When Governors Attack.....

Did anyone else see our esteemed former Governor Ed Rendell on 60 Minutes last night ? Apparently, he's a bit touchy when faced with questions regarding the human cost of the Commonwealth's support of the gambling industry-



While I can't disagree with his opinion that the media is comprised of simpletons and idiots, a longer cut of the interview showed Rendell presenting the argument that people are going to gamble anyways, so why not in casinos that are paying tax revenue to the state ? Maybe we should apply the same logic to crystal meth- hey, people are going to do it anyway, why shouldn't the state get a cut ?

I have to applaud Leslie Stahl for (finally) making the point that the casino tax "revenue" is actually comprised of losses which are being paid by our own citizens. The citizens that pay these losses are usually the ones that can least afford to do so- the elderly, the poor and those addicted to gambling.

As I recounted in an earlier post in 2009 , Pennsylvania controls both liquor and gambling. When the state government takes over prostitution, it will give the mob a serious run for its money.

Terrorists, Anarchists and Quakers, Oh My !

The recent revelations that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania paid a company known as the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response for weekly terror briefings has been alternately comical and worrying. On one side, our esteemed Governor Ed Rendell was full of righteous indignation when he learned that over $ 100,000 in taxpayer money was paid for reports that targeted Pennsylvania citizens- everyone ranging from anarchists to tea party members in an operation that was so wide ranging that nobody can really accuse them of playing favorites. As I’ve said before, I really admire the Gov and his ability to spin absolutely any situation to his advantage- brushing aside the fact that it was his administration that hired the company in the first place, he promised that their contract would be immediately broken (leaving out the fact that it was a one year contract due to expire in October anyway.)

This is a perfect example of one of my earlier posts which highlighted the outsourcing of intelligence by the government to private companies. Why spy on your own citizens when you can pay your fellow citizens to do it for you ? Some information on the company suggests that employees posed in chat rooms to gain information on assorted miscreants in Pennsylvania and passed this information on to law enforcement. It's all so very East Germany circa 1975.

If you have some time on a rainy Saturday afternoon, you can read all of the reports in their glory here. I have to say that I read quite a few of them, and even as a former Army intelligence analyst I’m really not sure exactly what the hell is going on. One of my favorites cites a threat by Al Qaeda to use hot air balloons in IED attacks overseas while noting how balloons are poorly secured around the U.S.- the large lake between the source and the target might be a slight obstacle one would think. Other reports mention such totally bad ass, militant organizations like the Quakers. Another one of my favorites involves potential reaction to the Arizona immigration debate spilling into the Pirates-Diamondbacks game at PNC. This completely breaks the rule of intelligence regarding knowledge of your area- nobody goes to Pirate games anymore.

I don’t know if this company is actually employing a whole cadre of analysts (their website and reports even hint at intercepted communications, translation and "closed" intelligence sources) or a couple of guys hitting Google all day long and selling their product to gullible idiots like the ones running our state. I’m amused by the response by those who take positions contrary to the popular ones in our state and feel like they are being targeted- hey, welcome to my life. They seemed shocked and genuinely hurt that our state government would employ a company to spy on them, pay them and then run the other way when the whole operation was exposed. It was all fun and games until Leviathan actually hit back, wasn't it ?

The only genuine hurt I felt was after I read all the reports and realized I never appeared in them.

Not even once.

Bastards.

The Empire Strikes Back

"Cue Scary Darth Vader Music"

I apologize to my readers for not being around last week but I was pre-occupied with another matter. Last Sunday, my wife, our children and I returned from a long weekend in Toronto. The trip to Toronto was a lot of fun and coincided with my son playing in his final hockey tournament of the year (thank goodness.) We had a great time visiting some of the landmarks of that immense city and enjoyed watching the high level of competition that the Canadian teams my son played against provided. A side trip to Niagara Falls was wonderful, as always, and I must admit that I never get tired of seeing the power and majesty of that incredible natural wonder.

Then we arrived home.

I was going through our mail when a business card fell out of the pile. I picked it up and was shocked to see that it was from an agent of the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. "What the fu..." I muttered and put it in my pocket. There was no note, no letter, nothing written on the back of the card. The message was clear- we were here and we were looking for you.

Since it was Sunday night, the stress was heightened considerably. I couldn't call them to see what was going on since no self respecting state bureaucrat would be working on a weekend. I slept fitfully that night and spent most of the morning from 3 AM on wide awake, wracking my brain to see what could possibly be the problem. I always file my taxes, always pay what is due. I may not like it, but I'm smart enough not to give these thugs reason to come after me.

First thing Monday morning, I emailed the agent and passed them the name of my tax attorney. Owning my own business, I have used the same tax attorney/CPA for years. I called my attorney and spoke to him about it. He was amazed that they would send somebody to my house since he knew as well (after all, he does my accounting) that all of my paperwork and payments were spotless. We didn't hear anything from the agent until Tuesday morning.

The state claimed that I had failed to file 3 years of corporate tax returns. No, my attorney said, my business is organized as an LLC and I filed that way correctly for the past 3 years. Yes it's basically bullshit admitted the state agent, but we need those 3 years of corporate returns anyways. So, my attorney drew up the forms, I signed them and $ 450.00 dollars of his expenses later, I am once again squared up with my friends in Harrisburg.

A couple of points to ponder. This was an infinitesimally small tax matter when compared to what the state is trying to collect from other businesses and individuals. Would such a small matter warrant sending an agent to my house or is there something deeper going on ? Has my vocal opposition to the Stalin like tactics of the Department of Revenue triggered this episode ? I'll leave it to the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. If my writings were the impetus for this little episode of state intimidation, I feel totally justified in stating that my rights as a free citizen of this state and country have been violated. Sending an agent to your house is so much more invasive and intimidating than a certified letter or phone call- they are invading your space and the message is clear that they know where you live.

I didn't post for a week because I had an internal debate on whether this is even worth it. What's the point of trying to stick up for the downtrodden, the dispossessed and the victims of state tyranny when nobody seems to give a damn ? Why stick my own neck out and invite state retaliation when 99.99 % of the sheep inhabiting this state and country are more worried about the new I-Pad than the steady destruction of their civil liberties ?

I run Google Analytics to see where my readers come from in terms of city, state and country. I do it for no other reason than it is fun to see that I have readers in places as varied as Finland, Quebec and all over the United States. Interestingly, I get a great deal of activity from Pittsburgh which is where I live. Most of my friends and family don't know I have a blog which can't account for the steady readership that I get from the city. Maybe it's the local office that the revenue agent works out of. If so, I'd like to thank all of them for reading my blog on the public dime.

I guess I write this blog for people like you Mr. Revenue Agent so that maybe, someday, you will see the evil criminal organization that you need to investigate most isn't the one around the corner- its the one that signs your paychecks.

If you liked the television ad, you're gonna love the one on the radio !

Following on the heels of the now infamous television ad that I blogged about recently, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue is now running a radio commercial that is even more offensive. I heard the ad yesterday on a local Pittsburgh station and found a recording of it here. Ignore the comments posted in the background, they are the authors opinion. However, the subtitles at the bottom are the same as the ad that I heard (the narrator's voice is the same as well so I'm assuming whoever captured this recorded the actual advertisement.)

It's basically the same carrot and stick mix of penalty forgiveness and intimidation but with the added sound effects of ringing door bells and door knocking. The implied threat is quite clear once again- we know who you are, where you live and we're going to be paying you a visit. These lines from the ad were the ones that stuck with me the most-

"This is a great deal and you'd be crazy not to take them up on it, you mooch, because after June 18th, you are going to be one very unhappy criminal, which by the way, you are."

Pot calling the kettle black anyone ? Are you kidding me ? The very bloated bureaucracy that sucks the blood out of the citizens of Pennsylvania is now accusing them of being mooches ? Listen up my fascist friends, the people who owe the state taxes are typically business owners that, unlike most of the employed sheep in this state, don't have government mandated withholding that quietly sucks off the fruits of their labors.

As a business owner myself, I can tell you that writing a check out of your bank account on a quarterly basis really puts the issue of paying taxes in sharp focus- it makes you start doing crazy things like wondering where exactly all of the money is going and what you are getting in return. It makes you do dangerous things like question the fat bureaucrats that sit on their ass all day without producing anything of benefit for their fellow citizens. It makes you question things like how we are one of only 3 states that still has state owned liquor stores- not, as they say, to control access to liquor, but rather to keep thousands of useless state political hacks employed.

The hypocrisy here is just incredible. I wrote my state senator without any effect and, incredibly, except for some other websites and blogs it seems that the vast majority of my fellow citizens are completely clueless about the subject or wholeheartedly endorse the state's position which has been sold to them- they are being cheated by these no good malcontents who are "mooching" off of them. Us vs. Them- it's all so very North Korean, don't you think ?

I honestly don't know why I even blog or complain about this. The citizens of this state, and this country, have received the government that they deserve. They have given up their own personal liberties and ignore their responsibilities to protect their fellow citizens from the overreach of government. They are nothing but lazy, unthinking masses, content to watch "American Idol" and debate the latest "Apprentice" at work rather than the clear and present danger presented by the shitheads like this that populate our government.

Ed Rendell, Governor of Pennsylvania, Defends Orwellian Commercial

I blogged earlier about a disturbing commercial being aired by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. Recently, our soon to be thankfully booted by term limits governor, appeared on Fox News to defend this abomination. I gotta hand it to old Eddie, he can spin better than any politician out there, and half way through this interview he even had me convinced that this type of blatant intimidation of the populace is a great idea.

Rendell uses the same excuse that officials within the Department have been saying- that the commercial is targeted at the 3 % of the population that didn't pay their state taxes, not the other 97 % of the sheep that meekly hand over a portion of their hard earned wages to the black hole known as our state government. I disagree. The original ad was clearly meant to intimidate both those that owe money and the rest of the population that might think of getting out of line. The message of the ad was clear- the government is all seeing, all knowing and watching everyone.

In the interview, Rendell floats the excuse that although he approved the ad, it was based upon a "focus group" that recommended it and, in fact, thought it was not harsh enough. One wonders who made up that focus group, perhaps retired Stasi officials who were on a bus trip in central Pennsylvania or, more probably, a bunch of Department of Revenue employees who showed up to watch the commercials in exchange for a free lunch. As for the commercials that didn't make the cut (the Gov stated that the ad that was aired was the least offensive) one wonders what they showed. Perhaps cruise missiles hitting delinquent tax payer houses ? Children being sold into bondage to satisfy tax liens ?

I realize that this ad was aired in Pennsylvania but it is obviously symptomatic of the entire country and the rise of abusive, invasive and completely out of control government. Somewhere in the past, our "leaders" began to perceive themselves as omnipotent and above the power of the citizenry- a new ruling class instead of servants of the people. Many of the parasites that inhabit the bureaucracy have never held real jobs, never employed people, and never created anything remotely beneficial to their fellow citizens. Make no mistake my fascist friends, we're watching you too.

Pittsburgh Named Most Livable City

My hometown has once again been named America's most livable city. After reading the article I have my doubts that the authors actually visited Pittsburgh and suspect that it might have actually been written by our convention and tourism authority.

Before you pack up your belongings, kids and pets to move to my beloved hometown, let me fill you in on a few things the article doesn't mention. After reading my take on this hell hole, you may just want to stay safely within the confines of Cleveland, Kabul or wherever you call home.

1) The weather sucks. No, I mean it really sucks. We get more annual rainfall than Seattle and when it isn't raining, it is cloudy. Sunny days are so few and far between that we actually have a local phenomenon known as "sun glare" that can slow down rush hour. Imagine waking up and hearing the traffic report that states you are going to be late to work because it is sunny outside- no, you can't imagine it because you live in a normal part of the world that gets more than 35 minutes of sunlight per year.

2) The average citizen is 87 years old. We have the oldest population in the United States. Go ahead and look it up if you don't believe me. The reason our vaunted crime rate is so low is that geriatrics are unlikely to commit robberies and murder (except when Matlock was cancelled.) Forget about doing anything quickly. True frustration is standing behind one of our grey panthers at the grocery store as they explain to the clerk they want their ham "shaved, not chopped or sliced, I want it shaved 1/8 of an inch thick, you cut it too thick last time, more like half an inch and Irving didn't like it but we are on a fixed income so we had to eat it...." Oh for fucks sake lady, just grab your god damned ham and get out of the way.

3) Our infrastructure is horrible. Many people around the world are unaware that Pittsburgh was carpet bombed during the 2nd world war by both Germany and Japan. Their bombers left massive craters on strategic structures like our 3,224 bridges and overpasses. I tried to make my case at the Hague that Germany owed me for a broken tie-rod and shock absorber and am still eagerly awaiting the outcome. As the old saying goes, the shortest distance between two points in Pittsburgh is under construction.

4) We have some of the highest taxes in the country. Part of the benefit of living in America's most livable city is also that you get to live in America's least livable state. When you become a citizen of our Commonwealth ("common" being a tip off that the state is going to share all of your income with your fellow citizens) you get to establish a direct deposit account so that everything you make can be quickly and easily deducted to pay for school taxes, local property taxes, local wage taxes, state income taxes, state sales tax, fuel taxes, county taxes and whatever else they have thought up since I started writing this. Very quickly, you come to understand that this equals 115 % percent of your income so you need to take a second job, which only puts you in the hole deeper.

5) Nobody actually lives here. You know why our real estate is so affordable ? Because half of the homes are on the market. Anyone with any sense in their head is packing up and running for the exits. The city is broke, the county is broke and the state is broke. Last one out of town, turn off the lights. What is the best graduation present for a new college grad ? A plane ticket (or a bus ticket, whatever works for you.) As soon as my kids leave the house at 18 for college, prison or wherever they are headed, we're off to New Mexico, which by that time could actually be part of Mexico.

Still want to move here ? Don't say you weren't warned.

More on the Orwellian PA Tax Commercial...

Although the mainstream media (not surprisingly) remains mute about the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue commercial I mentioned earlier, the blogosphere is heating up with articles about it. I like this one. The author makes the claim, as others have, that the people that produced the commercial used an actual map to show where the alleged tax dodging malcontent "Tom" lives. Needless to say, the actual residents of the house aren't too happy and I hope they sue both the producers of the commercial and the state itself. Another interesting assertion from the article is that the state spent $ 3,000,000 of our dollars to pay for this little slice of arrogance and intimidation.

The author notes how tone deaf the government of Pennsylvania must be as to the sensitivity of people to government intrusion and surveillance. The really don't get it.

Obey the State - We know where you live.

The morally, and financially, bankrupt government of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has produced and aired the above commercial in an effort to collect tax revenues. I saw this creepy commercial yesterday while watching a local network in Pittsburgh and nearly fell out of my seat. The ad shows a satellite reticle zeroing in on a Pennsylvania citizen's home who owes the state money with the slightly veiled threat that the state "knows who you are." The robotic female voice says "nice house, nice car" but "what's not so nice is you owe $ 4,212 in back taxes."

Oh you arrogant fascist bastards.

I find it incredibly offensive and hypocritical that a state government that wastes tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars of our hard earned wages would spend the money to produce this garbage. Who authorized this commercial ? Who produced it ? Is this how the government of the state views its citizens, as serfs that can be intimidated and shoved around ? Here's a better question- why is the state so deeply in debt ? Why is the capital of the state (Harrisburg) on the verge of bankruptcy ? Who are the idiots (of both parties) that have spent this state into financial disaster ?

I'm so pissed off right now that I could spit nails. This is a prime example of the arrogance of power and its abuse by the bureaucratic goons that run this state. The media and government whine about the rise in anti-government sentiment in this country and then they produce crap like this ? What do the expect ?

You shove people, they will shove back.

The commercial I would have written would have gone like this. I would have filmed it with Ed Rendell dressed in a clown suit and holding a balloon-

"Hi, I'm Ed Rendell, governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We realize that most of you are working really hard, and sometimes multiple jobs, to make ends meet and might have come up short on the confiscatory taxes that we take from you. If you could please send us a little bit of cash so I can plug this pesky billion dollar hole in our state budget and keep lots of my political friends employed, I would greatly appreciate it. Hugs and Kisses, The Gov."

I wouldn't have even charged them to produce it. As soon as I'm done here, it's off to the phone to start calling some of the political hacks that represent my district.

When in doubt, just get more people to gamble.

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported recently that State Representative Paul Costa (D-Wilkins) has proposed legislation that would enable the state to plug a massive hole in the transportation budget with tax revenues gained from the legalization of video poker machines. Mr. Costa’s idea is further proof that once the barrier to legalized gambling was broken in Pennsylvania, the flood of casinos, proposed casinos and now gambling machines permeating local neighborhoods that many predicted has come to pass.

Anyone who has step foot in bar in Pennsylvania has seen these machines for years. Although signs might warn that they are merely for entertainment, not gambling, any regular customer quickly learns that he, or she, can receive payment from the bartender if they win. As such, the machines occupied a place of legal limbo for many years- the state would make the occasional raid on an establishment and confiscate machines if gambling was observed, but mostly just looked the other way. Now that Pennsylvania, like many other states, is faced with massive deficits, lawmakers are turning to gambling in order to close the revenue gap. Pennsylvania has gone very quickly from a state that had little legalized gambling (mostly off track betting) to one that has approved a raft of new casinos, planned casinos, and now legalized machines in non-casino locations.

From my point of view, I could care less if people gambled or not. Although I consider it a waste of time and money, I have to admit to filling out the occasional March Madness bracket and buying a powerball ticket when the prize amount reaches ridiculous levels. Live and let live, as long as it isn’t hurting me. My opposition arises, however, when it appears that the state is taking a lazy shortcut to raise revenue (instead of, God forbid, cutting the state budget) that preys primarily on the poor and elderly. Who will be the primary customers for video poker machines in bars ? Professionals ? Tradesmen ? No, it will primarily come from down and out people drinking in the middle of the day and praying to hit a jackpot big enough to get them through the end of the week. State sponsored and approved gambling is the ultimate regressive tax being paid by people that can least afford it. In many cases because these people may also receive public assistance, their gambling revenues provide the ultimate means of recycling- money from taxpayer “A” is given to taxpayer “B” by the state “PA.” Tax payer “B” blows the money on gambling and the money is returned in the form of gambling machine taxes back to “PA.” The state “PA” then uses said tax money to build an even larger bureaucracy to monitor gambling in the state and passes another hefty chunk to assorted political strap hangers and flunkies in the construction business who are contracted to fix our decrepit infrastructure.

While we are at it, let’s quit using the euphemism “revenues” when it applies to gambling. They aren’t revenues, they are losses. Money lost by citizens who can’t afford to lose anything. Although we like to think they are just the occasional customer that enjoys playing a machine while drinking a beer on a Saturday afternoon, we need to admit that the primary customer for this type of enterprise is the degenerate gambler (quite possibly an alcoholic to boot) that is blowing everything he or she has on the slim hope that they will hit it big. Quite often, the degenerate gambler is in turn stealing from friends and family, or their place of employment, in order to support their habit. Families are destroyed, relationships shattered, children are neglected- hey, but at least we can fix more potholes on I-80 (the grand old lady of Pennsylvania highway construction incompetence.)

I think the legislature should next consider offering our fellow citizens their own player's cards so that they can qualify for a massive state funded buffet in Harrisburg.

Citizens come to aid of elderly woman jailed for sewage bill.

In the continuing story of Dolores Pennline, an elderly woman jailed for not paying her sewage bill (see previous posts,) the Observer-Reporter reports that donations from across the nation have been coming in to pay her fines. I was happy to see this article as it validates my belief that the majority of persons in this country are hard working, sensible folks who don't need a law degree to know that one of their fellow citizens is getting screwed by the government. In other positive news regarding this matter, Ms. Pennline's attorney is now working on a civil rights appeal and he claims that additional persons who were treated the same way have come forward to be heard. I sincerely hope that those responsible for this travesty are called to account.

Update on Elderly Woman Jailed over Sewage Bill

In an earlier post in late December (See "Dirty Rotten Fascist Bastards" posted 12/23/2009) I reviewed the story of Darlene Pennline, an elderly widow jailed near me for failing to pay her sewage bill. A recent article in the Washington Observer Reporter relates that her case has been straightened out- sort of. Hopefully, Ms. Pennline will not only benefit from the help and compassion of strangers, she will also pursue a federal civil rights case to right this injustice.

Dirty Rotten Fascist Bastards

Few things piss me off more in the world than the abuse and neglect of animals, children and the elderly. It says a great deal about a society how these relatively defenseless beings are protected and watched out for by their fellow citizens. It was with great revulsion, therefore, that I read about a 74 year old woman who resides near me that was jailed over a $ 200.00 sewage bill on her property. The Washington Observer Reporter article about the incident explains how Darlene Pennline, the very definition of a penniless widow, was taken from a distict justice's offices in handcuffs and put in the Washington County jail overnight.

A brief of the case is pretty straightforward. Ms. Pennline and her neighbors have disputed and opposed a change in her town's sewage system that resulted in a quarterly $ 45.00 assessment (i.e. tax) on their properties. After not paying the tax, Ms. Pennline found out the hard way that this assessment, because it was based on the sewage system and therefore a building code issue, resulted in her being dragged in front of a local magistrate. (Side note- for those of you that have followed this blog for some time you know that I hope a special place in hell is reserved for these idiots that are essentially political hacks dressed in judge's garb.) The magistrate, instead of allowing Ms. Pennline time to appeal the sentence or collect the necessary funds, was hauled off to the county Big House.

There are a couple of points to make about this incident. For one, when you read the article you can see that Ms. Pennline's $ 200.00 assessment has magically mushroomed into more that $ 1,300 in fines, fees and "court costs." This once again exposes the magistrate system for what it is- the organized extortion of Pennsylvania's citizenry at the barrel of a gun. That extra $ 1,100 is the money that supports the bloated bureaucracy of the state and pays the magistrate's wages. It is essentially one giant feedback loop that preys upon the weak and defenseless and is built to assure a speedy guilty plea and cash on the barrelhead.

Second, if this is how we treat our elderly citizens, God help us all. Ms. Pennline, again a 74 year old woman, was handcuffed and taken to jail without her medicines. Why was she made to suffer the intense humiliation of being handcuffed ? This is an elderly woman that probably tried to do the right thing her entire life, is scraping by day to day and is now treated like a common criminal. Were the constables (another class of unprofessional mercenaries living off the public dole) afraid she was going to beat their asses ? Or was it because it was just standard operating procedure. Yes, standard procedure which requires unthinking bureaucrats to fulfill their duties for the machine to grind along. How very German. And what happened to this woman in jail ? Was she forced to undergo the "standard procedures" that all prisoners need to endure ? I can only hope that some jailer had the decency and common sense to make this poor woman's stay as painless as possible.

Finally, what really upsets me is that this is Western Pennyslvania. Home of the Whisky Rebellion, of generations of frontiersmen and women that scorned the power of the state and took matters into their own hands. Where is the outcry over this case ? If this had happened 200 or even 100 years ago, I can guarantee that Ms. Pennline's fellow citizens would not be rolling over in pre-Christmas shopping induced apathy. They would have marched on the damn jail and demanded her release.

The liberal application of tar and feathers may sound like a lot of fun but would be frowned on in this day and age. Helping Ms. Pennline with her legal fees, however, is a great way to show some Christmas mercy while simultaneously showing these fascist bastards that all power resides in the people. Ms. Pennline's attorney can be reached at-

Matthew Keranko, Esq.
30 South Main Street Suite 102
Washington, PA 15301 Phone: (724) 225-6780

Hit me....

Faced with an enormous budget deficit, the government of Pennsylvania is now ready to approve table games (poker, blackjack etc.) at state casinos in order to generate more tax revenue. Story Here. As I stated in an earlier post, the government of Pennsylvania is in the running to become the largest organized crime syndicate in the world. It already controls liquor and gambling, and once the deficit becomes large enough I wouldn't be surprised to see state controlled prostitution up for discussion.

Casinos enable to the state to prey upon its own citizens, usually the ones that have little disposable income that can least afford to lose it. Verbal gymnastics are used to describe the losses suffered by gamblers as "revenue" totally ignoring the devastation that this brings to families across the state. The glitzy lights and excitement of the casinos entice bus loads of geriatrics to stream into their maws, eagerly shoving their meagre assets into the machinery that diverts that money back to the state. Occasionally, a winner will beat the odds stacked against the visitors, giving false hope to the masses that they too can feel the rush of victory.

When you break it down, it really is sick (but not surprising) that politicians view their fellow citizens as cattle to be attracted by the bright lights, stripped of their money and then sent back out the door. At the same time, these same politicians will not abide any competition and will ruthlessly seek out and crush any gambling not approved, monitored and shared by the state. I'm all for freedom and believe that any adult has the right to gamble, drink, smoke pot- you name it. I just want the state to be honest and admit what they are really doing. Exploiting the citizenry, crushing competition and working in secrecy. Sounds like the mafia doesn't it ?

Here Comes The Judge - Sort of

The June 3rd, 2009 issue of the Pittsburgh City Paper contains an excellent article entitled "Bench Strength" by Chris Young. The article examines one of the leftovers of Pennsylvania's English past namely the local magisterial (or district judge) system. As many citizens may (or may not) be surprised to hear, all you need to become a judge in this state is enough votes and completion of a training course.

I've stood in front of a couple of these stooges over the course of my life, not for anything major but for annoying inconveniences such as parking tickets, speeding and once in handcuffs (charges dropped later, but that's another story.) If you've ever paid a fine in one of these offices and taken the time to look at your receipt, you will see a long list of beneficiaries making money off of your transgressions. Therein lies the answer to why this system exists- to make money. Any political hack, regardless of legal training or lack thereof, can aspire to this well paid position ($ 75,000.00 plus) and enjoy all the benefits of wearing the black robes and being called "judge."

Working hand in hand with the magistrate system is another anachronism which should be put to rest- the constable system. These soldiers of misfortune work for the magistrate system serving warrants and bringing the accused before their magisterial masters. Like their legal counterparts, these individuals are not the most highly trained or intelligent fellows but they too like the perks of wearing a uniform, having cool flashing lights on their cars and the legal right to carry a weapon in the course of their duties. If you ever see a fat, disheveled and armed man in a wrinkled uniform, it's a fair bet it's your local constable.

I once received a parking ticket in Washington County. I didn't pay it. They wanted $ 5.00 for being 10 minutes late on a 0.25 meter. Sometime later I received a notice of a bench warrant. A local constable mailed me a badly spelled letter that looked like it had been copied twenty or thirty times over at the local gas station. It stated that "time had run out" and I was facing imminent arrest. I even found his business card taped to my garage door. Wishing to avoid a Ruby Ridge type scenario over a $ 5.00 ticket, I caved into the Man and paid $ 60.00 to take my name off of America's most wanted.

On another adventure to magistrate land, I found myself in the office of another one in Westmoreland County. I noticed that there was a helpful sign in the office that promised discounts at the local hot dog shop to local law enforcement (the magistrate also owned the hot dog establishment.) Seeing that my fate could be decided by a discounted hot dog and fries, I plead guilty and took my lumps. Incidentally, I had eaten at the hot dog shop some time earlier. It sucked. I mean, how hard is it to make a good hot dog ? Especially if your primary business is selling hot dogs ? Anyways, I digress.

The state should not be able to sub out its functions to district judges, constables, for profit companies which collect local taxes, privately owned prisons or any other entity without direct civilian oversight (such as police review boards.) This entire sorry system should be scrapped. Barring that, district judges should be lawyers in the hope that they at least didn't sleep through some ethics training and their constable counterparts should be held to a higher training standard as well. Maybe we can start with how to wear a uniform properly.

Sewage Managers Gone Wild

Most of us assume that the federal and state governments are the prime forces of oppression in our daily lives. In reality it is your local government that given its proximity to you and your family probably has a greater unseen influence in how you live your life.

An ongoing case in central Pennsylvania highlights this. Amish families have been evicted by court order from their homes and had one of their family members jailed because they refuse to comply with local sewage codes concerning their use of out-houses. From the Pittsburgh Tribune Review-

• "The Millers and other Amish in the ultraconservative Swartzentruber sect have reached an impasse in a clash of culture, religion and law with government agencies responsible for protecting public health and safety. Although two families were forced to leave their homes and one man has been jailed, the Amish say they aren't defending themselves because aggression, confrontation and violence — like the regulations they're refusing to follow — are against their religion." Link Here

I'm not a civil engineer but I would have some faith that a group of people that have lived off of their own wits and knowledge for the past 200 years would probably be pretty good at disposing of their own waste. The fear of poisoned wells is also a red herring- wells are typically hundreds of feet deep and unless the Amish are planning on holding rock festivals this summer, I can't see how the waste from two farm families and a small school could infect the water table.

It isn't about public safety. The safety card is what is always played by government to gain compliance. No, this is about the undbendning, unyielding power of the state immune to common sense and completely oblivious to the fact that it was created to serve the populace. To quote a county manager from the same article-

• Deborah Sedlmeyer, director of the Cambria County Sewage Enforcement Agency, said her agency cannot practice selective enforcement.
  "They choose a simple life. That's OK, but they must do it legally," she said.

That quote should send shivers up the spine of free men and women everywhere. The implied message here is you can choose to live your simple life but you damn well better do it the way that we tell you to do it. Further on it the article we have a quote from a Sherrif's deputy that would have been thrown out as a defense at Nuremberg-

• Sheriff's deputies Jake Kehn and Clint Divido padlocked the empty barns May 15. Watching them from beneath the brim of his straw hat, Andy Miller, 5, scuffed clumps of mud with the duct-taped tips of his battered boots as he moved back and forth in a red Roadmaster wagon.
  "We're just following court orders," Kehn told the boy's parents. "Good luck."

Just following orders. A defense as vile and empty as it was in 1945. The power of the state, at all levels, relies on the compicity of millions of faceless bureaucrats, managers, employees, law enforcement and countless others "just following orders." Just trying to make it to retirement, to get that pension and leaving common sense at the front door when they enter the office building. Fortunately for law enforcement in this case, the Amish are pacifists that accept the naked brutality of the state turning them out of their own homes with stoic resignation.

So young Andy Miller, as you sat in your wagon and watched the Sherrif's deputies padlock your parent's barns I hope you remember this day for the rest of your life. Your ancestors fled Europe to escape the oppression of the state. Unfortunately, it has finally caught up with you.

Pennsylvania's Organized Crime Family Grows

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports that Pennsylvanians gambled more in 2008 despite a national trend in declining casino revenues-

• Americans were gambling less in 2008 but Pennsylvanians were gambling more, as the growth of racetrack-casinos represented the primary growth trend for the gaming industry, said a national report released yesterday.
  The American Gaming Association released its annual "State of the States" report, which showed casino revenues in Pennsylvania grew by 48.3 percent in 2008, far higher than that of any other commercial casino state. (The association does not track tribal casino revenue).Read more: "Pennsylvanians gambled more in 2008" - http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09139/971070-454.stm#ixzz0GiHKCMR7&A

My home state of Pennsylvania is run by one of the largest organized crime families in the world- the Pennsylvania legislature. It already controls the sale of liquor through its monopoly of state stores, runs the numbers racket through the Lottery and has recently added casino gambling to its portfolio. Once prostitution is approved and taxed, our state government will have morphed into a criminal syndicate that will be the envy of gangsters around the world.

The decision to approve casinos in our state was driven by the government's insatiable need for revenue in order to further grow and entrench itself in the everyday lives of its citizens. I love reading the term "revenues" used in referring to money lost by our fellow Pennsylvanians- usually from the social classes that can least afford to lose it. The state has effectively cannibalized its own citizens as bus loads of bored geriatrics are dropped off to lose the little government assistance they receive. The case for casinos was ruthlessly sold by our governor as a way of supporting our senior citizens. This argument seems a bit shaky when you are handing them a check in one hand and guiding the other to the one armed bandit.

Competition with the state is ruthlessly surpressed. No gambling with friends or through bookies (who probably give you better odds, plus its tax free.) No making your own liquor or importing it from nearby states that charge far less. If I was a pimp, I would seriously be concerned about the state pushing me off of my own street corner in the near future.

Help break the control of the state. Next time Grandma is feeling blue and depressed take her to the park or the library, play some checkers or watch "Matlock" together. Don't give her a ride to the casino.