Taxes...and other ramblings

I just finished navigating the maze that is our nation's tax code. As usual, we paid more than we were supposed to. However, when filing estimated taxes for self-employment (you know, the voluntary part) it is difficult to accurately predict how the arcana will affect you without a Ouija Board or expensive accountant/lawyer.

The bad news is I lent Leviathan a metric crap-load of money, interest-free. The good news is that Leviathan still has some greenbacks left over from the last printing press run.

It is too bad they don't do refunds in Double Eagles...

As for the State, I owe them less than $100 bucks-"net" after withholding. All things considered, I'll take that outcome.

Now, if we could just repeal the 16th Amendment and go to a consumption-based tax, life would be good. And, don't even try and tell me that sales taxes are regressive and affect the "poor" disproportionately. That's crap and everybody knows it. A flat-rate sales or consumption tax on ALL new items is the most fair way to fund the necessary functions of government. It also means that those who spend more pay more in taxes, while those who spend less would pay less. Oh, and if you spend someone else's money (using debt like credit cards and personal loans), you would pay more in taxes than your earnings would otherwise dictate.

Perhaps that would incentivize people to actually save for things instead of feeding the beast with debt. It is too bad that common sense, isn't, nowadays. With a National Sales tax, fairly applied (meaning EVERYBODY pays), the consumer's choices become paramount in minimizing their taxable exposure. If someone has less money to spend, then buying used (which would incur no sales tax) lowers the burden. Someone who desires to have the latest and greatest new thing would pay for that choice with the attendant cost of government included.

Speaking of the cost of government, if every purchase exposed the cost to the consumer, don't you think it would make said consumer a wee bit more active in the machinations of governance? Plus, if the incentives for indolence are removed (meaning NO welfare), it removes a perversely powerful special interest from the pressure groups influencing Congress.

And, YES, I said NO welfare. The care and feeding of the elderly, sick, and unexpectedly pregnant used to fall to family and friends, including faith-based charities and churches. It worked well for a couple of hundred years. It is time to return to that system.

Please note that I do NOT include disabled veterans in the above category. Any veteran who was injured in the line of duty battling for our Liberty, and who needs support, should get it. These men and women are willing to pay the ultimate price to secure our liberty. This is NOT welfare. This is a debt of honor that is owed.

Anyway, enough ramblings. I hope your weekend went well.

Pax,

Newbius

The Three Percent

If you are wondering what a "3-per" is, or what this flag means, go HERE.

Newbius
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The District of Columbia Gun Labyrinth

Want to lawfully exercise your Second Amendment right to self defense in the District of Columbia? Then be prepared for a lengthy and tortuous trip down the rabbit hole of rules, regulations, and fees.

Read this Examiner article by Kris Hammond and prepare to be amazed at the arrogance of the officials in DC for implementing this sham on their population. Shame on them. The reality is that criminals won't follow this procedure, and only the law-abiding are impacted. Perhaps that is how they want it to be.

Someone please tell me how this process doesn't constitute Infringement of a right? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?

Newbius
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VA Senate Committee for Courts of Justice

Last week, the House of Delegates passed numerous pieces of legislation on to the State Senate for consideration. With the exception of a couple of those, all of them have been forwarded to the Committee for Courts of Justice.

This committee is chaired by Senator Henry L. Marsh III, a member of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus. Senator Marsh is an NRA "F" rated politician who opposes most of the reforms being presented. In the Richmond Free Press article last week on the "One gun a month" repeal, Senator Marsh was depicted as follows:

The fate of the repeal now depends on what happens in the Senate Courts of Justice Committee headed by a prominent member of the Caucus, Richmond Sen. Henry L. Marsh III.

He’s appalled that the House passed the repeal, but he said Wednesday he’s not sure he has the votes to halt the wipeout of the law.

Still Sen. Marsh is vowing to do all he can to stop the momentum of the bill.

“We’ve got too many guns already,” Sen. Marsh told the Free Press. “Anyone who wants a gun can get one. Who needs more than one gun a month?”

The make-up of the Committee is 10 Democrats and 5 Republicans. And, although the VLBC has 3 members on this committee, the overall composition with regard to gun rights is not in line with party affiliation. I mention the VLBC here specifically because I find it appalling that they continue to support gun control even though the history of gun control is overwhelmingly racist in nature. (For additional reference, go HERE, HERE, and HERE.)

Below are the members of the Senate Committee for Courts of Justice, along with their NRA Ratings for their most recent election cycle. Please contact these Senators and politely request that they approve and pass out to the floor the House gun control reform bills which are pending before them.

Henry L. Marsh III (D-16) (VLBC) NRA "F"
Richard L. Saslaw (D-35) NRA "D"
Janet D. Howell (D-32) NRA "F"
L. Luise Lucas (D-18) (VLBC) NRA "F"
Linda T. Puller (D-36) NRA "F"
Donald McEachin (D-9) (VLBC) NRA "F"
J. Chapman Petersen (D-34) NRA "C"
W. Roscoe Reynolds (D-20) NRA "A"
John S. Edwards (D-21) NRA "A"
R. Creigh Deeds (D-25) NRA "A"
Frederick M. Quayle (R-13) NRA "A"
Thomas K. Norment, Jr. (R-3) NRA "B"
Mark D. Obershain (R-26) NRA "A"
Ryan T. McDougle (R-4) NRA "A"
Robert Hurt (R-19) NRA "A"

Pax,

Newbius

QOTD-Karl Denninger

From market-ticker.org:

"Let's face facts: while today we all count on being able to pick up the phone and call "911" if we need an officer to take a report on our stolen stereo, if the bad times come you will need us, not the other way around. We the people will, under such a circumstance, have the luxury of determining whether your oath of office has been faithfully discharged, or whether the only difference at that instant between you and the gangbanger is that you've got a fancy hat and a nicer car."

Go. RTWT.

Virginia Legislative Black Caucus

Yesterday, I posted a piece about the Richmond Free Press and their tirade about the pro-freedom gun legislation working through the Virginia Legislature. One of the things that struck me about the newspaper article was the fact that the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus overwhelmingly opposes expansion of gun rights in the Commonwealth.

As someone who understands the historic roots of gun control in America, and, as someone who understands that history to be overwhelmingly anti-minority, I find it odd that the people who champion minority causes oppose repealing gun control laws. I just don't understand it. If these legislators understood their history and remembered the Deacons for Defense and Justice, they would know that it was only through the exercising of their Second Amendment Rights that their Civil Rights were ensured.

Why is this lost on them? What am I missing here?

Do they think that there is a disconnect between Liberty, and the most effective means to defend it? Or, are they cynically taking the place of the oppressor in order to aggrandize wealth and power unto themselves by following the time-worn path of continuing the oppression, while demagoguing the easy target of "the man"?

In my experience, politicians who are pro-2nd Amendment are also pro-freedom for everybody. In that light, one could conclude that the VLBC is anti-freedom. It is kind of ironic if you think about it.

Here is the current makeup of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, along with their rating on gun issues from the National Rifle Association:

F * Virginia State Sen. Mamie Locke (D-2nd) Hampton, Newport News, Portsmouth, and Suffolk
F * Virginia State Sen. Louise Lucas (D-18th) Emporia, Greensville, Nottoway, and Sussex. Part of Brunswick, Chesapeake, Franklin City, Isle of Wight, Lunenburg, Portsmouth, Southampton, and Suffolk
F * Virginia State Sen. A. Donald McEachin (D-9th) Charles City. Part of Henrico and Richmond City
F * Virginia State Sen. Henry L. Marsh (D-16th) Dinwiddie and Petersburg. Part of Chesterfield, Hopewell, Prince George, and Richmond City
F * Virginia State Sen. Yvonne B. Miller (D-5th) Chesapeake, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach
C * Virginia State Del. Kenneth Cooper Alexander (D-89th) Norfolk
F * Virginia State Del. Mamye BaCote (D-95th) Hampton and Newport News [3]
F * Virginia State Del. Rosalyn Dance (D-63rd) Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, and Petersburg
F * Virginia State Del. Charniele Herring (D-46th) Fairfax and Alexandria
B+ * Virginia State Del. Algie Howell (D-90th) Chesapeake, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach
NR * Virginia State Del. Matthew James (D-80th) Portsmouth
F * Virginia State Del. Jennifer McClellan (D-71st) Henrico and Richmond City
F * Virginia State Del. Delores McQuinn (D-70th) Chesterfield, Henrico, and Richmond City
F * Virginia State Del. Lionell Spruill, Sr. (D-77th) Chesapeake and Suffolk
NR * Virginia State Del. Luke Torian (D-52nd) Prince William County
F * Virginia State Del. Roslyn Tyler (D-75th) Emporia, Greenville, and Sussex. Part of Brunswick, Isle of Wight, Lunenburg, Southampton, and Franklin City
C * Virginia State Del. Jeion Ward (D-92nd) Hampton
A * Virginia State Del. Onzlee Ware (D-11th) Roanoke City and Roanoke County

18 members. All Democrats. 12 "F" ratings, 2 "C" ratings, one "B+", one "A", 2 Not Rated yet.

Their agenda (From Wikipedia):

"The No. 1 budget priority is continuing to fund a proton beam cancer center at Hampton University. The $200 million project, which focuses on using proton beams to shrink tumors, is under construction.
Other priorities include establishing a 36 percent interest rate cap on payday loans, expanding pre-kindergarten education programs, reforming the mental health system and allowing low-income working Virginians to purchase health insurance through a state program."

I would add: Keeping minorities financially enslaved to predatory lenders, disarmed (and subject to oppression by criminals), and dependent upon Government (and the thugs and bureaucrats who work there).

Fifty years ago, this agenda would be decried as racist against minorities. Now it is championed by minorities as beneficial and caring. Why is this agenda not racist if it is championed by blacks instead of whites? Especially if the outcome is the same?

Think about it.

Pax,

Newbius

PSH at the Richmond Free Press

The Richmond Free Press is engaging is some PSH over the Virginia General Assembly's attempt at rolling back some gun-control laws. The cat-pan-liner of record for those who wish to receive tawdry, biased, liberal hysteria is engaging in the same tired blood-dancing that accompanies all such efforts at removing restrictions on firearms ownership.

The current cover:



I suppose that the editors believe that disarming the populace will result in reduced crime, even though it has been tried lots of places, and has failed everywhere. I suppose that the publisher does not understand that gun control has racist roots and is directed at the demographics of their core readership. I suppose that the writers think it is OK to demagogue the legislators who are pro-freedom, even if THEIR favorite legislators are not. I mean, after all, it isn't as if the editors, writers, and publisher are at risk...right? Because they are liberals who care about their readers, so they are immune from danger...right?

< sigh >

Their Mission Statement states, in part:

"The Free Press places a high value on quality and is guided by a commitment to the eternal principles of truth, integrity, robust debate and justice."

If this is truly the case, then they should be championing the efforts of the Virginia General Assembly to empower the citizens by easing restrictions on the most effective means of self-defense available. They should be researching the history of Gun Control, and shouting from the rooftops that the current laws were designed primarily to impact minorities and that removing these restrictions empowers minorities. They should be telling the truth that more guns equals lower crime, as shown by John Lott and Gary Kleck.

They should, but they won't.

How about it, Mr. Boone? Care to take the really bold step to augment your history page by being the first liberal publisher of color to actually champion freedom, empower individuals, and remove the fear of crime victimization from your readership?

Or, would you rather continue to be a vassal serf, licking the hands of the legislators in Richmond whose agenda keeps minorities down while allowing them to pretend that they really care?

I am guessing the latter.

Pax,

Newbius

Too funny

Stolen shamelessly in its entirety from Shooting Illustrated's Forums:

Memo to BATFE: you might want to raid the Department of Homeland Security. After all, it has lost a rather large number of firearms. If an FFL dealer lost this many guns, the license holder would be in jail (with his house burned to the ground and his dogs shot). Just a thought...

Go RTWT and also click the embedded link to the source story.

Pax,

Newbius

QOTD-AGW edition

A commenter at PJM brilliantly and succinctly nails the discussion on AGW.

For me the money quote is this:

"The AGW frauds who have conspired for so long to wreak our economies, steal our livelihoods, and subvert our freedom are criminals. Justice demands that they pay a penalty that ruins their lives, as they have worked so hard for so long to ruin ours."

Go and RTWT, including especially the comments.

H/T Alger

Virginia Legislative update

The Virginia General Assembly is meeting today for the final passage of several pro-gun bills. Today is "Crossover Day" wherein bills are presented in each chamber for final passage before crossing over to the other chamber for final concurrence and passage. The following bills have been passed in the House of Delegates, and will be sent to the Senate for final vote before being sent to the Governor:

HB 52 reduces the penalty for not having your permit on your person and provides an affirmative defense and provision to waive penalty.

HB 26 Amends the documentation requirements for obtaining an permit.

HB 637 Waives the CCW application fee for certain members of the Coast Guard.

HB 854 Castle Doctrine

HB 8 allows renewal of CCW by mail.

HB 49 repeals the "One-Gun-a-Month" law.

HB 69 Virginia Firearms Freedom Act

HB 79 Closes public access to the CCW Permit Database and bars the Clerk of the Court from providing access to the applications.

HB 108 Limits Gun "buy-back" programs, and requires disposition of those firearms through licensed firearms dealers rather than by destruction.

HB 109 Gun dealer privacy and taxation. Repeals local authority to tax gun dealers and mandates destruction of the tax records previously collected.

HB 171 Provides immunity from liability for owners of weapons stolen from locked vehicles.

HB 236 Enforces preemption against localities from enacting anti-hunting regulations, and establishes a uniform penalty for discharging a firearm towards a subdivision that is within range of the firearm.

HB 490 Legislation to develop a plan for lifetime issuance of a concealed weapons permit.

HB 870 removes the option for a locality to require fingerprints on a CCW Permit application.

HB 871 provides for the right to an ore tenus hearing.

HB 885 Creates a new exemption to the general prohibition against carrying concealed weapons by allowing a person who may lawfully possess a firearm to carry a handgun in a private motor vehicle or boat if the handgun is secured in a container or compartment.

HB 1070 Persons with a valid permit may carry into an emergency shelter.

HB 1092 Retired law enforcement may carry anywhere in the state.

HB 1191 allows a Circuit Court judge to authorize issuance by the clerk of the court.

HB 1256 Law enforcement officers who have resigned in good standing may carry, as retired LOE's can.

HB 1379 Provides that certain Northern Virginia localities may adopt local ordinances that regulate the possession and storage of firearms, ammunition, or components or combination thereof at child-care facilities, so long as such regulation is not more extensive in scope than comparable state regulations applicable to family day-care homes.

These bills will now cross over to the state Senate for passage. Although most of these bills have overwhelming support, their prospects in the Senate are less than certain. Please contact your state Senator and express support for these pro-rights bills so that we can continue our common-sense reforms of Virginia's firearms laws.

Pax,

Newbius

Rats, ships, desertion

I was just wondering if the reason that the 'Rats are fleeing the sinking ship has anything to do with the fact that if they run, they have to spend their previous and current campaign contributions on what is likely to be a losing race.

If they do not run, they get to keep the money.

It is the politician's equivalent of a Golden Parachute, on top of their already-lavish pensions.

Something to think about...

Pax,

Newbius

Virginia General Assembly Open House

Tomorrow is the "Richmond Open House" in the Virginia General Assembly. I will be attending the event and will be discussing some issues with my Delegate.

Topics I intend to cover with him are:

Reciprocity and Recognition
Campus Carry (preemption, and the impact of Heller)
Equal Protection (and "Only Ones" exceptions to firearms laws)
Locality exemptions from statewide preemption statutes

My State Delegate, Mark L. Cole, is a Pro-Second Amendment representative and has authored, sponsored, or co-sponsored numerous pieces of legislation to advance our freedoms and Liberty in the Commonwealth. If you have a chance to stop in to the Virginia State House, please do so. I hope to see you there.

Pax,

Newbius

Dear Barack

It is OK to go after the Jihadists. They are TerrORists, not Terrists. They are not a part of the Green Movement.

The TerrORists want to kill us by, well, killing us.

The Terrists just want choke off our livelihood, sustenance, energy supplies, transportation, and way of light life. The latter group are your friends, not the former. Try and remember that.

Pax,

Newbius

Needing a clue bat...

The New York Times is saying that the current blizzard conditions confirm the theories of Global Warming.

Is anybody surprised?

Pax,

Newbius

Corruptocracy

"Nice bank you have there. It would be a shame if anything happened to it"

Remember the IndyMac Bank closure? The one that was caused by a loud-mouthed Senator causing a run on the bank? The one that was probably going to be fine, but was not perfectly connected to the right people?

Watch this.

Are you getting the picture yet?

Pax,

Newbius

Eco-Karma

Perhaps it is fitting that the Global Warming crowd is getting hit on all sides right now. From Senate hearings being canceled due to blizzard conditions, to Prius owners being told that their wonder-mobiles might be flawed, Karma is rearing her head and exacting her toll.

I can appreciate efficiency, especially when efficiency manifests itself in good design (which the Prius undoubtedly is). What I cannot stand is the sanctimonious preaching of the eco-weenie crowd who think that the Prius is God's own answer to efficient fuel usage.

Having to sit around a new Prius owner for any length of time is painful. So much so, that a term has been coined to explain it: "Priuspism". I would define this a little more specifically as: "An eco-weenie's extended auto-erotic joy at being more environmentally friendly than thou, which is painful to be around for more than an hour."

Now if only I could get the Supreme Court to recognize that "Global Warming" is really a religion, and that Congress would be barred from Establishing adherence to same, then my life would be complete for the week.

Pax,

Newbius

Irony

The Senate's "Environment and Public Works" committee was scheduled to hold a hearing today on the impacts of Global Warming.

It was canceled due to blizzard conditions in Washington, D.C..

Pax,

Newbius

Jobs

Does anybody else find it obscene that the people who complain about companies that send jobs overseas, are the same people who create the regulatory conditions which make these domestic jobs uncompetitive?

Think about it.

Pax,

Newbius

Liberal Racism

Yes, you heard that correctly. Consider this:

“When I was a kid, we said that we were precluded from going to certain neighborhoods because of the color of our skin… Now the neighborhoods are the neighborhoods of ideas, you’re not supposed to be there because … of the color of your skin.”

Associate Justice Clarence Thomas

If you are a person of color in America today, you are not allowed (by the Liberal Elite Establishment) to hold to or espouse ideas that are Liberty-oriented, Capitalistic, or embody the idea that we are self-determinate. Instead, you are denied this ability by race-hustlers like Sharpton and Jackson who will denigrate you as a race-traitor, "Uncle Tom", "Oreo", or sell-out.

< sigh >

Can we put away the race card yet?

Pax,

Newbius

Another end to another era

Breitbart reports that Representative John Murtha (D-PA) has died. Murtha was 77.

Murtha was a veteran, and served honorably during wartime. He represented his district in the manner he thought was best. His death will leave another power vacuum in the House, and politics abhors a vacuum. I'll save the snark for later.

Godspeed, and rest in peace.

Pax,

Newbius

On effort vs. reward

If you want any of the benefits, but are not willing to work for the result, then you have no basis for a claim to another's efforts.

If the scope of the effort is something which you are not willing to undertake, do not expect others to be willing to shoulder the burden on your behalf for very long.

Pax,

Newbius

Global Warming

Global Warming brought 21" of snow to my doorstep and is not yet through. Love that Global Warming!

Pax,

Newbius

Dollars, for the record

"A little parable may prove useful: Today an ounce of gold sells for $300, more or less. Now suppose that a modern alchemist solves his subject’s oldest problem by finding a way to produce unlimited amounts of new gold at essentially no cost. Moreover, his invention is widely publicized and scientifically verified, and he announces his intention to begin massive production of gold within days. What would happen to the price of gold? Presumably, the potentially unlimited supply of cheap gold would cause the market price of gold to plummet. Indeed, if the market for gold is to any degree efficient, the price of gold would collapse immediately after the announcement of the invention, before the alchemist had produced and marketed a single ounce of yellow metal.

What has this got to do with monetary policy? Like gold, U.S. dollars have value only to the extent that they are strictly limited in supply. But the U.S. government has a technology, called a printing press (or, today, its electronic equivalent), that allows it to produce as many U.S. dollars as it wishes at essentially no cost. By increasing the number of U.S. dollars in circulation, or even by credibly threatening to do so, the U.S. government can also reduce the value of a dollar in terms of goods and services, which is equivalent to raising the prices in dollars of those goods and services."

Ben Bernanke, in a speech given on November 21, 2002

An interesting quote from the speech linked above:

"Sustained deflation can be highly destructive to a modern economy and should be strongly resisted. Fortunately, for the foreseeable future, the chances of a serious deflation in the United States appear remote indeed, in large part because of our economy's underlying strengths but also because of the determination of the Federal Reserve and other U.S. policymakers to act preemptively against deflationary pressures."

The Fed cannot target "the rate of economic growth", here defined as the rate of inflation, if interest rates are at or approaching zero (which they are now). Bernanke understands cause and effect/supply and demand, and also understands that inflation is a way for the banks and government to get goods and services, without paying for them, by inflating the currency (printing money and issuing bonds).

In other words, the Federal Reserve's policies are exclusively inflationary because that is the way to keep more of the taxpayer's wealth in their hands. If you understand that inflation is government-sanctioned theft of YOUR wealth, then you should understand why the Statists currently in power want to keep this guy at the helm of the Fed.

Posterity can be a bitch...

Pax,

Newbius

Prejudice

Isn't it funny how the people who claim to be against prejudice are typically the same people who advocate for infringements of your rights in different ways?

In the current brouhahas regarding DADT and HCI/Brady Campaign vs Starbucks, the prejudices are telling. If you substituted "Negro" or "Jew", or "Catholic", or "Italian", or "Chinaman" for "Gays" or "Guns" in the arguments, you could rightly conclude that the people doing the advocacy against certain people, groups, or rights are merely exercising prejudice against the targeted group. Prejudice that would not be tolerated were it directed against a politically-favored group today.

Any time you run across someone attempting to curtail your rights, or advocate for policies which do not assure the maximum liberty possible, do a check and see if the policy fails the "Jews in the attic" test. If it fails, it should be opposed.

In the fight for Liberty in America today, we are all Jews...

Pax,

Newbius

Working on something

Posting will be sparse for another couple of days...

In the meantime, visit the wonderful people listed in my blogroll on the left side. There's some good stuff there.

Pax,

Newbius