Liberty Disenfranchised

My local township (in Pennsylvania they are called 2nd class townships, an appropriate term to say the least) is forcing me to use a very expensive pump to tap into their new sewer lines. They tested my existing septic system, upon my request, and it passed, yet they still refuse me an exemption from their sewer lines even though my house does not have a gravity feed nor is it within the 150 feet limit as is the boundary mandated by the state is such circumstances. Common sense never seems to have a free roam in government affairs. This municipal authority is comprised of a board that is not elected by the citizens of the township, thus the apparent lack of accountability, akin to taxation without representation. A mandate is a form of taxation because of the excessive burden and cost associated. The cost of an expensive pump and replacement and depredation of a perfectly suitable operating septic system is a huge burden.

I borrow these words, borrowed by Professor Walter Williams in a recent article:

Philosopher John Stuart Mill, in his treatise "On Liberty," said it best: "That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinions of others, to do so would be wise, or even right. These are good reasons for remonstrating with him, or reasoning with him, or persuading him, or entreating him, but not for compelling him, or visiting him with any evil, in case he do otherwise."

And I quote President Theodore Roosevelt:

"Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people."

..H.R. 5386..



What's wrong with the monkeys in Congress?
Why do they insist on foreign dependence on energy? Even Natural Gas seems to be off limits, as far as they are concerned. Off shore drilling for natural gas ought to be a given. Well for one thing, we don't have to worry about a 'spill'.

What we really need is a moratorium on monkeys in Congress!

The Voodoo works! Economically Speaking

The Voodoo works! Take it to the bank. The Treasury Department, that is.

"According to the Treasury Department's monthly report, tax receipts were up 11.2 percent for the first seven months of Fiscal 2006. That is $137 billion. In Fiscal 2005 tax receipts were up 14.6 percent, which is $274 billion."

The lowering of marginal tax rates encourages economic vigor and puts more money in the government's hands. Supply-Side Economics is now a proven fact, demonstrated again and again, first by Kennedy, then by Reagan, and now with the tax cuts of President Bush.

The Voodoo works! And the next time you get your pay check, ask yourself, who signed that check, and if they had to pay more taxes, would your check be what it is? The economy is dynamic, and is bounded only by government.

So let us thank Ronald Reagan for the template, and George W. Bush for the latest round of tax cuts!

Ahoy, Captain Ahab

The Democrats led by Nancy Pelosi, Super-Genius, want to take down the president: thanks for telling us! You should have kept it secret :(

Make no law

"Congress shall make no law" abridging our rights...

I guess somebody forgot to tell them.

"To some degree, the Bill of Rights (and the American Revolution) incorporated the ideas of English philosopher John Locke, who argued in his 1689 work, Two Treatises of Government, that civil society was created for the protection of property (Latin proprius, or that which is one's own, meaning "life, liberty, and estate.") Locke also advanced the notion that each individual is free and equal in the state of nature. Locke expounded on the idea of natural rights that are inherent to all individuals, a concept Madison mentioned in his speech presenting the Bill of Rights to the 1st Congress."

"My heart is in the work." -- Andrew Carnegie

After spending eight years in and about Carnegie-Mellon University 25 years ago, four full time, and four part time, it seems fitting that I write a personal tribute to Andrew Carnegie.

Many have opinions concerning the life of the man best know as being rich and for his pioneering philanthropic spirit. This is the proverbial 'my 2 cents worth'.

I am grateful for the charitable works of Mr. Carnegie; as I am grateful for the contributions of Mr. Carnegie to the economic powerhouse that is the extent of our country today. I daresay he is one of my heroes on that note. As well as for his hard-working attitude towards life.

Was Andrew Carnegie:
"A bad man who became a good man later in life?"

Or was he:
"A great man who became legendary for his philanthropic contributions to society later in life?"

I would sum it up this way:

He was a good man all his life. His hard-working entrepreneurial spirit, while not very friendly to the environment, was friendly to business and provided vast employment to many people. With or without all of his pioneering philanthropy, his fundamental characteristic of entrepreneurial business, that which built his massive wealth, benefited society by pushing the very boundaries of the economy and industrial technology to a point whereby, I might say, this country was pushed to the forefront of greatest nations and was indeed the basis of our economy today. To sum it up: he was not the only one to benefit from his wealth. The so-called 'toilers' were gainfully employed, who would otherwise not be. For this contribution alone, I think he is overlooked and is sometimes even vilified. Why must a nation apologize for this kind of contribution.

"My heart is in the work." -- Andrew Carnegie

47 MPG: if government would step out of the way!

There is one part of the equation for gas mileage that many on the left are missing. 25 years ago or more, government regulation for all sorts of goodies did not yet exist.
- air bags
- catalytic converters,
- etc, etc, etc.
All those mandated bits of junk in our cars only take away from fuel efficiency and add weight and expense to the cars.

I think the solution is easy, for any car manufacturer who is willing to improve the gas mileage, say, from 27 to 47 mpg, let's scrap all the mandated bits of junk, and let them innovate. I think you will see lots of smaller car manufacturers pop up like what happened at the turn of the 20th century, many of those were in Western Pennsylvania. If you are inclinded, and happen to be in the neighborhood, just take a stroll down to Frick Museum in the Point Breeze section of Pittsburgh and you will see the cars that were manufactured at mom and pop places around here, free of government mandates and interference.

http://frickart.org/features/ccm/

Just like Ronald Reagan once said:

"Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them."

If there is truly demand for high MPG, as our friends on the left have laid claim, then take away the government and the mandates, and you will see the efficient cars pop up all over the place.

Just look what is happening in England, government has stepped out of the way and allowed these kinds of innovations (something this country would not allow because of our stupid government regulations; gawk, where are the air bags: give me a break)

Green mini-car to beat congestion

I'm surprised the Feds haven't mandated air bags for my bicycle ;)

Good news you won't hear in the old-stream media

More Good news... DOW is nearing its all-time high ...
This in spite of all of government taxation.
I sincerely doubt that if this keeps up, the house of representatives will change hands in the fall :)

"Behind the rebound is a solid economy, emphasized last Friday when the Commerce Department reported that the nation's gross domestic product grew at a swift 4.8 percent, the best growth in 2-1/2 years. Indeed, the healthy economy is pumping up corporate earnings, which have been growing at double-digit rates. Some of the fastest-growing engines of economic growth are at the nation's smallest companies, whose stocks have averaged about a 20 percent gain per year for the past five years."