U.S. would only collect about $365 billion. This would run the government for only about five weeks and would not solve our debt issues. The money is in the middle. And the only way our politicians can get it is to follow Europe’s lead and institute a national sales tax or Value-Added Tax (VAT). This is the elephant in the room that is never talked about. Those who are using the debt ceiling in an attempt to cut spending are actually saving the middle class from tax hikes — not the millionaires and billionaires.” http://patriotupdate.com/10171/obamas-real-debt-plan-tax-the-middle-class#.TjNfBKA1Rig.facebook http://vickigoestowashington.com/2011/07/obamas-secret-plan-tax-the-middle-class-to-death/

URGENT: Obama Team Rewriting Constitution by 2012 Posted on July 30, 2011 by Victoria Jackson Now I understand why Obama studied Constitutional law. He wanted to “fundamentally change” it. On March 27, 2011 Aaron Klein reported that Obama’s czars and advisors, Holder, Sunstein, and Powers are involved with George Soros in rewriting the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, turning them into a Marxist Manifesto. See the story at: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=280277 On July 8, 2011 in The Jewish Press Aaron Klein reported ”…that Lisa Brown, Obama’s staff secretary, served as executive director of the Soros-funded American Constitution Society, ACS, a progressive legal organization that was behind the Constitution scheme…to create a “progressive” consensus on what the U.S. Constitution “should” provide by the year 2020.” http://israel-commentary.org/?p=990 Patriot PAC (www.PatriotPAC.org) reported yesterday, “THREE OBAMA OFFICIALS IMPLICATED IN SEDITIOUS PLOT TO DISMANTLE US CONSTITUTION NEW EVIDENCE COMES OUT OF OBAMA ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS’ INVOLVEMENT IN PLAN TO EFFECTUALLY REWRITE THE U.S. CONSTITUTION AND BILL OF RIGHTS. SOROS-FUNDED EFFORT TO FORCE AMERICA INTO ACCEPTING A MARXIST MANIFESTO BY 2012 UNDERWAY IN OBAMA FACTION, LED BY KEY EXECUTIVE BRANCH APPOINTEES. Just days after Marxist Free Market Saboteur Steve Lerner’s plans for mass May Day national economic disruptions have become known via secretly caught exposure of a taped meeting with other extremists, now new evidence implicates the Obama White House in sedition. Regulatory Czar Cass Sunstein; his wife Samantha Power, Senior Director of the National Security Council; and Department of Justice Attorney General Eric Holder are key players in a related plot to dismantle and destroy America’s Constitutional republic. In April 2005, Sunstein opened a conference at Yale Law School sponsored by George Soros’ Open Society Institute entitled, “The Constitution in 2020.” The event was designed as a forum to craft the agenda and assign the tasks for changing the nature and interpretation of the Constitution into a fully “progressive” Marxist Manifesto by the year 2020. Sunstein was a natural fit for the conference, as his 2004 book, “The Second Bill of Rights: FDR’S Unfinished Revolution and Why We Need It More than Ever” proposed a radical new document to replace America’s traditional Bill of Rights. The conference was co-sponsored by the American Constitution Society, another hard Left Marxist organization which seeks to rewrite the Constitution. Attorney General Eric Holder not only previously served on the ACS Board of Directors, but is keynote speaker for their 2011 Convention. The Obama faction onslaught against America is coming from all sides. A union thug with White House connections plots to crash the American economy while high ranking Obama officials seek to subvert the Constitution and Bill of Rights. We MUST compel Congress to open investigations and HALT the Obama wrecking crew that is daily dismantling America! Recent audio outlined a very real plan to collapse the American economy — including crashing the stock market and “bring down the banks” — in an effort to finally and irrevocably bring about the fundamental change, radical change, Obama promised. The sinister plan was set to take place the first week of May… and evidence suggests the plan may go all the way to the White House. Analysis shows a dip in the market the first week of May, partially due to the efforts of this Marxist “celebration” and partially due to George Soros’ Quantum Hedge Fund literally dumping their silver holdings, causing one of the largest silver price crashes in history. The market began following suit, and large scale dumps of most precious metals continued throughout the week, further depressing the already weakened market numbers. Steve Lerner is well known in union thug circles as the guy who uses intimidation to ensure success. March 19, 2011 Steve Lerner met with Abby Scher of Brooklyn College CUNY, Gerardo Dominguez of the Mexican Americans Workers Association, John Atols of ACORN and a number of other openly Marxist activists. Surrounded by fellow radicals , Mr. Lerner, unaware he was being recorded, felt comfortable enough to lay out his step by step plan to “put a boot in the wheel” of the American economy – crashing the stock market and orchestrating a complete banking collapse – in an effort to force Marxism upon the masses. Full audio with transcripts of Lerner’s plot can be found on You Tube, at The Blaze website where this story broke, and all over the Internet. Lerner identified this as a union-driven plan, presumably crafted by his cronies at the SEIU, and he calls for the aid of community organizers. But evidence suggests Lerner may already have the assistance of the Community Organizer in Chief – Barack Hussein Obama. White House visitor logs show that Stephen Lerner has visited the White House repeatedly over the last two years. At least one of these visits was arranged by the office of then White House Political Director Patrick Gaspard – one of Lerner’s previous SEIU colleagues and former leader of one of the most notoriously militant SEIU chapters. Gaspard, not coincidentally, is a close Obama advisor who is now the Executive Director of the Democratic National Party and a key player on Obama’s 2012 election team. Obama made clear in a now infamous 2008 campaign rally that SEIU’s agenda is his agenda. Obama led a SEIU member chant after recalling how he started his early “organizing career” with SEIU troops on the ground, and went on to declare, “Just imagine what we can do together. Just imagine a President whose life’s work is your (SEIU’s) work”! It seems we no longer need to imagine. The present occupant of the Oval Office has brought sedition to the presidency — the highest office in the land. Barack Obama’s own front group “Organizing for America” helped stage the recent Wisconsin “Days of Rage” protests that were notable for union-led violence, death threats and radical acts of intimidation, and now it appears he and his administration may be connected to a far-left coalition actively plotting to collapse the American economy. My friends, Stephen Lerner’s closed-attendance discussion at The Left Forum was not some simple academic and theoretical discussion of what revolutionary resistance might look like. It was a high-level presentation of a very real, well thought out plan that is underway for economic terrorism, and a recruitment call to leftwing radical leaders of other organizations to join in it. Stephen Lerner’s terrorist plans, and actions of incitement and enlistment are outright sedition, all potentially prosecutable offenses. In normal circumstances, we could count on the Department of Justice to investigate and uphold the rule of law. But alas, as we have seen with Eric Holder’s refusal to prosecute colleagues, supporters and friends of Obama, including the election fraud and racist thuggery at the hands of the New Black Panthers, the once venerable DOJ is a rogue agency in a rogue administration, and can no longer be trusted to do its duty. Why have not the murky, possibly orchestrated causes behind the terrible economic crisis of the 2008 national fiscal collapse been investigated and disclosed to the nation? No, we must instead call upon this 112th Congress, and demand an immediate investigation of Stephen Lerner, and all of those who participated in his conspiratorial call to anarchy, sedition and economic terrorism on March 19. That investigation must include disclosure of all the participants and plotters lurking behind the scenes who are actively working to disrupt and destroy America — even if that road leads us directly to the White House. This is no longer a matter of speculation. The Marxist plan to smash our commercial republic is alive and active within the corridors of power in America as never before. The plan to launch their latest assault on these United States was scheduled for, of course, May Day — May 1, 2011 — and was sounded to their foot soldiers as a very real and potentially calamitous call to harm our nation. While the capture and death of Osama bin Laden took center stage for the media on May 1, the demostrations by these avowed radial Marxist took place throughout the U.S. You can be assured they are now making plans to launch this assault another day. We were warned when Obama first appeared on the national scene that he was at the least an academic Marxist surrounded by radicals, and a menace to the security, sovereignty and prosperity of the nation. Now there is evidence in abundance to confirm that judgment. We MUST force Congress to act NOW – before the evil forces that mean to destroy America are able to implement their plans. The very survival of our country is at stake if we do not take seriously the threat within. We implore you, (call) Congress TODAY.” The phone number for Congress is (202) 224-21(three)1 (I spilled nail polish on my three key.) http://vickigoestowashington.com/2011/07/urgent-plot-to-rewrite-constitution/

Ex-Union Member Fights $200,000 Union Fine For Working Non-Union Posted by LaborUnionReport (Profile) Sunday, July 31st at 9:00AM EDT Unions have rules. Union members who break those rules can be placed on trial by their union and, if found guilty, can be expelled or suspended from the union. They can also be fined, as Nathaniel Musser has learned the expensive way. Musser, a former member of the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters, according to his lawyer, could not find work through his union. So, as union members sometimes do, Musser found work on his own–at a non-union company. As working non-union is against many trade unions’ rules, the Carpenters’ union filed internal union charges against Musser and imposed a $300,900.00 fine against Musser. Although Musser appealed and the fine was later reduced to $200,850.00, Musser is also fighting the reduced fine as well. According to ChicagoUnionNews.com, Musser is alleging in his court documents that the union maintained a policy that precluded members from resigning from the union. “If he would have known about a way to resign, he would have resigned before he worked for a non-union employer,” [Musser's lawyer Stanley] Niew said. Joe Heilgeist, identified in court papers as a business representative and organizer of Local 250, declined to comment and the attorney representing the union did not return phone calls. Frank Libby, president of the Regional Council, said he was unfamiliar with this particular case but said the situation was common. “It makes sense,” Libby said. “He went to work with a non-union contractor while he held membership. You can’t do that. . . . He made a conscious decision apparently to say the hell with the union.” [Emphasis added.] Note: If you are an out-of-work construction trade union member, before you start working non-union, check your union constitution and local union bylaws. As a union member (in most trade unions), you can be placed on trial for working non-union. http://www.redstate.com/laborunionreport/2011/07/31/ex-union-member-fights-200000-union-fine-for-working-non-union/ ________________ “I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776

Thanks for the post. It's nice to start a monday off with a cup of coffee and a smile.

Iran’s demand for War compensations from Iraq shall escalate tension between both countries, al-Iraqiya Legislature says 8/1/2011 11:47 AM BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: The Legislature of al-Iraqiya Coalition, led by Iyad Allawi, Zala Neftchy, has stated on Monday that Iran’s demand of compensations from Iraq due to their 1980-88 War “shall step up tension between both countries,” adding that “Iraq was supposed to demand such compensations from Iran, because the latter had started the war operations at that time.” “The political tensions are escalating by Iran against Iraq, and instead of stopping its bombardment of Iraqi territories in Iraqi Kurdistan, it is demanding compensations for the 1980-88 War,” Neftchy told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “Unfortunately, we believe that the said demand would escalate and step-up tension in relations between both countries, at a time when Iraq is trying to settle its crisis with the Iranian side, through peaceful means,” she said. Neftchy said that “Iraq, if fact, is the country that should demand compensations from Iran, because the latter had been the one that started the military operations at that time,” adding that the Iraqi Parliament “might discuss the said issue in its session today (Monday).” Local media sources have carried reports, pointing out that the Iranian side was carrying talks to gain compensations for the War that erupted between Iraq and Iran in 1980-88. The eight-year Iraq-Iran war had claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people from neighboring countries, along with larger numbers of injured people, as well as costing both countries losses that reached billions ( of U.S. dollars. http://en.aswataliraq.info/Default1.aspx?page=article_page&id=144066&l=1

Jul 29 2011 Kuwait Gets $1.06 Bn in Iraqi Reparation: UN GENEVA, The United Nations released $1.06 billion in Iraqi compensation to Kuwait on Thursday in the latest payment of a war reparation scheme that began in 1994. The payment brings the total sum of compensation paid to Kuwait to $33.3 billion. A further $19 billion is due. Most of the latest round went to state and private companies, and governments and international organisations, the UN Compensation Commission said in a statement. Following the 1991 invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein’s regime, Iraq is required to put five percent of its oil and gas revenues into the UN reparations fund. http://iraqdailytimes.com/kuwait-gets-1-06-bn-in-iraqi-reparation-un/

Jul 31 2011 US to Provide Iraq With Wiretapping System Erbil, (AKnews) – The U.S. is to provide Iraq with wiretapping equipment to listen in to mobile phone calls and messages in a move aimed at tackling militants and criminals, the Washington Post has reported. The equipment will be similar to that used by the FBI and will be able to target up to 5000 devices. Iraq has strict laws on the surveillance of citizens. The law enforcement agencies would be supposed to obtain warrants before eves-dropping on any conversation. However, the Iraqi security forces are known to bypass the law in other areas, such as the use of torture to extract confessions. An another site would buy, install and maintain the equipment, and would train the Iraqis to run it. The monitoring stations will be located in Baghdad at an existing signals intelligence center, backed up by computer servers at the Interior Ministry’s National Information and Investigation Agency, the country’s primary investigative agency. The U.S. set up a similar system in Afghanistan three years ago to assist the Drug Enforcement Administration in its investigations of suspected terrorists involved in the drug trade. http://iraqdailytimes.com/us-to-provide-iraq-with-wiretapping-system/

Town tracks EVERY car with police cams July 30, 2011 A sleepy Home Counties market town has become the first in Britain to have every car passing through it tracked by police cameras. Royston, in Hertfordshire, England, has had a set of police cameras installed on every road leading in and out of it, recording the numberplate of every vehicle that passes them. The automatic number-plate recognition system will check the plates against a variety of databases, studying them for links to crimes, and insurance and tax records, and alerting police accordingly. There were just seven incidents of vehicle crime in the town last month, and residents believe the unmarked cameras are an invasion of their privacy. http://patriotupdate.com/10251/town-tracks-every-car-with-police-cams

Judge Judy – Here’s Who You Support With Taxes http://patriotupdate.com/videos/judge-judy-heres-who-you-support-with-taxes

Disappearing car prank http://www.wimp.com/disappearingprank/

Gina has as much right to speak her mind as does your moronic arse!!!

I just threw up in my mouth!?!

Coincidence..... I think NOT. Obama Aide Lipton Chosen by Lagarde to Be Top IMF Deputy July 12, 2011, 7:45 PM EDT July 12 (Bloomberg) -- Christine Lagarde chose David Lipton, an adviser to President Barack Obama and a former U.S. Treasury Department official in the Clinton administration, to be her top deputy at the International Monetary Fund. A week after taking over as the IMF’s managing director, Lagarde also created a fourth deputy managing director position for China’s Zhu Min, a move that will raise that nation’s status at the institution. Zhu, a special adviser to the fund’s chief, will take up his post July 26. Lipton also will start then as a special adviser and assume the deputy’s job on Sept. 1. Lipton combines “international expertise, public sector policy making and private sector experience and a proven track record in economic crisis management,” Lagarde said in an e- mailed statement. Zhu “will play an important role in working with me and the rest of my management team in meeting the challenges facing our global membership in the period ahead, and in strengthening the fund’s understanding of Asia and emerging markets more generally,” she said. The choices reflect the growing influence of China, the world’s second-largest economy, and the U.S.’s traditional lock on the fund’s second-ranking job. Both countries supported Lagarde over Mexican Central Bank Governor Agustin Carstens, who failed last month to get enough support from emerging countries to end a 65-year European monopoly on the IMF’s top job. ‘Important Acknowledgement’ The ascension of a Chinese official to a top IMF management position for the first time “is an important acknowledgement of China’s primary role within the” membership, said Domenico Lombardi, a former IMF board official and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington. It may “enhance the ability of the IMF to act as a facilitator between the U.S. and China.” The new position follows the appointment of Justin Lin as World Bank chief economist in February 2008. Lipton, who worked at the IMF for eight years after receiving a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University, held various positions at Treasury from 1993 through 1998, including undersecretary for international affairs at the time of the Asian crisis. Bonus Pay Before the White House job, Lipton was head of global country risk management at Citigroup Inc., taking home a $1,275,000 bonus in 2008 and a $762,000 bonus in 2009, according to White House financial disclosure reports. He will replace John Lipsky, whose term ends in August. Lipsky stepped in as acting managing director after the arrest and resignation of former IMF chief Dominique Strauss- Kahn, who has pleaded not guilty to sexual assault charges in New York City. Lipsky represented the IMF yesterday as finance ministers from the euro region discussed a new strategy to contain the debt crisis. At the White House, Lipton, 57, served as special assistant to Obama and at the National Economic Council and the National Security Council, helping handle such matters as the sovereign debt crisis in Europe and emerging economies. “He will bring a very heavy political clout that will make the institution closer to the senior political leadership of the world,” Brookings’ Lombardi said. Zhu, 58, who was a deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China, joined the IMF in May 2010. He previously was an executive vice president at Bank of China Ltd. --Editors: Jim Rubin, Don Frederick To contact the reporters on this story: Sandrine Rastello in Washington at srastello@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Christopher Wellisz at cwellisz@bloomberg.net http://www.businessw...imf-deputy.html Read more: