Bombastic Pomposity

We all know and accept that Dan Rodricks cannot put a logical argument together if he saved his life. But please read his column on gun violence today and try to make some sense of his idiotic conclusions regarding how gun control impacts law abiding citizens.

"REALITY killed the gun control debate," Volensky, the e-mailer from Alabama, went on. "People are finally realizing how foolish 'gun control' is and that they have a RIGHT if not a duty to take responsibility for their own safety. They are finally realizing that criminals are criminals and are not going to obey the laws that hack politicians put in place to appease people such as yourself. They are finally realizing that the only people affected by gun control laws are the law abiding."

There's some truth to that, Bruce.

I'm sure the 13 people who were shot to death at the immigration center in Binghamton were law-abiding, maybe even perfectly peaceful, people. I'm sure the children of Christopher Wood, the Middletown dad who apparently shot them before killing himself, respected the laws, as much as they even had an awareness of them.

Indeed, law-abiding people are profoundly affected by our gun-control laws - the lack of them.

So to recap Rodricks point, the lack of gun control laws are responsibile for senseless killings. The lack of gun control laws, not law-breaking murderers, are responsible for their deaths. And that additional gun control laws would have stopped the Binghamton shootings, shootings that took place in a state with some of the most draconian gun control laws already on the books.

It's not that Rodricks support for gun control offends me so much as his complete lack of logic and a basic understanding of human reasoning. Clearly, in Rodricks elementary view, America needs more of whatever is not working. But taking what isn't working and doing more of it, it will solve the problem.

Riiiiiight.

Then, let's move on to this nugget:

We can keep arguing about this - that it's people, not guns, that cause all the violence. But guns make it easier for disturbed people to kill their spouses or children. Guns are behind most of the gang terror in America, and guns make the mass killings possible.

The following items also make it easier for disturbed people to kill their spouses or children

• Cars
• Knives
• Rope
• Chains
• Cords for Window Blinds
• Icepicks
• Hammers
• Screwdrivers
• Gasoline
• Box Cutters

This would probably be a good time to also point out that the largest mass murders in American history took place because terrorists used boxcutters to hijack planes. The second largest required a nut job who bought fertilizer and rented a truck. Good times Should we have draconian, unconstitutional on all of those items. Of course not, because that would be idiotic. Just like Rodricks suggestion about guns.

Maybe this would be a good time for Rodricks to actually read something other than the Journolist talking points.....such as yesterday's decision on the right to bear arms from the Ninth Circuit!(!) upholding gun ownership as an individual right, and maybe that will educate him a bit as to why we aren't trying to hinder the basic constitutional rights of Americans.

Hell Freezes Over

I read the Baltimore Sun this morning and actually agreed with (most of) a column by Tom Schaller.

The truth about speed cameras is that they are designed to generate revenue. If a driver can admit the violation and pay the fine with no points on his or her license, there's clearly no intent to sort out bad drivers from good ones. Although Maryland will use them only near construction sites and schools, one senses a camel's nose poking inside the tent.

Frankly, what's really happening here is an attempt to tax people who are unfamiliar with the location of the cameras, instead of just raising taxes in a more direct way. As I have argued in this space before, modern voters want more spending but insist on never paying higher income or property taxes (a consequence of the anti-tax revolt that began in California in the mid-1960s, was ratcheted up during Ronald Reagan's presidency and grew to new heights of fiscal irresponsibility during George W. Bush's and, yes, Barack Obama's administrations).

Thus, new and creative forms of taxation must be invented: Sin taxes on junk food, users fees on this or that, new lotteries and slots legalization are all an exercise in deluding ourselves into thinking we can somehow mask taxes or foist them on somebody else. I'm wary of proposals to replace the tax code wholesale with a flat income tax or a universal consumption tax. But when the conservatives who support these alternatives complain that the complexities of the tax code are a form of deceit by politicians and self-deceit by voters, they are right.

As for driving while texting (DWT), there is a heavy whiff of political bullying - not to mention political posturing for the coming 2010 state election cycle - in the new law banning the practice. The target of that bullying is younger drivers.

And frankly, I'm as stunned as you that a liberal Democrat would actually talk sensibly about these issue. Schaller is right in hat Democrats find speed cameras, red-light cameras, and things of this ilk to be nothing more than revenue enhancers. Take a look at this case from Montana:

Yellow times may shorten as the city of Billings, Montana rushes to install red light cameras before the state legislature has a chance to ban them. The Billings City Council voted 8-3 Monday to empower Redflex Traffic Systems, a private company based in Melbourne, Australia, to issue automated traffic citations in return for a cut of the revenue collected. Billings needs to act quickly because the state legislature last Thursday entered into final negotiations on legislation that would ban red light cameras.

After the House had passed legislation banning red light cameras without conditions, state Senator John Brueggeman (R-Polson) added a grandfather clause to the bill that would allow Billings, Bozeman and any other city that enters into a contract before the bill is signed to issue photo tickets without limitation. House members voted 58-42 against this loophole and insisted on convening a conference committee with the Senate to negotiate the final language.

In a memorandum to the city council, Billings Police Chief Rich St. John foresees the prospect of increased revenue from shortened yellow warning phases at intersections equipped with red light cameras.

"Changes in the yellow times after red light camera systems are in place and operational will affect the number of photographed violations, increasing the number of violations when yellow times are shortened and reducing the number of violations when yellow times are lengthened," St. John explained in a memo dated April 8.

So yeah, cameras the Big Brother-esque expansion of traffic cameras are little more than ways to extract a few more bucks from you, the taxpayer. This would be a good time to remind you that you can join the effort to petition the Speed Camera bill to the ballot by joining at www.mdscamera.com.

Memo to Judd Legum

All of those people you say allegedly support the President's economic policies.....yeah, where are they again?

As short-term optimism about the economy has grown in recent months, so has the concern that the federal governmentwill do too much in response to the nation’s recent economic challenges.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% of the nation’s Likely Voters now worry that the government will do too much. That’s up from 50% a month ago and 43% in mid-February. It’s the highest level of concern measured since Barack Obama was elected president.

To put this simply so Legum can understand.....more than half the country is worried that the government is going to go too far is trying to manage the economy. Maybe that explains why over 500,000 people across the country attended tea parties last week.

Here is a graph so that maybe Legum cam understand what we are talking about here:

There are other stats there that continued to debunk Judd Leugm's space cadet philosophy on the economy. But you need only too look around to notice that people are vehemently opposed to this President's economic policies. And the more the President and Congress spend, the more likely it is Republicans will succeed in 2010 and 2012.

Genuflection? Yes We Can!

It's not like we didn't already know that CNN is in the bag for Barack Obama. But I think this goes above and beyond the pale of expectations:

CNN is marking President Barack Obama's 100th day in office with prime-time coverage that will recall election night last year. John King is even bringing back the "magic wall."

The network says it will compile a national report card of Obama's performance, using opinion polls and a series of viewer surveys.

The big night is a week from Wednesday, pre-empting regular programming.

Most of the commentators and CNN regulars who appeared during primary nights and the general election will be there. King's giant touch screen will be adapted to track where stimulus money is going.

Seriously? His 100th day in office necessitates live team coverage, program preemption, and a cast of thousands?

If one were cynical, one might argue that CNN is trying to curry favor with a President who is losing popularity faster than you can shake a stick at, while continuing to squander away the economy and our tax dollars despite the protests of millions. But only if one were cynical......

In case you hadn't heard.....

......there is a new effort to bring the speed camera bill to referendum during the 2010 General Election.

Learn more about how you can help at: http://www.mdscamera.com.

The Brian Griffiths Minute: 04-16-2009

Thanks for playing along

Republicans, conservatives, and sane people in the state of Maryland have been saying for some time now that fiscal policy during the the 2009 Legislative Session has been nothing like the common sense fiscal changes our state truly needs. We have been saying for some time (even going back to the 2007 Special Session) that O'Malleynomics was no way to run a state, and that the Democrats tactic of gaming the system now to forestall actual fiscal decisions until later was no way to solve the budget crisis.

Nice to know that the Baltimore Sun and the rest of the state have caught up:

But all that effort still won't put the state on solid, long-term financial footing.

Even with the influx of federal stimulus money, the General Assembly will reconvene in nine months facing a budget gap that analysts expect will reach more than $1 billion.

That's right. The Democrats mismanagement of the budget situation this year has already sunk us $1 billion into the red for next year. And if there is any solace in the fact that the Democrats can't lead their way out of a paper bag on economic issues, it's this following fact:

And, some would argue, it might be the worst possible time for Gov. Martin O'Malley and lawmakers to make unpopular cuts that could include layoffs or curtailing services.

After all, it will be an election year. The governor is expected to seek a second term, and all 188 General Assembly seats will be on the ballot.

"Next year is going to be enormously challenging, and that's an understatement," said Warren G. Deschenaux, the legislature's chief fiscal analyst, who has pointed out to lawmakers that the next budget they craft will take effect four months before they face re-election.

That's right. The Democrats are going to have to eat their long-standing, long-developed budget disaster at precisely the time they hope the voters are not going to notice.

Now, the last time we had an incumbent running for Governor was in 1998. In that year, the state increased social spending and passed a significant tax cut in order to head off at the pass any momentum that Ellen Sauerbrey might have had going into her rematch against Parris Glendening. It seems like it will be impossible for the Democrats to do either next year given the deficit that O'Malley and legislative leadership has already dug for themselves.

Just wait until 275 days from today, when the General Assembly reconvenes in Annapolis (unless Governor O'Malley reconvenes them in Special Session for some cockamamie reason). And the Democrats, who have already ruled out both spending cuts and tax cuts, are going to have to try and figure out how to get out of the ocean of red ink they made for themselves. And we all know who is going to wind up paying in the end; the taxpayers.

Is is any wonder that tax prostests are popping up all over the country, particularly here in Maryland? Maryland Democrats have proven time and time again that they are incompetent stewards of our taxpayer dollars, and incapable of learning the basic economic lessons that the majority of Marylanders have known for years; that you can't spend your way out of debt.

And I think that come next November, the middle and working class families of Maryland who Democrats are continually screwing over are going to say "enough is enough"......

Denial

Our good friend Judd Legum is in complete denial about the anti-tax movement sweeping the country. Legum, who takes offense to the fact that somebody carried this sign around a tea party protest elsewhere, has this smart-ass comment:

Those involved with organizing the protests appear to be a distinct minority.

Mind you:

• There have been hundreds of tea parties around the nation with participation ranging in the thousands.
• Pro-Obama protests draw fewer people than a high school history class.

The fact of the matter is that Legum and the rest of the extreme left in this country do not understand the problems the Tea Party crowd has with them. Namely the fact that we alreay pay too much in taxes and that irresponsible spending that puts our nation further and further in debt is not supported by the preponderance of Americans.

If Legum wants to come out and support higher taxes, more staist government, and the continued dimunition of economic and personal liberty, he can own it all he wants. But Legum is in a considerably large state of denial if he thinks he is anything but far, far, FAR outside the modern American mainstream. Then again, that shouldn't be a surprise, given the low opinion that a lot of Democrats I have spoken with have for Legum....

I dare Legum to have a counter, anti-Tea Party protest on Wednesday. See how many people show up for that one, skippy.

Do as I say, not as I do

The "Progressive" blogosphere is all a flutter about the fact that ThinkProgress founder and former Hillary Clinton research director Judd Legum is running for the House of Delegates in Maryland, targeting conservative Republican incumbent Delegate Ron George. This of course has the folks at Kos, MyDD, HuffPo and other places tripping all of themselves proclaiming Legum as the next big thing and the "first national blogger to run for office" (never mind the fact that RedState's own Erick Erickson ran for and was elected to the Macon City Council two years ago).

Like most activists on the fringe left, Judd Legum is a big believer in campaign finance reform and public financing of campaigns. This of course would require a whole new bureaucracy and funding source just to fund campaings out of the public trough here in Maryland. It would also require campaigns to follow to a T a whole slew of new filing and campaign finance requirements in order to comply with the public funding plan the Legum and his ilk want to see.

Which brings me back to Legum and his current campaign. Legum has already raised a decent sum from his campaign via ActBlue. But you see, in Maryland you are required to a do a few things before you can start organizing a political campaign and raising money. This includes filing a statement of organization and opening a dedicated bank account for campaign activities. However Maryland's online database of campaign finance entities does not contain any information about Legum filing the appropriate paperwork that would allow him to legally raise campaign contributions.

This is not the only issue that Legum has when it comes to campaign finance issues. Maryland law also requires that each item of campaign material must contain an authority line on it indicating who produced it. That authority line must contain the name or address of the individual producing the material unless an appropriate entity is on file with the State Board of Elections. Legum's website, on which he is soliciting donations for his campaign for the House of Delegates, contains no such authority line.

Both of these violations are pretty serious. Even the seemingly minor issue of an authority line is punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, up to one year in jail, and a prohibition from seeking public office for four years.

At issue of course is the holier than thou nature of progressives like Judd Legum. Legum and folks like him want to continue to regulate our campaigns, regulate our lives even, to the highest extent possible. And when the continual burden of over-regulation continues, everybody at some point seems to find themselves in violation of a law one way or another. Legum will probably cry foul and explain that these issues are merely "oversights" on his part, however the issues that we have here are very serious indeed.

Legum's problem is the same as the of many a progressive: do as I say, not as a I do. His seeming failure to follow even the most basic of Maryland campaign finance laws goes a long way towards proving that many on the fringe left believe in holding politicians to the fullest extent of the law only until the point in which it inconveniences them.....

Fool me once, shame on you....

....but apparently, you can get fooled again:

Gov. Martin O'Malley plans to introduce emergency legislation Wednesday that would give the state authority to acquire Maryland's bankrupt horse racing tracks and the Preakness through eminent domain, officials confirmed.

However, legal experts say the bankruptcy filing by the tracks' owner could prevent the state from exercising that power.

Debate on the bill, which has the backing of the General Assembly's presiding officers, could begin as soon as Thursday afternoon in a joint hearing of Senate and House of Delegates lawmakers.

The last-minute legislation was prompted in part, O'Malley aides said, by reports last week that a Pikesville developer was interested in razing Pimlico Race Course -- where the Preakness has been run since 1909 - and turning the Northwest Baltimore property into a shopping center.

Of course, does anybody remember how this turned out the last time that the State of Maryland tried to seize a sports property through eminent domain? Mark Newgent mentioned it last summer, and it didn't quite work and looked kinda like this:

The dramatic move enraged citizens and officials of Baltimore, and the state of Maryland. Irsay's son Jim said moving the team was a difficult decision, and one his father had hoped not to have to make. The final straw, necessitating the dramatic move, was action by the Maryland legislature to use eminent domain laws to force the franchise to remain in Maryland.

So, thanks for that.

Now, as the article notes this is probably not going to get too far due to the bankruptcy proceedings. But this brings a whole slew of questions into the mix:

1. Why is this emergency legislation? How can this even remotely pass constituional muster?
2. Why is this a priority?
3. If the state has the right of first refusal to buy the property, why are we trying exactly to seize it?
4. Even if we did buy it, how can the state afford it as we are (as usual) in an O'Malley-induced budget crunch?

I get the fact that the Preakness is important to Maryland, but in the grand scheme of things it is not so important that we need to seize it and operate it as a state entity. The fact that O'Malley and Legislative Democrats didn't learn from our first foray into these type of shenanigans proves that once again O'Malley and company are looking at the short term instead of the long-term picture. Because if I owned a business in Maryland, I'd be a little concerned that they would come after my business and my property next. This is a great way though to reaffirm Maryland's longstanding anti-business climate, though...

At the end of the day O'Malley and Company are (again) treading where they don't belong, and once again the taxpayers of Maryland are going to get to foot the bill for their inability to learn from the past...

At it Again

Well, Judd Legum is at it again, and he's getting this lying thing down pretty pat, because he got caught in another bold-faced lie. Legum apparently is running for the House of Delegates here in Anne Arundel County in District 30 (as if the district couldn't be any more poorly represented by Speaker Busch and by Delegate Virginia Clagett, but alas) and he is targeting incumbent Republican Delegate Ron George.

Legum of course thinks of himself to be quite the hotshot, so he told the blog The Plum Line this litte doozy:

Still, Legum is better known for his work at Think Progress, and this campaign could be a historic first in a sense. Legum tells us he’s pretty certain that he’s the first national blogger to attempt a campaign for elected office, and as best as I can determine, he’s right.

Which of course is patently ridiculous when you consider the fact that RedState Chairman Erick Erickson was elected to the City Council of Macon, Georgia two years ago (though really blogger Greg Sargent is at just at big of fault for doing no fact checking whatsoever).

I get that Judd Legum seems to think a lot of himself (and why not, I guess that when you get bought off by George Soros you can just make it all up on the fly) but rarely has a candidate for the House of Delegates jettisoned their credibility so quickly.

Then again, he is now appearing on the website Crooks and Liars, so maybe he has finally discovered truth in advertising....

2009 Baseball Predicitions

With the season starting today, I'd figure I should make my picks now:

AL East: Tampa Bay, Boston, New York, Baltimore, Toronto
AL Central: Cleveland, Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City
AL West: Los Angeles, Oakland, Texas, Seattle

NL East: Philadelphia, New York, Atlanta, Florida, Washington
NL Central: Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Houston, Pittsburgh
NL West: Los Angeles, Arizona, Colorado, San Francisco, San Diego

AL Champion: Tampa Bay
NL Champion: Los Angeles

World Champion: Tampa Bay

Go Farther

The Sun seems to be all a flutter regarding emergency legislation in the General Assembly that will make it easier to collect signatures when petitioning legislation to referendum. This is a good idea, and is a reasonable change to that already existing strict standards that were held up in court. This is a good thing for conservatives given the number of times we have to try and launch a reasonable challenge to stupid legislation.

I just wish the General Assembly would go further. If the General Assembly were truly committed to citizen participation and truly committed to civic involvement, the General Assembly would allow direct initiatives, the citizenry to directly petition legislation to ballot. This would, of course, allow Maryland's citizens to have a greater voice in its government, and serve as an effective balance to the Governor and the General Assembly down in Annapolis.

Of course, the overlords of the Democratic Party really want nothing to do with that. They would like to retain immediate and total control over the mechanisms of government in Maryland, and continue to routinely ignore the will of the public to do whatever their special interest friends ask them to do. And the Democrats would never support a direct initiative process because they also know that, given their history of mismanagement of our state's resources, that a tax revolt would follow.

The common-sense reduction of petition restrictions is a good first step. Now, give Marylanders the right of direct initiative that so many other Americans have....