The US has at least four layers of government in most places.
Municipality/City/Town(ship) (city for short) County State Federal
For much of the governance, the local (city/county) have abdicated their proper role, and ceded authority to the State, and more likely Federal level. And the State and Federal levels love to steal the power, and do so on a regular basis.
I usually ask it this way, which is the highest authority law enforcement agency? The correct answer is "County Sheriff". Apart for Arpio in AZ, there is almost nobody else taking that responsibility. And it doesn't matter if you like him, he is doing the job his constituents elected him to do. Because the Sheriff is elected, and no other Law Enforcement agency is, is why that is the most authority (because it is closest to the people).
So, yes, you are correct there isn't one "government. However, the ability of the local, county and state to overrule the feds is diminishing every day.
Actually, everyone involved in the procurement, installation and use of these machines should be at least fired, and quite honestly, should be charged with negligence of their duty. The company that provided these machines should be sued, and the machines returned as being "unfit" and full and complete refund sought.
The fact that they are going after the wrong guy, is all the evidence I need to show once again, government is the problem, not the solution. We need to take back our country from the statist elites that think they know better than everyone else.
1st) Regulation always comes with additional fees. Raising a barrier to entry. My counter argument to this is, can we sue the city when an Uber Driver passes background check but still commits crimes? (or, in otherwords, what problem does this actually solve?)
2nd) Actual cost is irrelevant and probably not fully known. But knowing how municipal bureaucracies work, the opportunity cost of actually driving for Uber/Lyft when falsely blocked by bad data in the system, and delays in getting scans back.
My guess is that nobody on the Statist side actually knows what the actual problems resolved vs problems caused ratio is, or would be. The problem is, too many times the regulations are to resolve some sort of ghosting problem (ie, perceived not real problem) in the system, one that isn't quantified or even knowable, while at the same time, causing real problems and introducing real inefficiencies into the system.
My suggestion is, that people making these kinds of Regulations be required to fund a full and complete and impartial Economic Impact Report. So that we don't have to guess what the outcome will actually be.
Yeah, government needs to regulate everything, that is the only way to be sure the little girls on the corner selling lemonade are not terrorists trying to poison America. (My response to Somalia anti-libertarian types)
My mom doesn't smoke. I'm sorry that wasn't more clear.
Smoker's end of life tends to be fairly quick. Sudden heart attack, cancer that kills you in six months. My mom's car accident was years ago, and she can live for many many more years at her current rate. But she sees Doctors nearly every other day, just to slow the inevitable.
Personally, I've vowed to never put my family through anything like that. We all are going to die. Life is supposed to be lived, not just waiting to die, while prolonging it. That is just misery, for the sake of living.
No, people are flawed. And yet we esteem these often very flawed people simply because the have "judge" (or Congressman, or President) simply because of the title in front of their name, rather than esteeming everyone equally.
Well, when you esteem judges as being arbiters of ultimate fairness, when the reality is, they are just as flawed as your average congressman and executive / president / mayor / governor, this is how you get into trouble.
Judges have carved themselves a very nice protected racket from which to enact their version of statism / tyranny. We have one person, decided by who knows what measure, cases that have long and far impacts in the form of legislating from the bench, and we're simply okay with it, because it suits our myopic political opinions.
Judges need to be held accountable, but are rarely touched because the people who know better are all part of the same Cabal and court officers, in a direct conflict of interest.
IMHO, no lawyer should be allowed to run for Legislative or Executive Branch, being already a member of the Judicial branch of government. We don't allow a congressman to also be a mayor or judge, why should lawyers (Judicial Officer) be allowed in the other two branches?
My mom is 84 years old, and sucking the Health Care system dry. But not because she smoked, but because she was in a car accident 14 years ago, and has needed constant medical attention ever since. And my Father, who died at age 84 ten years ago, spent the last six months of his life in a hospital, also sucking the medical system dry. He didn't smoke either.
In fact, your average dying (ex) smoker probably cost less than either one of my parents (heath care wise).
And who are you to decide what the "benefits" are worthy, and which ones are not?
By the way, this is why I am opposed to rationed medical care via compulsory health care insurance. Because the result is, no matter how you slice it, still unfair. You cannot make something fair for all, by making it unfair for some. The ONLY rational choice is that we recognize that Life is not fair, and quit trying to make it fair. Some people are born with good genes, others with genes that aren't so good. Life is not fair. And it sucks when it isn't. But trying to fix it with flawed human logic is just as unfair and IMHO worse, because the lack of fairness is intentional, rather than random acts of nature.
We need to ban McDonalds because people get Heart disease. We should ban all process foods because they cause cancer (maybe). We need to ban milk, because someone is allergic to lactose. We need to ban meat because PETA says so. And one of the greatest killers of all are cars, which cause death and injury at greater rates that just about everything else combined. I think Everyone knows someone who's been injured in car accident, we NEED TO BAN THEM!
Further, we should not help anyone over the age of 60 with their long term disease management, since that is the greatest drain on our Health Care system. Our health care costs would be a fraction of what it is now, if we simply reserved heath care for those people who are young.
And now, you can understand the logic of statist healthcare systems.
Because it isn't the perview of the Federal Government to manage crimes at that level. There is no need for the Federal Government to deal with murder at all, with the exception of perhaps (perhaps) Federal Land. But still, murder should be against the law, prosecuted at the County/City/Municipality/Town(ship) level. The only reason to have Feds involved should be if there is some sort of uncontrolled abuse at the local level.
I'm not sure why you're weeping to keep law enforcement local. Using your logic, why even bother having local laws at all. Should everything be a Federal Case?
Federal Government shouldn't be trying people for murder, since that is a local jurisdiction thing. IMHO. I could see exceptions for Federal land in rare occasions.
Then buy only certified lead free paint. But then again, importing Paint from China you might be getting lead in it again, but that's okay, since RACISM! (or profit, free trade or....)
BTW, when you moved into your older home, you did test the paint for lead, right? If not, you really don't care about being lead free (lots of older homes have lead paint in them, legacy) I tested my home, not so newer one, and it had lead in it. Made the cleanup part of the escrow. The realtor was shocked, and the house became unsellable until the lead was removed.
I know someone who died of Emphysema who enjoyed every last cigarette they smoked, to their dying day. It is a matter of perception, and why should you push your perception on other people who do not share it? If you're able to do that with cigarettes, can I do it with something you might like, like porn or bacon or...??
Basically, who "perception" (aka Opinion) counts more, yours or mine?
Since you're a coward (literally, asking for personal details, while hiding yourself), I'll answer one of your questions.
Don't like it? Tell me YOUR alternative.
My suggestion, is, as a libertarian, taxes should be 100% avoidable by everyone, not just the rich, who can hire people to avoid taxes, pay for exclusions by bribing elected officials or just plain moving (PO Box) to a lower tax zone.
Make everything you don't like, but is currently a crime (but shouldn't be) that is currently illegal, legal, and tax it. Prostitution, drugs (all of them)... everything. Call it taxing sin if you want. Tax it, regulate it, license it, whatever it takes. You want to smoke pot, your choice, you're paying taxes on it (unless you grow it yourself)
Tax gasoline, but require every penny of it to be spent on... infrastructure(Roads, bridges, etc) Tax Alcohol, but use every penny to support rehab and other health initiatives. Tax all process foods, (boxed, premade, packaged), but leave fresh foods untaxed. All proceeds go to healthcare. Fruits, vegggies, Bread, Meat, Milk and a few other items are untaxed. Taxes here, go to supporting "hunger" problems and other related things. Tax Politicians on their donations and PACs on their member's contributions. All avoidable by everyone. Tax Money leaving the country (banking transfers, imported goods etc) while encouraging repatriation of money from outside (deductions from Corporate taxes)
All taxes must be avoidable, by everyone.
Remove Barriers to Entry taxes for people to go to work for themselves. "Business License" is nothing more than a scam, designed to keep poor people from starting their own business, and a catch 22.
Compare the effort required to be a business and get welfare, it should be easier to start a business than it is to get welfare.
Ditch Minimum Wage, it is an artificial floor on unqualified workers, preventing them from entry level jobs that require no skill.
Stop H1B Visas and importing (via illegal immigration) cheap labor (below Min wage) that depresses wages for US Citizens. US Citizens first, everyone else should be made to wait 5 years before coming here to work. If businesses REALLY need H1B workers, they have to properly plan and manage them 5 years ahead.
And I truly believe that we can set up a system that Encourages the behavior (charity).
The fact is, to fix the system, you must first admit it is REALLY broken to start. And while you may think it is unrealistic, it is only that way because you can't imagine it actually working (and creating a revenue stream that is actually better). My way, nobody can complain about taxes, because they are COMPLETELY avoidable, completely earmarked (tax to program it supports) and Politicians can't play fast and loose with favoritism.
The system as it stands, is broken. There is almost no accountability to the taxpayer for how their taxes are spent. There is way too many layers of politics, bureaucracy and government red tape in the way. We spend money on programs that have long since ended their useful lifespan, because someone might be hurt when they are discontinued, even though it is really abused. We rarely cost justify programs efficacy.
My plan is simple, effective and will likely be attacked by ignorant progressives who will lose control over other people's money. Remember, most taxes today are raised under threat of government guns. Just ask Wesley Snipes. By making taxes avoidable, there are NO guns or implied or real threats needed to collect them.
We hold judges to such a high and undeserved "esteem" that we fail to realize that they are just like everyone else, flawed often critically. WE should not hold ANYONE it high esteem just because of their office, nor should we esteem a person less because of lack thereof. But we do, all of us.
This is part of the decline in our society, is that we place value not on a person, but only what they can do for us.
The data between server and client is secured. Nobody can steal your passwords in route because they are locked up in an envelope. This is marginal security improvement, and a much needed one.
The fact that you think the average person is being raped by taxes is just hyperbole.
Taxes I pay on my 50K salary. Income(Fed/State), Sales (7.5%), Vehicle, Property, Social Security, Misc Fees/taxes on everything from Hotels to phones to electricity to...
I've added them all up, and it amounts to over 35% ($16,000/yr) of what I am actually paid for my work. Which I call "rape" of the American Worker. Over 1/3 of all my income, gone to government. Most of which I cannot avoid unless I go live off Grid (which is against the law in some places). And I am not even in the highest tax bracket, just the one that can't afford to dodge taxes legally (regressive). If people actually KNEW what they actually paid in actual taxes, fees and whatever they would revolt. But Bernie (and Clinton) want you to pay more.
And yes, you can sort of try to justify each of the taxes all you want, but when you add all them up, you can't justify the total tax rate.
Slashdot Mirror
The US has at least four layers of government in most places.
Municipality/City/Town(ship) (city for short)
County
State
Federal
For much of the governance, the local (city/county) have abdicated their proper role, and ceded authority to the State, and more likely Federal level. And the State and Federal levels love to steal the power, and do so on a regular basis.
I usually ask it this way, which is the highest authority law enforcement agency? The correct answer is "County Sheriff". Apart for Arpio in AZ, there is almost nobody else taking that responsibility. And it doesn't matter if you like him, he is doing the job his constituents elected him to do. Because the Sheriff is elected, and no other Law Enforcement agency is, is why that is the most authority (because it is closest to the people).
So, yes, you are correct there isn't one "government. However, the ability of the local, county and state to overrule the feds is diminishing every day.
Actually, everyone involved in the procurement, installation and use of these machines should be at least fired, and quite honestly, should be charged with negligence of their duty. The company that provided these machines should be sued, and the machines returned as being "unfit" and full and complete refund sought.
The fact that they are going after the wrong guy, is all the evidence I need to show once again, government is the problem, not the solution. We need to take back our country from the statist elites that think they know better than everyone else.
1st) Regulation always comes with additional fees. Raising a barrier to entry. My counter argument to this is, can we sue the city when an Uber Driver passes background check but still commits crimes? (or, in otherwords, what problem does this actually solve?)
2nd) Actual cost is irrelevant and probably not fully known. But knowing how municipal bureaucracies work, the opportunity cost of actually driving for Uber/Lyft when falsely blocked by bad data in the system, and delays in getting scans back.
My guess is that nobody on the Statist side actually knows what the actual problems resolved vs problems caused ratio is, or would be. The problem is, too many times the regulations are to resolve some sort of ghosting problem (ie, perceived not real problem) in the system, one that isn't quantified or even knowable, while at the same time, causing real problems and introducing real inefficiencies into the system.
My suggestion is, that people making these kinds of Regulations be required to fund a full and complete and impartial Economic Impact Report. So that we don't have to guess what the outcome will actually be.
Yeah, government needs to regulate everything, that is the only way to be sure the little girls on the corner selling lemonade are not terrorists trying to poison America. (My response to Somalia anti-libertarian types)
My mom doesn't smoke. I'm sorry that wasn't more clear.
Smoker's end of life tends to be fairly quick. Sudden heart attack, cancer that kills you in six months. My mom's car accident was years ago, and she can live for many many more years at her current rate. But she sees Doctors nearly every other day, just to slow the inevitable.
Personally, I've vowed to never put my family through anything like that. We all are going to die. Life is supposed to be lived, not just waiting to die, while prolonging it. That is just misery, for the sake of living.
The problem is that humans aren't robots.
No, people are flawed. And yet we esteem these often very flawed people simply because the have "judge" (or Congressman, or President) simply because of the title in front of their name, rather than esteeming everyone equally.
Well, when you esteem judges as being arbiters of ultimate fairness, when the reality is, they are just as flawed as your average congressman and executive / president / mayor / governor, this is how you get into trouble.
Judges have carved themselves a very nice protected racket from which to enact their version of statism / tyranny. We have one person, decided by who knows what measure, cases that have long and far impacts in the form of legislating from the bench, and we're simply okay with it, because it suits our myopic political opinions.
Judges need to be held accountable, but are rarely touched because the people who know better are all part of the same Cabal and court officers, in a direct conflict of interest.
IMHO, no lawyer should be allowed to run for Legislative or Executive Branch, being already a member of the Judicial branch of government. We don't allow a congressman to also be a mayor or judge, why should lawyers (Judicial Officer) be allowed in the other two branches?
FYI, you're an idiot
Written in C
Please tell me, how being written in C is worse than being written in GO, Python and Java?
actually works
If you like long lines and rationing. All you have to do to believe what you said is ignore the problems in the system
https://www.google.com/search?...
My mom is 84 years old, and sucking the Health Care system dry. But not because she smoked, but because she was in a car accident 14 years ago, and has needed constant medical attention ever since. And my Father, who died at age 84 ten years ago, spent the last six months of his life in a hospital, also sucking the medical system dry. He didn't smoke either.
In fact, your average dying (ex) smoker probably cost less than either one of my parents (heath care wise).
And who are you to decide what the "benefits" are worthy, and which ones are not?
By the way, this is why I am opposed to rationed medical care via compulsory health care insurance. Because the result is, no matter how you slice it, still unfair. You cannot make something fair for all, by making it unfair for some. The ONLY rational choice is that we recognize that Life is not fair, and quit trying to make it fair. Some people are born with good genes, others with genes that aren't so good. Life is not fair. And it sucks when it isn't. But trying to fix it with flawed human logic is just as unfair and IMHO worse, because the lack of fairness is intentional, rather than random acts of nature.
We need to ban McDonalds because people get Heart disease. We should ban all process foods because they cause cancer (maybe). We need to ban milk, because someone is allergic to lactose. We need to ban meat because PETA says so. And one of the greatest killers of all are cars, which cause death and injury at greater rates that just about everything else combined. I think Everyone knows someone who's been injured in car accident, we NEED TO BAN THEM!
Further, we should not help anyone over the age of 60 with their long term disease management, since that is the greatest drain on our Health Care system. Our health care costs would be a fraction of what it is now, if we simply reserved heath care for those people who are young.
And now, you can understand the logic of statist healthcare systems.
Because it isn't the perview of the Federal Government to manage crimes at that level. There is no need for the Federal Government to deal with murder at all, with the exception of perhaps (perhaps) Federal Land. But still, murder should be against the law, prosecuted at the County/City/Municipality/Town(ship) level. The only reason to have Feds involved should be if there is some sort of uncontrolled abuse at the local level.
I'm not sure why you're weeping to keep law enforcement local. Using your logic, why even bother having local laws at all. Should everything be a Federal Case?
Federal Government shouldn't be trying people for murder, since that is a local jurisdiction thing. IMHO. I could see exceptions for Federal land in rare occasions.
Then buy only certified lead free paint. But then again, importing Paint from China you might be getting lead in it again, but that's okay, since RACISM! (or profit, free trade or ....)
BTW, when you moved into your older home, you did test the paint for lead, right? If not, you really don't care about being lead free (lots of older homes have lead paint in them, legacy) I tested my home, not so newer one, and it had lead in it. Made the cleanup part of the escrow. The realtor was shocked, and the house became unsellable until the lead was removed.
I know someone who died of Emphysema who enjoyed every last cigarette they smoked, to their dying day. It is a matter of perception, and why should you push your perception on other people who do not share it? If you're able to do that with cigarettes, can I do it with something you might like, like porn or bacon or ...??
Basically, who "perception" (aka Opinion) counts more, yours or mine?
You want the government to tell you what you can and cannot do with your body?
How do you feel about pot?
"Redeeming benefits" is your opinion. Some people actually enjoy smoking, just because you don't doesn't make your opinion the only one that counts.
And this is part of the whole "the state can regulate what you do in your private home" thing that I hate about both leftwing and rightwing statists.
Since you're a coward (literally, asking for personal details, while hiding yourself), I'll answer one of your questions.
Don't like it? Tell me YOUR alternative.
My suggestion, is, as a libertarian, taxes should be 100% avoidable by everyone, not just the rich, who can hire people to avoid taxes, pay for exclusions by bribing elected officials or just plain moving (PO Box) to a lower tax zone.
Make everything you don't like, but is currently a crime (but shouldn't be) that is currently illegal, legal, and tax it. Prostitution, drugs (all of them) ... everything. Call it taxing sin if you want. Tax it, regulate it, license it, whatever it takes. You want to smoke pot, your choice, you're paying taxes on it (unless you grow it yourself)
Tax gasoline, but require every penny of it to be spent on ... infrastructure(Roads, bridges, etc)
Tax Alcohol, but use every penny to support rehab and other health initiatives.
Tax all process foods, (boxed, premade, packaged), but leave fresh foods untaxed. All proceeds go to healthcare. Fruits, vegggies, Bread, Meat, Milk and a few other items are untaxed. Taxes here, go to supporting "hunger" problems and other related things.
Tax Politicians on their donations and PACs on their member's contributions. All avoidable by everyone.
Tax Money leaving the country (banking transfers, imported goods etc) while encouraging repatriation of money from outside (deductions from Corporate taxes)
All taxes must be avoidable, by everyone.
Remove Barriers to Entry taxes for people to go to work for themselves. "Business License" is nothing more than a scam, designed to keep poor people from starting their own business, and a catch 22.
Compare the effort required to be a business and get welfare, it should be easier to start a business than it is to get welfare.
Ditch Minimum Wage, it is an artificial floor on unqualified workers, preventing them from entry level jobs that require no skill.
Stop H1B Visas and importing (via illegal immigration) cheap labor (below Min wage) that depresses wages for US Citizens. US Citizens first, everyone else should be made to wait 5 years before coming here to work. If businesses REALLY need H1B workers, they have to properly plan and manage them 5 years ahead.
And I truly believe that we can set up a system that Encourages the behavior (charity).
The fact is, to fix the system, you must first admit it is REALLY broken to start. And while you may think it is unrealistic, it is only that way because you can't imagine it actually working (and creating a revenue stream that is actually better). My way, nobody can complain about taxes, because they are COMPLETELY avoidable, completely earmarked (tax to program it supports) and Politicians can't play fast and loose with favoritism.
The system as it stands, is broken. There is almost no accountability to the taxpayer for how their taxes are spent. There is way too many layers of politics, bureaucracy and government red tape in the way. We spend money on programs that have long since ended their useful lifespan, because someone might be hurt when they are discontinued, even though it is really abused. We rarely cost justify programs efficacy.
My plan is simple, effective and will likely be attacked by ignorant progressives who will lose control over other people's money. Remember, most taxes today are raised under threat of government guns. Just ask Wesley Snipes. By making taxes avoidable, there are NO guns or implied or real threats needed to collect them.
SHHHHHHH, don't give them any ideas!
What an idiot! ;)
"Thanks Obama"
"This is the result of Trump winning the GOP"
We hold judges to such a high and undeserved "esteem" that we fail to realize that they are just like everyone else, flawed often critically. WE should not hold ANYONE it high esteem just because of their office, nor should we esteem a person less because of lack thereof. But we do, all of us.
This is part of the decline in our society, is that we place value not on a person, but only what they can do for us.
I reject your government, and substitute my own ... "strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords"
The data between server and client is secured. Nobody can steal your passwords in route because they are locked up in an envelope. This is marginal security improvement, and a much needed one.
The fact that you think the average person is being raped by taxes is just hyperbole.
Taxes I pay on my 50K salary. Income(Fed/State), Sales (7.5%), Vehicle, Property, Social Security, Misc Fees/taxes on everything from Hotels to phones to electricity to ...
I've added them all up, and it amounts to over 35% ($16,000/yr) of what I am actually paid for my work. Which I call "rape" of the American Worker. Over 1/3 of all my income, gone to government. Most of which I cannot avoid unless I go live off Grid (which is against the law in some places). And I am not even in the highest tax bracket, just the one that can't afford to dodge taxes legally (regressive). If people actually KNEW what they actually paid in actual taxes, fees and whatever they would revolt. But Bernie (and Clinton) want you to pay more.
And yes, you can sort of try to justify each of the taxes all you want, but when you add all them up, you can't justify the total tax rate.
I would expect a guy who's toolkit is a computer to know the difference between Window10 Home and Windows10Pro/ENT/Superduper Edition.
But then again, that was kind of my point.
And Windows is the Ryobi of operating systems ;)
Fuck Yourself.