By Nathan Barton
The official Nazgul term is over for the year, and here are a few more items:
Richard Winger at Ballot Access discusses Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) proposal to have retention elections for the nine Nazgul every eight years, a national election which would require a constitutional amendment. He realizes, I’m sure, that it would be virtually impossible to do this, but figures to make a point with the majority of Americans who are angry with SCOTUS. Richard makes some good points. “This is a revolutionary idea. The United States has never held a national election. All elections in U.S. history have always been statewide, or lesser geographical units, never national. In presidential elections, each state’s voters choose presidential electors for that state; there is no single election for President in a technical sense. The United States has never had a national referendum…”
Ballot Access News also discusses another Nazgul action. U.S. Supreme Court Won’t Hear Appeal by Kansas and Arizona Over Voter Registration Forms. Richard Winger reports, “On June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Kobach v U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 14-3062. The case had been filed by the states of Kansas and Arizona over the federal voter registration forms. Kansas and Arizona wanted to alter the federal forms (that were to be used in those two states) to require applicants to attach proof of citizenship. The Tenth Circuit on November 7, 2014, had ruled that the federal agency responsible for the forms had already held exhaustive fact-finding hearings and had determined that there is no need to amend the forms.”
To my way of thinking, this invalidates all claims of the Nazgul to support the power of states and the federal system. The fedgov is the central government, no less than the regime in Paris is of France, and far more than either Berlin or Bern are a “central” government of either Germany or Switzerland.
What makes sense? In one of its last rulings of the current term, the US Supreme Court upholds independent redistricting panels. They settled the electoral landscape in Arizona and California, upholding the use of voter-established independent panels to draw legislative district lines, after initiatives took the power away from the legislatures. I’ve heard a lot of very mixed comment about this. Yes, it “reduces” the power of the state government, but increases the power of the people of those states (who will, of course, continue to use it foolishly). Several did point out that, from a constitutional viewpoint, this is certainly NOT what the Founding Fathers would have envisioned, but I see it as strengthening the “republican” nature of the Fifty States. Richard Winger has some excellent points. On June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that state legislatures are not the only state government entities that can write or revise election laws that affect congressional elections. The decision is by Justice Ginsburg and is 5-4. The case is Arizona State Legislature v Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, 13-1314. The decision preserves the ability of ballot access activists to qualify initiatives for the ballot that improve ballot access restrictions. States with the initiative process for state laws and/or state constitutional changes are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, and Nevada.
On to others:
I guess the epidemic of cop-killers is not just in the US. Even while the Brazilian president is making nice in DC (after two years of snit because – shock – the US was spying on her), in Brazil, a Cop Shoots Two Unarmed Teenagers, who had Just Crashed, at Point Blank Range, On LIVE TV. The Free Thought Project reports, “Brazil is one of the only countries on the planet with a more serious police brutality problem than the United States. According to a recent study from the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety, police in Brazil have killed over 11,000 people between the years of 2009 and 2013. These numbers average out to roughly six killings per day, which is more than double the rate that is seen in the United States. In one of the most recent and high-profile cases of police brutality, a police officer shot two teenage theft suspects in front of a television news crew…”
Also according to The Free Thought Project the city of Anniston, Alabama has placed two police officers on administrative leave over allegations that they belong to a hate group, the League of the South. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a left-wing legal advocacy organization, posted an article on its Hatewatch blog that alleges Lt. Josh Doggrell and Lt. Wayne Brown have ties to the League of the South (LOS), an organization that the SPLC has deemed as “neo-Confederate.” The allegations are being investigated by the City of Anniston. The SPLC website explains that neo-Confederacy is “strongly nativist and advocating measures to end immigration.” It goes on to say “neo-Confederacy groups are hate groups, racist, and anti-government. Now, I’m familiar somewhat with the LotS and have seen their website and literature, and if they are “racist” and “anti-government” then so are a lot of other people like Bill Cosby and Clarence Thomas and Walter Williams. They clearly explain their love for the South and its heritage, and admit to being mostly Celtic (by culture, not race), but they are not another version of the KKK or anything close. Yes, they are anti-ILLEGAL immigration (against border jumpers) but again seem to be clearly in support of legal immigrants who are willing to acclimate themselves culturally. Of course, to the SPLC and most local governments, this is more than enough reason to smear them. Sadly, the “Free Thought Project” seems more than willing to go along with the bigots and haters at SPLC.
Are you afraid? Homeland Security officials express fear over Fourth of July terror attack according to Personal Liberty.com. Following terror attacks in France, Kuwait and Tunisia Friday, top U.S. Homeland Security officials are warning that Americans could face terrorist activity during this weekend’s Independence Day celebrations. Seems to me like the fear is that Americans might realize what a crock of garbage this is. How many warnings have we had that were totally bogus, and how many warnings did we have of real attacks, like the Boston Marathon? As usual, DHS wants to get people into a state of fear, and more and more the fear is supposed to be of “homegrown” terrorists: not Islamists but people opposed to homosexual “marriage” or wanting government to spend only what it gets (steals) in taxes, or who denigrate the current squatters in DC.
Is this a surprise? American City and County, a very pro-government magazine for government employees at the city and county level, is reporting that millions of Americans are moving to Florida, Nevada, and Arizona to flee rising tax and housing costs elsewhere. KOA in Denver was proud of the fact that house values rose 10%+ in the last quarter, making it the most expensive of the 20 largest metropolitan areas, and the hardest for people to be able to afford to buy homes. Go figure. There are many counties in other states, on a local level, where people are moving to escape high taxes and expensive houses in urban and suburban areas. And states like Illinois, New York, Virginia, and California are losing people to these less tax-crazy states, to say nothing of regulations, nanny-state nonsense, and frankly, neighbors that want to control your lives from minute to minute. But even states with lower taxes and house prices are still full of thugs, nannies, and Mrs. Grundies that want to take away your money and your liberty.
Speaking of Mrs. Grundies, or at least people who what to take your money and freedom, with Christie now formally running, the GOP has fourteen “significant” candidates. According to Personal Liberty, this huge 2016 field means there is no GOP front-runner. “The Republican Party lacks a clear leader in the 2016 field — or anyone, for that matter, who can plausibly claim a meaningful advantage — producing what is arguably the most wide-open Republican race in more than 50 years. Well, it is certainly NOT the seven dwarfs by any means. None of these people, not even Carson nor Paul, have the moral fiber of any of Snow White’s guys.”
As expected, HSLDA reports that hippie-governor Brown of California signed the “no religious exemption” for mandatory vaccinations for California public school children. The new law takes effect in the 2016-17 school year. PLENTY of time for parents to get their children OUT of the corrupt and corrupting school system. There are plenty of reasons to condemn this, but it may hasten the collapse of the People’s republic’s school system.
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The Price of Liberty 
Libertarian Commentary on the News, 30 June 2015, #15-26B: Nazgul term at an end
By Nathan Barton
The official Nazgul term is over for the year, and here are a few more items:
Richard Winger at Ballot Access discusses Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) proposal to have retention elections for the nine Nazgul every eight years, a national election which would require a constitutional amendment. He realizes, I’m sure, that it would be virtually impossible to do this, but figures to make a point with the majority of Americans who are angry with SCOTUS. Richard makes some good points. “This is a revolutionary idea. The United States has never held a national election. All elections in U.S. history have always been statewide, or lesser geographical units, never national. In presidential elections, each state’s voters choose presidential electors for that state; there is no single election for President in a technical sense. The United States has never had a national referendum…”
Ballot Access News also discusses another Nazgul action. U.S. Supreme Court Won’t Hear Appeal by Kansas and Arizona Over Voter Registration Forms. Richard Winger reports, “On June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Kobach v U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 14-3062. The case had been filed by the states of Kansas and Arizona over the federal voter registration forms. Kansas and Arizona wanted to alter the federal forms (that were to be used in those two states) to require applicants to attach proof of citizenship. The Tenth Circuit on November 7, 2014, had ruled that the federal agency responsible for the forms had already held exhaustive fact-finding hearings and had determined that there is no need to amend the forms.”
To my way of thinking, this invalidates all claims of the Nazgul to support the power of states and the federal system. The fedgov is the central government, no less than the regime in Paris is of France, and far more than either Berlin or Bern are a “central” government of either Germany or Switzerland.
What makes sense? In one of its last rulings of the current term, the US Supreme Court upholds independent redistricting panels. They settled the electoral landscape in Arizona and California, upholding the use of voter-established independent panels to draw legislative district lines, after initiatives took the power away from the legislatures. I’ve heard a lot of very mixed comment about this. Yes, it “reduces” the power of the state government, but increases the power of the people of those states (who will, of course, continue to use it foolishly). Several did point out that, from a constitutional viewpoint, this is certainly NOT what the Founding Fathers would have envisioned, but I see it as strengthening the “republican” nature of the Fifty States. Richard Winger has some excellent points. On June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that state legislatures are not the only state government entities that can write or revise election laws that affect congressional elections. The decision is by Justice Ginsburg and is 5-4. The case is Arizona State Legislature v Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, 13-1314. The decision preserves the ability of ballot access activists to qualify initiatives for the ballot that improve ballot access restrictions. States with the initiative process for state laws and/or state constitutional changes are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, and Nevada.
On to others:
I guess the epidemic of cop-killers is not just in the US. Even while the Brazilian president is making nice in DC (after two years of snit because – shock – the US was spying on her), in Brazil, a Cop Shoots Two Unarmed Teenagers, who had Just Crashed, at Point Blank Range, On LIVE TV. The Free Thought Project reports, “Brazil is one of the only countries on the planet with a more serious police brutality problem than the United States. According to a recent study from the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety, police in Brazil have killed over 11,000 people between the years of 2009 and 2013. These numbers average out to roughly six killings per day, which is more than double the rate that is seen in the United States. In one of the most recent and high-profile cases of police brutality, a police officer shot two teenage theft suspects in front of a television news crew…”
Also according to The Free Thought Project the city of Anniston, Alabama has placed two police officers on administrative leave over allegations that they belong to a hate group, the League of the South. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a left-wing legal advocacy organization, posted an article on its Hatewatch blog that alleges Lt. Josh Doggrell and Lt. Wayne Brown have ties to the League of the South (LOS), an organization that the SPLC has deemed as “neo-Confederate.” The allegations are being investigated by the City of Anniston. The SPLC website explains that neo-Confederacy is “strongly nativist and advocating measures to end immigration.” It goes on to say “neo-Confederacy groups are hate groups, racist, and anti-government. Now, I’m familiar somewhat with the LotS and have seen their website and literature, and if they are “racist” and “anti-government” then so are a lot of other people like Bill Cosby and Clarence Thomas and Walter Williams. They clearly explain their love for the South and its heritage, and admit to being mostly Celtic (by culture, not race), but they are not another version of the KKK or anything close. Yes, they are anti-ILLEGAL immigration (against border jumpers) but again seem to be clearly in support of legal immigrants who are willing to acclimate themselves culturally. Of course, to the SPLC and most local governments, this is more than enough reason to smear them. Sadly, the “Free Thought Project” seems more than willing to go along with the bigots and haters at SPLC.
Are you afraid? Homeland Security officials express fear over Fourth of July terror attack according to Personal Liberty.com. Following terror attacks in France, Kuwait and Tunisia Friday, top U.S. Homeland Security officials are warning that Americans could face terrorist activity during this weekend’s Independence Day celebrations. Seems to me like the fear is that Americans might realize what a crock of garbage this is. How many warnings have we had that were totally bogus, and how many warnings did we have of real attacks, like the Boston Marathon? As usual, DHS wants to get people into a state of fear, and more and more the fear is supposed to be of “homegrown” terrorists: not Islamists but people opposed to homosexual “marriage” or wanting government to spend only what it gets (steals) in taxes, or who denigrate the current squatters in DC.
Is this a surprise? American City and County, a very pro-government magazine for government employees at the city and county level, is reporting that millions of Americans are moving to Florida, Nevada, and Arizona to flee rising tax and housing costs elsewhere. KOA in Denver was proud of the fact that house values rose 10%+ in the last quarter, making it the most expensive of the 20 largest metropolitan areas, and the hardest for people to be able to afford to buy homes. Go figure. There are many counties in other states, on a local level, where people are moving to escape high taxes and expensive houses in urban and suburban areas. And states like Illinois, New York, Virginia, and California are losing people to these less tax-crazy states, to say nothing of regulations, nanny-state nonsense, and frankly, neighbors that want to control your lives from minute to minute. But even states with lower taxes and house prices are still full of thugs, nannies, and Mrs. Grundies that want to take away your money and your liberty.
Speaking of Mrs. Grundies, or at least people who what to take your money and freedom, with Christie now formally running, the GOP has fourteen “significant” candidates. According to Personal Liberty, this huge 2016 field means there is no GOP front-runner. “The Republican Party lacks a clear leader in the 2016 field — or anyone, for that matter, who can plausibly claim a meaningful advantage — producing what is arguably the most wide-open Republican race in more than 50 years. Well, it is certainly NOT the seven dwarfs by any means. None of these people, not even Carson nor Paul, have the moral fiber of any of Snow White’s guys.”
As expected, HSLDA reports that hippie-governor Brown of California signed the “no religious exemption” for mandatory vaccinations for California public school children. The new law takes effect in the 2016-17 school year. PLENTY of time for parents to get their children OUT of the corrupt and corrupting school system. There are plenty of reasons to condemn this, but it may hasten the collapse of the People’s republic’s school system.
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About TPOL Nathan
Follower of Christ Jesus (a christian), Pahasapan (resident of the Black Hills), Westerner, Lover of Liberty, Free-Market Anarchist, Engineer, Army Officer, Husband, Father, Historian, Writer, Evangelist. Successor to Lady Susan (Mama Liberty) at TPOL.