-Wes

US drug war has met none of its goals

1. $20 billion to fight the war on drugs in producing countries (Columbia , Mexico and so on)
2. $33 billion in marketing to youth and other prevention programs. High school students report the same rates of illegal drug use as they did in 1970.
3. according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention drug overdoses have “risen steadily” since the early 1970s to more than 20,000 last year.
4. $49 billion for law enforcement along America’s borders to cut off the flow of illegal drugs. This year, 25 million Americans will snort, swallow, inject and smoke illicit drugs, about 10 million more than in 1970, with the bulk of those drugs imported from Mexico.
5. * $121 billion to arrest more than 37 million nonviolent drug offenders, about 10 million of them for possession of marijuana. Studies show that jail time tends to increase drug abuse.
6. $450 billion to lock those people up in federal prisons alone. Last year, half of all federal prisoners in the U.S. were serving sentences for drug offenses.

Despite Rhetoric, Administration Funds Enforcement Over Treatment

WASHINGTON, DC — The Obama administration released its National Drug Control Strategy today, claiming that it represents a balanced new approach to drug policy that focuses on treatment over enforcement. However, a group of police officers who support legalization is pointing out that despite the administration’s words, the drug budget dedicates nearly twice as much funding to policing and enforcement as it does to public health and prevention, virtually the same ratio as the previous budget under President Bush.

“The drug czar is saying all the right things about ending the ‘war on drugs’ and enacting a long-overdue balanced strategy focused on a public health approach,” said Neill Franklin, a former Baltimore cop and incoming executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). “Unfortunately the reality of the budget numbers don’t match up to the rhetoric. Two-thirds of the budget is dedicated to the same old ‘war on drugs’ approach and only a third goes to public health strategies. My experience policing the beat tells me that it’s certainly time for a new approach, but unfortunately this administration is failing to provide the necessary leadership to actually make it happen instead of just talking about it.”

The strategy devotes 64 percent of the budget to traditional supply reduction strategies like enforcement and interdiction while reserving only 36 percent for demand reduction approaches like treatment and prevention. And, due to accounting changes made under the Bush administration and maintained by Obama, the budget ratio doesn’t even take into account some costs of the “war on drugs” such as incarceration.

Drug policy reform advocates are pleased, however, with the strategy’s support for syringe exchange programs and its criticism of laws that bar people with drug convictions from receiving public benefits like student aid.

“It’s great to see the administration starting to talk like they want to actually change failed drug policies,” said Franklin. “But we can’t let them get away with claiming that they’ve ended the ‘war on drugs’ while we continue to arrest 800,000 people a year on marijuana charges alone.”

The National Drug Control Strategy can be found online at http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/strategy/

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) is an international organization representing police, prosecutors, judges, FBI/DEA agents and others who want to legalize and regulate drugs after fighting on the front lines of the “war on drugs” and learning firsthand that prohibition only serves to worsen addiction and violence. More info at http://www.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com

# # #

Tom Angell, Media Relations Director
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

http://www.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com

Washington, D.C.
phone: (202) 557-4979 // e-mail: tom@leap.cc
AIM: ThisIsTomAngell // GChat: tomangell

Videos of LEAP cops: http://YouTube.com/CopsSayLegalizeDrugs
LEAP on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CopsSayLegalize
LEAP on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CopsSayLegalizeDrugs

Scott Andrews – Andrews.S@parl.gc.ca
Larry Bagnell – BagneLL@parl.gc.ca
Jean-Claude D’Amours – DamouJ@parl.gc.ca
Wayne Easter – EasteW@parl.gc.ca
Keith Martin – MartiK@parl.gc.ca
Anthony Rota – RotaA@parl.gc.ca
Todd Russell – RusseT@parl.gc.ca
Scott Simms – SimmsSc@parl.gc.ca
Ignatieff cracks whip on gun registry

Tax Payer Federation

This lady is a hero good for her to stand up under that pressure from the police force. A police officer’s job is to up hold the law not be the law. I think he should have at the very least lost his job and also served some jail time equal to what she served. If any private citizen falsely imprisoned another they would be punished with jail time officers should not get special treatment given the role they play in society.

Hello everyone, an important Canadian study was just released from the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. It suggests that drug law enforcement increases community violence. Here’s an article about it:

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Gang+violence+increases+enforcement+steps+study/2713878/story.html

“A provocative new report from a B.C. HIV-research agency, however, suggests that throwing more police resources at the problem will only make the bloodshed worse, not bring peace to the streets. The majority of studies conducted on the issue over the last 20 years in the United States and elsewhere indicate that gang violence increases as law-enforcement activity against the drug trade steps up, says the report from the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS.”

This ties in well with LEAP’s message. Stay tuned as there will be more about this study coming out in the next few weeks.

–

David Bratzer

Follow on Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/davidbratzer

http://mises.org/Services/MediaEmbed.aspx?MediaId=427

I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit. In order to earn that pay cheque, I work on a rig site for a Fort Mac construction project. I am required to pass a random urine test, with which I have no problem.
What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don’t have to pass a urine test. Shouldn’t one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare cheque because I have to pass one to earn it for them?
Please understand that I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do on the other hand have a problem with helping someone sit on their ass drinking beer and smoking dope.
Could you imagine how much money the provinces would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance cheque?

August 26, 2009

Down a Red End: Stelmach Fiscal Management

For Immediate Release

It was only one year ago when Premier Stelmach proclaimed proudly that
Alberta would boast an $8.5 Billion dollar surplus. Today he is predicting
an adjustment of $15.5 billion with his announcement that Alberta will run
a deficit of $7 billion on top of the Health Super Board’s deficit of $1.1
billion. Of note, spending continues to rise. This amounts to overspending
in the amount of $3100 for every Alberta taxpayer.

Wildrose Alliance interim leader Paul Hinman notes that the figure is about
exactly the same as the amount the Provincial government expects to reap in
personal income tax revenues – up 50 per cent from when the Premier and his
Finance Minister announced their $4.7 Billion dollar deficit budget just
three months ago. “At this rate,” Hinman says, “The Stelmach government’s
deficit could easily exceed $10 billion, and yet they have done little to
curtail their spending and to act like the conservatives they claim to be.
They are demonstrating their Progressive roots: progressively spending out
of control!”

“Premier Stelmach has been wrong with every economic prediction, his plans
have been failures, and his policies continue to undermine health care and
education,” Hinman says. “He has lost all credibility and is only reactive,
not proactive.” Hinman also points out that while the budget bleeds red,
the Stelmach PC’s continue to enjoy their pay raises. “Why should Albertans
believe him now or in the future?,” he says. “We need to Send Ed a
Message!”

By the time Stelmach is run out of office, there will be no sustainability
fund, Hinman predicts. “But there will be a Provincial debt, much higher
unemployment than we see now – and which is already five times higher than
they predicted just three months ago,” he says.

“Not only that, but the impacts on Alberta’s economic strength and
government revenues of a severely downsized oil and gas industry and
significant reductions in property values across the province will lead to
lower service provisions for health care, education, and policing.

The sad part,” Hinman says, “Is this government accepts no responsibility
for their role in this economic boondoggle.”

Hinman notes that Alberta’s neighbouring provinces are taking steps to
address the global economic climate affecting them to great effect. They
have maintained taxation stability or lowered taxes, demonstrated budgetary
discipline, encouraged and attracted capital investment, and “Made the
tough choices when they had to. The Wildrose Alliance proposes policies
that achieve all of these goals, but the Stelmach government wants to
maintain the status quo on spending and hope they win the next lottery.
That is not what built the Alberta Advantage.”

The Wildrose Alliance is a fiscally conservative and socially responsible
party that stands for economic growth and fiscal discipline while ensuring
that Albertans get the services and support they need. The Party has
experienced a surge in membership this year as the Stelmach PC’s continue
to implode and threaten to take the province with them.

Wildrose Alliance Interim Leader Paul Hinman is currently running in the
Calgary Glenmore by election. At the same time, the party is having a
Leadership race that will culminate on October 17 in Edmonton.

- 30 -

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Paul Hinman
Interim Leader
Wildrose Alliance
403-479-6000
info@wildrosealliance.ca

* Calgary city councillor Diane Colley-Urquhart Alberta Conservatives.
* Psychiatrist and health-care activist Avalon Roberts for the Alberta Liberals.
* Eric Carpendale, 29, an electrician who works for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union for the provincial NDP.
* Paul Hinman, who stepped down as party leader for the Wildrose Alliance.
* Len Skowronski ,Leader of the social Credit party for Social Credit.

The Tories have held this riding for fourty years. I think its time for a change, send the provincial government a message that you are unhappy with how they are handling the issues in Alberta. Remind them who is in charge and cast your vote for whom ever you think represents you the best. I am unable to vote in that riding but if I was I would be supporting Paul Hinman, he is an advocate for smaller government and personal responsibility despite the ruling parties name they are not conservatives they believe in big government and they have a state knows best attitude. Look at all the recent projects and programs they have created. They have ran up our budget to an unsustainable amount they increased taxes on the entire province through the royalty change (Yes when oil companies are taxed every one is taxed) and they have even gone begging for money from the federal government, When did Alberta become a ward of the federal government?

Alberta needs to rise up and tell the conservative party that they are not the natural governing party in the province and that we are tired of there big government activity. We need to elect a party that understands what made and makes Alberta great which is hard work ,dedication from the people and responsible, limited government. I believe that the ideals of the reform party and the younger conservative party (the party of the 90’s) lives today in the WildRose Alliance if you live in this riding please vote for the WileRose Alliance party but most importantly get out and vote other wise the active minority (or political elite) get to make the choices for you and that is not a free society.

If you read this blog you know I am a supporter of Danielle Smith and the WileRose Alliance. Danielle will be helping Paul with his campaign this weekend. If you want to volunteer check out her site. Also memberships are only 10$ and can really help the party make a difference. www.daniellesmith.com

Haworth, a multinational manufacturer of office interiors, which operated a show room and factory in Calgary employing 600 people in the city is consolidating its holdings and moving its operations to the state of Michigan. The state of Michigan is close to approving a tax incentive for the company worth $22.4 million, which I am sure it’s very encouraging to a company looking to save money. This means over 600 new jobs will be moving from Calgary, the supposed best place in the world to do business, to another country. This move will also likely cost jobs in to other companies that might have been supplying the local operations of Haworth. This is yet another example of a lost opportunity for the city, I am against taxes but looking at it from a balance sheet perspective the city should be wanting to make the tax pool larger so the individual burden on every one is smaller.

Our city council is much to busy worrying about the peace bridge or the new east side pedestrian walkway (roughly costing 20 million dollars, hrm almost the same amount as the intensive) to focus on encouraging growth in the business sector. Instead of worrying about how the city is going to pay for the alderman’s pet project and where to nickle and dime the tax payers some more to pay for these pet project, the city should be working on slashing spending and removing itself from the “business of being in business” (Mainly the east side project). If the city could cut its spending it could then cut the tax burden on business which would encouraging companies like Haworth to stay and even encourage other multinational corporations to setup shop here when they too are looking to consolidating holdings, this would result in more jobs and more prosperity for Albertans and Calgarians.

Alberta has always has what was called the “Alberta Advantage” which was a business friendly community coupled with governments working in partnership with business to encouraged growth through lower taxes and less regulation. This is no longer the case both the province and municipalities have been finding any reason to tack on user fees or raise taxes. This has completely eliminated our “Alberta Advantage” the province even dropped this as the provincial slogan, its no wonder the unemployment rate is going up in Alberta and that the oil industry in Saskatchewan and British Columbia have an increase in jobs using our model (The model of freedom), we need to realize that the current ruling party is no longer the party of Ralph Kline or even a conservative party for that matter. I encourage every one that values productive jobs and the freemarket to call there alderman or MLA and tell them to lower taxes , remove regulation and just get out of the way of business. Tell them that you want Calgary and Alberta to be the first place of choice for business to open an office and that you want our Alberta Advantage back!

See our resources page for contact information for MLA and Council Member

The Alberta Team!

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When something’s growing in your head …

Shona Holmes has been attacked for criticizing Canada’s health insurance monopoly, but she should have had the right to seek prompt treatment for her suffering

Ontarian Shona Holmes, right, joins members of the U.S. House Republican leadership, from left, Roy Blunt, John Boehner, Judy Biggert and Eric Cantor for a news conference about U.S. health care policy last month in Washington, D.C.
Photograph by: Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images, Citizen Special

By Karen Selick, Citizen Special

August 12, 2009

Imagine yourself in this situation. You’ve been noticing for a couple of months that your vision is deteriorating. You’ve been having headaches and unexplained vomiting. You feel tired all the time.

You know your doctor is busy so you don’t trouble her for an appointment immediately, hoping you’ll get better. When you finally do go, she’s alarmed by your vision loss and your skyrocketing blood pressure. She orders an MRI scan. Five weeks later you get the report: there’s a lesion on your pituitary gland, just below your brain. The doctors aren’t sure what to call it. It could be a meningioma, a pituitary adenoma, a craniopharyngioma, an epidermoid adenoma, or a Rathke’s cleft cyst, they say.

You ask what these terms mean. Several of them are types of brain tumour, one possibly malignant. Uh-oh.

Your doctor refers you to two specialists. The earliest appointment you can get with a neurologist is more than seven weeks away. The earliest appointment with the endocrinologist is 16 weeks away.

But this thing is growing in your head.

Your optometrist’s tests confirm that you are getting progressively closer to blindness. What to do?

Shona Holmes, the woman who has been criticized in some quarters recently for jumping into the U.S. debate on health care reform in television ads and media interviews, faced exactly this situation. She decided to take matters into her own hands. If Canada’s health care system didn’t care enough about her to alleviate the unbearable anxiety that anyone would feel under such circumstances, there were other places in the world that would.

Shona travelled to the world-famous Mayo Clinic in Arizona, where she was seen by three specialists within seven days. She was fortunate: her growth turned out to be non-malignant. But it still had to be removed or she would surely go blind. As well, it seemed to be the source of hormonal problems that had been plaguing her. Left unattended, she was warned, her symptoms could worsen dramatically and over the long run, could be fatal. The U.S. doctors were clear: urgent surgery was needed.

Shona returned to Canada thinking that with such a clear diagnosis and treatment plan, she would have no trouble getting urgent surgery.

Wrong again. Faced with more consultations and more waits of indefinite duration, she returned to the U.S. and had immediate surgery that restored her vision completely within 10 days.

Would you have done anything different? I wouldn’t. Canadian politicians and celebrities frequently don’t wait either, using private Ottawa clinics or U.S. hospitals for speedier care.

Nor should Canadians have to wait, according to the Supreme Court of Canada. In 2005, the court struck down Quebec’s health insurance monopoly, thereby permitting Quebecers to purchase private health insurance.

“Access to a waiting list is not access to health care,” wrote Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin. The court accepted evidence that Canadians sometimes die on waiting lists for the public health care system. Many others undergo physical and psychological suffering that saps not only their enjoyment of life but also their ability to contribute to society as productive members of the work force.

Four years have passed since the Supreme Court rendered that decision, but Ontario’s laws have not changed.

That’s why Shona Holmes, supported by the Canadian Constitution Foundation, is bringing a similar constitutional challenge to Ontario’s health insurance monopoly. Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees citizens’ rights to life, liberty and security of the person. No one should have to experience the agony Shona went through because of a legal prohibition on spending your own money to buy something essential for your health.

Some fear that ending the health insurance monopoly would also spell the end of Ontario’s public health care system. The experience of other countries has demonstrated that this is not the case. Public and private plans co-exist in many countries, including Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, the United Kingdom and Sweden, providing care to all citizens, regardless of income, but without long waiting lists. These countries have health care outcomes as good as, or better than, Ontario’s.

Ironically, two of the doctors who treated Shona in Arizona were Canadians who had gone south. Permitting privately funded medicine in Canada could end the brain drain and might even encourage some of the medical talent we have been exporting for decades to return.

Karen Selick is litigation director at the Canadian Constitution Foundation, which is representing Shona Holmes in a court challenge against the government’s health care insurance monopoly.

All above was copied from Canadian Constitution Foundation

When something’s growing in your head …

Shona Holmes has been attacked for criticizing Canada’s health insurance monopoly, but she should have had the right to seek prompt treatment for her suffering

Ontarian Shona Holmes, right, joins members of the U.S. House Republican leadership, from left, Roy Blunt, John Boehner, Judy Biggert and Eric Cantor for a news conference about U.S. health care policy last month in Washington, D.C.
Photograph by: Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images, Citizen Special

By Karen Selick, Citizen Special

August 12, 2009

Imagine yourself in this situation. You’ve been noticing for a couple of months that your vision is deteriorating. You’ve been having headaches and unexplained vomiting. You feel tired all the time.

You know your doctor is busy so you don’t trouble her for an appointment immediately, hoping you’ll get better. When you finally do go, she’s alarmed by your vision loss and your skyrocketing blood pressure. She orders an MRI scan. Five weeks later you get the report: there’s a lesion on your pituitary gland, just below your brain. The doctors aren’t sure what to call it. It could be a meningioma, a pituitary adenoma, a craniopharyngioma, an epidermoid adenoma, or a Rathke’s cleft cyst, they say.

You ask what these terms mean. Several of them are types of brain tumour, one possibly malignant. Uh-oh.

Your doctor refers you to two specialists. The earliest appointment you can get with a neurologist is more than seven weeks away. The earliest appointment with the endocrinologist is 16 weeks away.

But this thing is growing in your head.

Your optometrist’s tests confirm that you are getting progressively closer to blindness. What to do?

Shona Holmes, the woman who has been criticized in some quarters recently for jumping into the U.S. debate on health care reform in television ads and media interviews, faced exactly this situation. She decided to take matters into her own hands. If Canada’s health care system didn’t care enough about her to alleviate the unbearable anxiety that anyone would feel under such circumstances, there were other places in the world that would.

Shona travelled to the world-famous Mayo Clinic in Arizona, where she was seen by three specialists within seven days. She was fortunate: her growth turned out to be non-malignant. But it still had to be removed or she would surely go blind. As well, it seemed to be the source of hormonal problems that had been plaguing her. Left unattended, she was warned, her symptoms could worsen dramatically and over the long run, could be fatal. The U.S. doctors were clear: urgent surgery was needed.

Shona returned to Canada thinking that with such a clear diagnosis and treatment plan, she would have no trouble getting urgent surgery.

Wrong again. Faced with more consultations and more waits of indefinite duration, she returned to the U.S. and had immediate surgery that restored her vision completely within 10 days.

Would you have done anything different? I wouldn’t. Canadian politicians and celebrities frequently don’t wait either, using private Ottawa clinics or U.S. hospitals for speedier care.

Nor should Canadians have to wait, according to the Supreme Court of Canada. In 2005, the court struck down Quebec’s health insurance monopoly, thereby permitting Quebecers to purchase private health insurance.

“Access to a waiting list is not access to health care,” wrote Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin. The court accepted evidence that Canadians sometimes die on waiting lists for the public health care system. Many others undergo physical and psychological suffering that saps not only their enjoyment of life but also their ability to contribute to society as productive members of the work force.

Four years have passed since the Supreme Court rendered that decision, but Ontario’s laws have not changed.

That’s why Shona Holmes, supported by the Canadian Constitution Foundation, is bringing a similar constitutional challenge to Ontario’s health insurance monopoly. Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees citizens’ rights to life, liberty and security of the person. No one should have to experience the agony Shona went through because of a legal prohibition on spending your own money to buy something essential for your health.

Some fear that ending the health insurance monopoly would also spell the end of Ontario’s public health care system. The experience of other countries has demonstrated that this is not the case. Public and private plans co-exist in many countries, including Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, the United Kingdom and Sweden, providing care to all citizens, regardless of income, but without long waiting lists. These countries have health care outcomes as good as, or better than, Ontario’s.

Ironically, two of the doctors who treated Shona in Arizona were Canadians who had gone south. Permitting privately funded medicine in Canada could end the brain drain and might even encourage some of the medical talent we have been exporting for decades to return.

Karen Selick is litigation director at the Canadian Constitution Foundation, which is representing Shona Holmes in a court challenge against the government’s health care insurance monopoly.

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” – Edmund Burke

Paul E. Marek is a second-generation Canadian, whose grandparents fled Czechoslovakia just prior to the Nazi takeover. He wrote the following article in February of 2006.

Why The Peaceful Majority Is Irrelevant
By Paul E. Marek

I used to know a man whose family were German aristocracy prior to World War Two. They owned a number of large industries and estates. I asked him how many German people were true Nazis, and the answer he gave has stuck with me and guided my attitude toward fanaticism ever since.

“Very few people were true Nazis” he said, “but, many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.”

We are told again and again by “experts” and “talking heads” that Islam is the religion of peace, and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace. Although this unquantified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the specter of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam. The fact is, that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars world wide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honor kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. The hard quantifiable fact is, that the “peaceful majority” is the “silent majority” and it is cowed and extraneous.

Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant. China’s huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people. The Average Japanese individual prior to World War 2 was not a war mongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of Killing that included the systematic killing of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet. And, who can forget Rwanda, which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were “peace loving”.

History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points. Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by the fanatics. Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence. Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don’t speak up, because like my friend from Germany, they will awake one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun. Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Bosnians, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others, have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late. As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts; the fanatics who threaten our way of life.

You can read more of my thoughts on this on the past post here Let Big Brother Do Your Thinking.

WASHINGTON (AP) – States would be required to ban driving while texting or face the loss of highway funds under legislation being pushed by a group of senators.

New York Sen. Charles Schumer and three other Democrats plan to unveil the bill on Wednesday. It follows a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute that found that when drivers of heavy trucks texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting.

Fourteen states and the District of Columbia ban texting while driving.

Under the Senate proposal, states would need to outlaw texting or e-mailing while operating a moving vehicle or lose 25 percent of their annual federal highway funding.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Here is the video:

For a full commentary check out the western standard post by Mathew Johnston.

Lindy performs “Shakedown,” the pro-freedom of expression song, at the Liberty Summer Seminar

Danielle Smith

Denis Young the libertarian party of Canada leader will likely be attending as well as our good friend at the Western Standard Matthew Johnston.

We will be at Kilkenny Irish Pub Map
500-3630 Brentwood Road Nw
Calgary, AB T2L 1K8
(403) 284-4404

You can also watch more Peter Schiff on Freedom Watch on our Peter Schiff Category

Interesting case where a tax protest beat the government and was found not guilty of tax evasion (typical CBC blocked comments on this story which I am sure would have been very interesting)

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/06/27/taxes27062006.html

Daniell Smith Democratic Reform

Plans work for individuals and companies because they adjust more easily to changing environments and variables they also have way less politicking to deal with. Government look to the past to see that 5 years , 10 year, 30 year plans set forth by government end up just costing a lot of money and are never effective, the free market will push right through it. If they want to encourage economic growth , sustainability and stability they should lower taxes encourage business to setup shop here and let the free market flow they way it wants. This has always been our Alberta advantage I don’t know why we are abandoning it now.

http://alberta.ca/home/NewsFrame.cfm?ReleaseID=/acn/200907/263963C2FA082-064D-0D3A-8492F491CE95F9D3.html

The Minimum wage argument & SchiffForSenate.com

Matthew Johnston publisher of the western standard and Denis Young leader of the federal libertarian party held a reception for her at Denis’ office a few weeks back where she had a chance to speak. She seemed to do will in balancing here libertarian ideals with some pragmatic ways of accomplishing them, this will help her win over the main stream voter who is not quiet read for a full out libertarian politicians, which is going to be necessary to get her elected. Alberta is probably the most likely group of people to vote libertarian of course.

I think if we can get some one like Danielle Smith elected she could work towards changing the mind set of the Albertan people back to more self reliance and small government. This will pave the way for more like her and libertarian candidates in the future.

Here is a posted speech on her views about the deficit spending.

Seven tips to avoid deficits in 2010

The government should focus on putting money back into the peoples pocket through tax cuts what a great stimulus package every one gets to keep 100% of there dollars for one year, imagine what kind of effect that would have on the spending habits of the people. Plus by allowing people to keep the money they earn they will get to choose where to spend it and when the people choose with there dollars that is the freemarket at work. The money will flow exactly where it should be going and those sectors will grown and create jobs, not by some bureaucrat. The free market is not some omnipotent thing it is simply the people spending there money the way this wish to spend it.

The government can also tear down barriers for companies trying to grow by removing certain regulations. Creating more jobs by making it harder to to business so that companies must hire more people is not sustainable. If companies are allowed to grow at the rate the free market sees fit then those jobs will be created in a more sustainable manner.

Of course the list of what the government can do (maybe I should say stop doing) to properly allow the economy to grow could go on forever, remember the MLA’s and MP’s work for you make sure to call them and let them know what you think about the issues that matter to you. You can’t expect any thing to change if you don’t get active.

http://interactive.foxnews.com/livestream/live.html?chanId=3

Help get the 3% insurance tax removed sign the petition on the petitions page. Petitions

http://www.660news.com/news/local/more.jsp?content=20090707_154153_7600

Wildrose Cup Pics

Thanks to Gaberial who took the photos

http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2009/07/elizabeth-may-stands-firm-on-marijuana-legalization-and-opposition-to-mandatory-minimums.html

As Canadians we are told to and encourage to be different then our brothers to the south (of course cause of recent events we are now told that we should be like them , and see them as an example) however the ideals written into this document are ones of freedom , liberty and to pursue what makes one happy, which transcends any governments or political policy of the day, as people we should be encourage by this document and strive to achieve the goals in our lives. This document is not an American document but a foundation of any freedom loving people.

I found this video of celebrities reading the deceleration narrated of course by Morgan freeman. Props go out to The Humble Libertarian for posting it.

Here’s to FREEDOM!

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Download the column as an MP3 file here (3:38 minutes).

http://www.am770chqr.com/News/Local/Story.aspx?ID=1108315

I am sure many people think that is all well in good I guess if you are not a terrorist or currently a criminal, however governments programs always grow and expand. This is a gate way into peoples private lives you could quickly find yourself a criminal simply because we have outlawed some thing you might believe in or currently participate in legally(Things that come to mind, are pornography , online gambling, purchasing online goods outside of the country. All things that are legal but could very well be illegal tomorrow, or even more extreme , freedom of speech for all you bloggers out there. ), The program could expand to even more applications of spying we couldn’t even think of today.

If the law enforcement believe some one might be a criminal and they want a copy of there records to build a case against this criminal they can present what they currently have and justify this invasion of privacy to a judge who can then permit them to act.

Lets not let this one go un-noticed. Call your MP’s and tell them to stop investigating or even considering laws like this.

List Of MPS

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/06/19/f-internet-cellphone-wiretap-surveillance-law.html

A reception is being held for Danielle Smith (WildRose Alliance Leadership Candidate) being held by Dennis Young (Libertarian Party Of Canada Leader) and Mathew Johnston (Publisher Of The Western Standard). This meetup is on Thursday June 25 at 5PM. Please check the meetup calendar for details and location! Don’t miss it! Note the following links:

http://www.stephentaylor.ca/2009/04/danielle-smith-likely-to-run-for-wildrose-alliance-leadership/

http://www.daniellesmith.ca/

Stay tuned , we are creating a new section on this site so that you can track the voting records of your wards alderman. Make sure to check it out and hold there feet to the fire if you dislike what they do.

Grades (Highest To Lowest):
Ric McIver A+
Andre Chabot A
Diane Colley-Urquhart B+
Joe Connelly B
Jim Stevenson B
Ray Jones B
Dale Hodges C-
Bob Hawkesworth D+
John Mar D+
Joe Ceci D
Brian Pincott D-

Let the company go through true bankruptcy this will remove the parts of GM no one wants and allow the parts that are profitable to make more profit / grow / employ even more workers by removing the dead weight of the rest of the company holding the good parts back. People will still be employed after a bankruptcy it will not result in 100% job loss as the unions try to make every one believe.

Remember to find out what is really going on you have to look at the motivations of the large players. Unions want more workers , more money, more control. Government wants more power,more votes. Its a match made in heaven. If it was about American built auto production , well Honda and Toyota build most there north American cars sales in north America even right next door to the GM and Chrysler plants, are they not Canadian workers, do there wages and hard work not count? Wouldn’t Honda or Toyota pick up some of the left overs from GM and continue to build those cars in north America and employ those North American workers, like they do with most there brands? Or is it because those workers are not part of the UAW and CAW….

Article reads as followed.

According to Forbes…

The big three contracts provide that if you are laid off you continue to receive salary and benefits.
Labor cost per hour, wages and benefits for hourly workers.

Ford: $70.51 ($141,020 per year)

GM: $73.26 ($146,520 per year)

Chrysler: $75.86 ($151,720 per year)

Toyota, Honda, Nissan (in U.S.): $48.00 ($96,000 per year)

Many industry analysts say the Detroit Three, must be on par with Toyota and Honda to survive. This year’s contract, they say, must be “transformational” in reducing pension and health care costs.

Then there’s the “Job Bank”

When a D3 (Detroit 3 carmakers) lays an employee off, that employee continues to receive all benefits – medical, retirement, etc., etc., PLUS an hourly wage of $31/hour.
Here’s a typical story….

Ken Pool is making good money. On weekdays, he shows up at 7 a.m. at Ford Motor Co.’s Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne, signs in, and then starts working — on a crossword puzzle. Pool hates the monotony, but the pay is good: more than $31 an hour, plus benefits.

“We just go in and play crossword puzzles, watch videos that someone brings in or read the newspaper,” he says. “Otherwise, I just sit.”

Pool is one of more than 12,000 American autoworkers who, instead of installing windshields or bending sheet metal, spend their days counting the hours in a jobs bank set up by Detroit automakers as demanded by the United Auto Workers Union – UAW – as part of an extraordinary job security agreement.

Now the D3 wants Joe Taxpayer to pick up this tab in a $25 Billion bailout package – soon to be increased to $45 Billion if Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton have their way.
The “Big 3″ want this money – not to build better autos. No. They want it to pay the tab for Medical and Retirement benefits for RETIRED auto workers. Not ONE PENNY would be used to make them more competitive, or to improve the quality of their cars.

We ALL have problems paying for our Medical Insurance – but the Democrat leaders in Congress now want us to pay the Medical Insurance premiums of folks who have RETIRED from Ford, GM and Chrysler.
Not a good deal for us.

How about Chapter 11 – and getting rid of these ridiculous union contracts?

http://riteon.typepad.com/riteon_blog/2008/12/according-to-forbes.html

How about getting involved in this one? TV broadcaster are trying to use the force of the government to make carriers pay more to carrier the broadcaster product to your TV’s. I am not opposed for negotiating more money in a business deal however the problem exists when the broad caster use the government to require shaw to carrier there programming under the law. So this fee to carry is essentially a tax because shaw does not have the choice to not carry. Remember all taxes paid by any business is pushed directly to the consumer companies do not carry tax burdens. If you don’t want your tv bill to go up or if you like me (only has internet) and oppose this on principal contact your MP.

Here is a statement from shaw.

CTV, CBC and Global TV are trying to
convince Canadians that local TV is in trouble. What they’re really doing is
trying to push through a TV tax on all Canadians for programming you get for
free today.

They want this extra charge because they’ve
misspent the hundreds of millions of dollars they’ve already received from
taxpayers, cable and satellite companies. In total, cable and satellite
companies pay $250 million a year in program funding to assist local
broadcasters in producing Canadian television programs – as much
additional funding as is provided by the Canadian government. Where does that
money come from? It comes from the Canadian taxpayers.

The major broadcasters won’t even commit to
using the new money to produce new local content. That’s why the CRTC has
already turned them down twice.

None of us can afford to keep bailing out
companies who don’t know how to control their spending. Help us hold the
broadcasters accountable.

Visit SHAW.CA/NoTvTax to
get the facts and make your voice heard.

Brad Shaw
Senior Vice President, Operations
Shaw Communications Inc.

Here is a few videos to remind us what they are currently doing with the budget and that money. GM won’t be paying back they have already admitted to not begin able to pay back the original bailout.

Maybe you need some inspiration. If you have not done so already check out these books I found them to be a pretty good read of course you could always get the audio and make them into good listens.

I just finished reading this one. Its great.

or just check out our library. Libertarian Library

First I want to point out that I do a lot of investing and trading on the stock market and find the market is a great source of making money and to help create passive income. That being said your retirement nest egg should never be in the market , the market is very volatile and despite its liquidity you could be in a position to not want to take your money out in fear of realizing losses (Like many today).

“Don’t Put Your Money Under The Mattress” so the so called money professionals will tell you to put your money for retirement into a nice safe mutual fund to mitigate risk and make sure its available to you when you retire (Thats if your not planing on retiring for a very long time and you don’t retire on a bad beat in the economy like our current one) on top of that they claim given enough time the market earns roughly 10%. 10% subtracted by 4-6% inflation gives you around 6% growth , I guess that’s better then nothing, I prefer dividend paying stocks not only do they pay your aroudn 1% + a year but you have the capital grown on the stock price. “A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned” for obvious reasons this is not true (interest paid by banks – inflation = losses and at the inflation is going to explode with all the newly created money making its way through the system). I have looked over many charts and did more research on gold. The price of gold might go up and down over time but roughly over the last 50 years it has stayed the same (one case of a massive spike followed by a correction back to its normal level) , when I say the same I do not mean the nominal dollar amount ,this would make it no better then cash, I mean its buying power. So if the buying power of gold is constant and gold is a physical investment, I say in the case of gold both these old fashion sayings are true.

A Penny Saved can be a penny earned if converted into gold, and Yes don’t stick your cash nest egg under the mattress first convert it to gold then do it! Now I am not talking about converting all your cash in to gold every one needs to live and spend money on day to day things and gold is no longer legal tender however any money you plan to keep for a very long time I suggest converting it to gold. Gold will make that money keep its buying power plus if you ever do need it you can convert it back to cash quiet easily. As of Friday I have started converting all long term savings in to gold and silver storing these items in a vault owned by a private company (as the amount grows I will be moving it to the Perth Mint) who then issue me certificates of deposit. I plan on converting all the long term cash in to these items and 10% of any net earnings ,including dividends, I make on the market (I was saving it in to a cash GIC before) By the end of it all I will have protected my buying power for a later date if I need it.

Here is a quick link to some inflation charts

http://www.inflation.us/

The Meltdown

Disclaimer.
I am putting this in to protect myself from the non thinkers our there. I am not telling you to convert every thing into gold you should do you own research and think/ consider your own personal situation before you do any type of investing. I am not responsible for your money and I am not a professional money manager.

For those of you in the Calgary area why don’t you attend a city council meeting.

I have placed a link to the city councils calendar in our resources page, have a look and see if you can attend one of there meetings. My goal is to attend at least 4 a year.

2009 Calgary City Council Calendar

For those of you not in the calgary area you should be able to find your local calender on your local municipal website.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig5/cust3.html

RCMP Insp. Gary Steinke who is pleased with the ban is quoted saying ,”I don’t think you need to be an officer to know that you’re going to be distracted if you’re on the cellphone” ,”I don’t think you need to be an officer to know that you’re going to be distracted if you’re on the cellphone,” .

If we want to regulate distraction from drivers perhaps we should remove car radios, vanity mirrors, and even passengers, oh and not to mention countless distraction out side of the car. Lets ban street advertisements or any thing else that could catch the drivers eye for a moment.

I often talk on my cell phone while driving, I find it just as easy to talk on my phone as it is to talk to a passenger. If I am to crash I would take on full responsibility for my actions morally and fiscally. I however can not text while driving I attempted it once and I quickly swerved over into the shoulder, I will exercise my individual responsibility of self regulation and will not text ,answer a text or do any any thing that causes my eyes to focus on my cell phone. If others can not drive while talking its up to them to self regulate or take personal responsibility for any thing that might go wrong, we do not need government to tell us if we are capable of driving while talking or not.

Remember governments use pilot projects as a wedge to increase domain (Red light cameras are good example), I wonder what other behavioral regulation will be next? Also you can bet if this law passes in Calgary those red light / speed cameras will be taking pictures to see if your one your phone. Lets not be passive on this one start contacting your mla’s and alderman to make sure this idea doesn’t grow amongst the cities.
Just to be clear. I am not advocating unsafe driving I am advocating that the individual driver is smart enough to make that decision on there own and not need big brother to regulate thought.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2009/05/20/edmonton-strathcona-county-cell-phone-ban.html

http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=10208

I only point out that freedom is not real freedom unless there is some measure to stop governments at any level from taking it away. Many reductions in federal taxes have been just added on by the provincial governments.

For over a month now the judge has been saying he has been notified by an unnamed source in the banking business as to government threats and evidence of extortion for banks not wanting to participate in the TARP program. Finally documents have surfaced with evidence of the judges claims. This is just one more example of the USA government disregarding law, constitution and just general decency in its attempt to claim more control and power over the banks and large industry. When a government believes its above the laws it created or makes special exemptions for its employees or agents, it is tyranny. How long until the day will come where they simple issue directives rather then play the game of secret blackmail. This is in addition to the more public blackmail like statements to the AIG executives where threats were made to release the names by members of congress unless they returned the money they were contractually owed.

Even though BoA caved to the government pressure it is now being investigated by the SEC into why the merger went happened if BOA executives knew the amount “good will” they were adding to the value of the purchased bank. I wonder what will happen if the SEC rules that the bank was strong armed into the purchase by the treasury (I am sure they will come to a different conclusion)

Treasury Talking Points

Here is a list of the criteria and ranking for Canada.

96.5 Business Freedom Avg. 64.3
70.0 Investment Freedom Avg 48.8
88.2 Trade Freedom Avg. 73.2
80.0 Financial Freedom Avg 49.1
76.6 Fiscal Freedom Avg. 74.9
90.0 Property Rights Avg 44.0
53.7 Government Size Avg. 65.0
87.0 Freedom. from Corruption Avg 40.3
80.8 Monetary Freedom Avg. 74.0
81.9 Labor Freedom Avg 61.3

The authors of this list I feel use the word “right” to loosely, lets take a look at few of the criteria in this index.

53.7 Government Size

Total government expenditures, including consumption and transfer payments, are high. In the most recent year, government spending equaled 39.3 percent of GDP. Privatization is widespread, and the government encourages competition even in sectors formerly operated by government or privately owned monopolies.

Government granted privately owned monopolies are not economic freedom they are very much the opposite it blocks entrepreneurs that are not in favor of the government from providing competition for the people to choose from, often resulting in higher prices and poorer service. They are often used as a tool reward friends of government. Government spends 39% equivalent to the countries GDP, with that type of spending power the government obviously sways economic trends which is not economic freedom.

80.8 Monetary Freedom Avg. 74.0

Inflation is low, averaging 2.1 percent between 2004 and 2006. The market determines most prices, but the government regulates the prices of some utilities, provides subsidies to industry and agriculture producers, controls prices for some agricultural products, and may influence prices through state-owned enterprises. Ten points were deducted from Canada’s monetary freedom score to account for measures that distort domestic prices.

Government price controls,government subsidies, state-owned enterprises are all forms of government distortion of the economy taking decisions away from the producer and consumer and putting it in the hands of legislator. This is not economic freedom. This is quiet rampant in Canada. EUB, Wheat Board, CRTC, the list can go on.

90.0 Property Rights

Private property is well protected. The judiciary is independent, and judges and civil servants are generally honest. Foreign investors have full access to the legal system, and private property rights are limited only by the rights of governments to establish monopolies and to expropriate for public purposes. Canada has yet to ratify the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Internet Treaties, which it signed in 1997. Some companies have complained that enforcement against counterfeiting and piracy is cumbersome and ineffective.

The government can protect your property from other citizens but its not a right unless its protected from the government.The right to property threw the permission of the government is no right at all.

If the government reserves the ability to expropriate property for public purposes then there is no such thing as property rights in Canada. Economic freedom is impossible to achieve if the government can take away your production , your stock , your land , or even your customers (in the case of nationalization).

That all being said, if we are ranking as high as we are the world lacks a true economic free state.

Please feel free to comment on the other criteria on the list.

http://www.heritage.org/Index/Ranking.aspx

Here is some thing to help you with your struggle. A list of a few petitions from the tax payer federation of canada.

Alberta

Abolish the 3% insurance tax

Signatures: 300

Fixed Provincial Election Dates

This petition has 134 signatures

No Tax Hikes

This petition has 12 signatures

Federal

Cut Gas and Diesel Taxes

This petition has 19054 signatures
Or just for the heck of it try calling one of your government officials , get to know him or her and make sure they know how you feel on what ever topic you wish to talk about.

More Petitions

• Canadians expected to pay $5.9 billion in federal gas taxes in 2009
• Federal Gas Tax Accountability Act required.
• Time to lower gas taxes by 5 cents a litre — starting with ending GST ‘tax-on-tax’

http://www.taxpayer.com/taxpayer/news-archive?news_id=3517

Texas Straight Talk

“It’s the expansion of this principle that, ‘We don’t have to prove your guilt,’” said Young.

Remember the government can only violate our rights/privacy as much as we let them. You feel these cameras are not right make sure to let your council person know.

http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2009/05/libertarian-leader-takes-on-calgarys-traffic-law-enforcement-cameras.html

Camera Locations
City Of Calgary Press Release

We are now the proud new owners of the Nortel buildings in Calgary. Not only the two buildings but we also get the land underneath them with our purchase.
How much you ask ? Well we picked them up for 97 million dollars and apparently we out bid three other bidders for this sale.

According to the city budget the increase to our property tax will result in a 24$ a month increase per house hold (thats just for 2009).
According to stats Canada 2006 data (most up to data I could find, all though I seem to remember the statistician threatening me by law to give up my information just a few months ago.) there are 1,067,665 house holds in Calgary.This increase to our property tax is roughly 25,623,936$ extra a month to the city of Calgary.

Lets do the math. 97 million divided by 25.623 million a month gives us 3.78 months. So almost 25% of our new tax hike is going to buy us the Nortel building plus its land. Is this purchase really a necessity to the city? When toying with the idea of the tax hike council asked city planners to chop any fat they could find to save us money how come this was never chopped? It could have saved us 25% of this years increase.

Remember taxes rarely get rolled back what will we buy next year?

http://www.ward11calgary.ca/news/2008/november/2009-2011-business-plan-and-budget-release.pdf

http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/famil123f-eng.htm

http://www.financialpost.com/news-sectors/story.html?id=1585609