The Tenth Amendment ensures that liberty belongs to the people and when government oversteps the Constitution and limits our liberty, the states and “We The People” have the right to take action.
Fox News poll: Voters want Uncle Sam to "Leave me alone"
August 23, 2012
A Fox News poll asks which of two messages voters would send to the federal government. A 54-percent majority would tell Uncle Sam to “leave me alone,” while 35 percent would ask Washington to “lend me a hand.”
That’s just one of the findings from the poll, released Thursday, that asks likely voters about the role of government, the Democratic and Republican tickets and the future of the nation.
Democrats (59 percent) are nearly four times as likely as Republicans (15 percent) to say they would tell the government to “lend me a hand.”
Likewise, Republicans (80 percent) are about three times as likely as Democrats (27 percent) to say “leave me alone.”
Among independents, the message would be “leave me alone” for more than twice as many as it would be “lend me a hand” (63 percent and 25 percent respectively).
Meanwhile, the poll asks voters whether or not some of the criticisms being said about the presidential and vice presidential candidates are fair.
A 53-percent majority thinks it’s fair to say President Barack Obama wants to “change the country in a way that makes people more dependent on government.” Some 44 percent think that’s an unfair description of him.
Views are more evenly divided on whether Republican challenger Mitt Romney wants to “change the country in ways that will make the rich even richer but will not help everyone else.” Some 47 percent say it’s fair to say that, while 49 percent say that’s unfair.
By a 14-percentage point margin, more voters (51 percent) think it’s unfair to say Romney’s running mate Paul Ryan has “extreme views and doesn’t care if he hurts seniors with his budget cuts” than think it’s fair to say that about him (37 percent).
And by an 11-percentage point margin, voters (52-percent) think it’s unfair to say the number of embarrassing gaffes Vice President Joe Biden’s made shows he’s not smart enough to be president. Forty-one percent say that’s fair.
Finally, with less than 80 days until an election offering two different visions for the country, the poll shows 57 percent of likely voters believe the country is on the decline as a civilization. In contrast, 31 percent think the United States is on the rise.
A large 82-percent majority of Republicans and a sizable 67-percent majority of independents think the country is on the decline. Democrats tend to hold the opposite view, with a 56-percent majority saying the U.S. is on the rise.
A majority of voters backing Obama in the race for the White House believe the country is improving (57 percent), while most of those backing Romney say the opposite (85 percent).
Among the small group of undecided voters who have yet to pick a candidate, 18 percent think the country is on the rise and 60 percent say it’s on the decline.
There are reasons that Voters want Uncle Sam to "Leave me alone."
Man Arrested And Jailed For Collecting Rainwater On His Own Property
August 16, 2012
In Eagle Point, Oregon, a man has begun serving a 30-day jail sentence after he built three ponds (reservoirs) on his property to collect rainwater.
That's right! This was an apparent violation of a State of Oregon law that says "All Water Is Publicly Owned."
And yes, as completely insane as it sounds, that apparently includes any falling from the sky - in Oregon!
Gary Harrington has collected nearly 13 million gallons of water in his ponds. That's enough rainwater to fill 20 Olympic-size swimming pools. Yes, that's a lot of rain.
But Gary ran into problems when two weeks ago, he was found guilty of breaking an Oregon State Law from 1925 against private water collection. Because of that law, he was sentenced to 30 days in jail and issued a $1,500 fine.
Oregon's Water Resources Department said that though it is legal to set up rainwater collection barrels on roofs or other artificial surfaces, Harrington's reservoirs go way beyond that and required permits.
"Mr. Harrington has operated these three reservoirs (ponds) in flagrant violation of Oregon law for more than a decade," the department's deputy director, Tom Paul, told the Medford Mail Tribune.
The state initially approved permits for Harrington's reservoirs in 2003, but reversed its decision.
"They issued me my permits. I had my permits in hand and they retracted them just arbitrarily, basically," said Gary Harrington. "They took them back and said, 'No, you can't have them.' So I've been fighting it ever since."
Harrington has been ordered to drain his three reservoirs, something that he vows to continue fighting. He said that he is only using the rainwater for personal use and fire suppression and that the state is infringing on his rights.
"The government is bullying," he told CNSNews.com. "They've just gotten to be big bullies and if you just lay over and die and give up, that just makes them bigger bullies."
Harrington has set up a website, www.empoweringthejury.org, to appeal to the public for support.
The site includes videos defending his reservoirs and a petition that asks for signatures and donations. But that doesn't sway state officials.
"What we're after is compliance with Oregon water law, regardless of what the public thinks of Mr. Harrington," Paul told the Mail Tribune.
It rains a lot in Oregon. I'd be shocked to find out that people who have a little property didn't build their own ponds to catch some of the rainwater. I know people who live in rural areas who catch rainwater for all sorts of uses - and yes, including vital resource for fire suppression.
Just because it's a law don't make it right. It is a fact that there are many dumb laws in Oregon and elsewhere.
Some dumb Oregon State Laws include: Dishes must drip dry; The “Peer Review Statute” prohibits you from finding out details of any written or oral discussion about your medical treatment; It is illegal to whisper “dirty” things in your lover’s ear during sex; Ice cream may not be eaten on Sundays; It is illegal to buy or sell marijuana, but it is legal to smoke it on your own property; One may not bathe without wearing “suitable clothing;" Canned corn is not to be used as bait for fishing. All are indeed Oregon State Laws.
Gary Harrington being arrested for building ponds on his own property is a perfect example of government, in this case a State Government, gone nuts! To jail a man for putting in reservoirs to fight fires shows that Oregon is a state run by idiots and the incompetent - crazy with power.
Supreme Court Unanimously Rebukes EPA Overreach
March, 2012
"Any piece of land that is wet at least part of the year is in danger of being classified by EPA employees as wetlands… if property owners begin to construct a home on a lot that the agency thinks possesses the requisite wetness, the property owners are at the agency’s mercy… If the owners do not do the EPA’s bidding, they may be fined up to $75,000 per day…
Until the EPA sues them, they are blocked from access to the courts, and the EPA may wait as long as it wants before deciding to sue. By that time, the potential fines may easily have reached the millions. In a nation that values due process, not to mention private property, such treatment is unthinkable."
These are the words of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito rebuking the Environmental Protection Agency for an excessive attack on American citizens.
Federal court strikes down EPA overreach on air pollution rules
August 21, 2012
The Environmental Protection Agency suffered a major defeat in federal court on Tuesday, as its Cross State Air Pollution Rule was struck down.
These EPA regulations were going to cost the American energy industry, not "green energy," $2.7 billion to deliver.
The appellate court's words in its ruling, as quoted by the Washington Examiner, are clear:
"EPA seems reluctant to acknowledge any textual limits on its authority under the good neighbor provision. At oral argument, EPA suggested that ‘reasonableness’ is the only limit on its authority to use cost-effectiveness to force down States’ emissions. EPA would not rule out the possibility that under the good neighbor provision, it could require a State to reduce more than the State’s total emissions that go out of State. But such a claim of authority does not square with the statutory text – ‘amounts’ of pollution obviously cannot ‘contribute’ to a downwind State’s pollution problem if they don’t even reach the downwind State.”
The EPA has twisted the clear meaning of the statute to overstep its authority, only to receive a stinging rebuke from the U.S. Court of Appeals.
The court also cited the EPA for failing to allow state governments "the initial opportunity to implement the required reductions with respect to sources within their borders.”
The EPA is the biggest government bully in the country these days. From mandating rediculous regulations on farmers, ranchers, and energy companies, they are also responsible for stifling economic growth in financially hard hit areas of the country by refusing or stonewalling permits for companies wanting build businesses and factories that would have employeed thousands.
Oregon Couple Faces Huge Fine For Putting In Swimming PoolFox News poll: Voters want Uncle Sam to "Leave me alone"
August 23, 2012
A Fox News poll asks which of two messages voters would send to the federal government. A 54-percent majority would tell Uncle Sam to “leave me alone,” while 35 percent would ask Washington to “lend me a hand.”
That’s just one of the findings from the poll, released Thursday, that asks likely voters about the role of government, the Democratic and Republican tickets and the future of the nation.
Democrats (59 percent) are nearly four times as likely as Republicans (15 percent) to say they would tell the government to “lend me a hand.”
Likewise, Republicans (80 percent) are about three times as likely as Democrats (27 percent) to say “leave me alone.”
Among independents, the message would be “leave me alone” for more than twice as many as it would be “lend me a hand” (63 percent and 25 percent respectively).
Meanwhile, the poll asks voters whether or not some of the criticisms being said about the presidential and vice presidential candidates are fair.
A 53-percent majority thinks it’s fair to say President Barack Obama wants to “change the country in a way that makes people more dependent on government.” Some 44 percent think that’s an unfair description of him.
Views are more evenly divided on whether Republican challenger Mitt Romney wants to “change the country in ways that will make the rich even richer but will not help everyone else.” Some 47 percent say it’s fair to say that, while 49 percent say that’s unfair.
By a 14-percentage point margin, more voters (51 percent) think it’s unfair to say Romney’s running mate Paul Ryan has “extreme views and doesn’t care if he hurts seniors with his budget cuts” than think it’s fair to say that about him (37 percent).
And by an 11-percentage point margin, voters (52-percent) think it’s unfair to say the number of embarrassing gaffes Vice President Joe Biden’s made shows he’s not smart enough to be president. Forty-one percent say that’s fair.
Finally, with less than 80 days until an election offering two different visions for the country, the poll shows 57 percent of likely voters believe the country is on the decline as a civilization. In contrast, 31 percent think the United States is on the rise.
A large 82-percent majority of Republicans and a sizable 67-percent majority of independents think the country is on the decline. Democrats tend to hold the opposite view, with a 56-percent majority saying the U.S. is on the rise.
A majority of voters backing Obama in the race for the White House believe the country is improving (57 percent), while most of those backing Romney say the opposite (85 percent).
Among the small group of undecided voters who have yet to pick a candidate, 18 percent think the country is on the rise and 60 percent say it’s on the decline.
There are reasons that Voters want Uncle Sam to "Leave me alone."
Man Arrested And Jailed For Collecting Rainwater On His Own Property
August 16, 2012
In Eagle Point, Oregon, a man has begun serving a 30-day jail sentence after he built three ponds (reservoirs) on his property to collect rainwater.
That's right! This was an apparent violation of a State of Oregon law that says "All Water Is Publicly Owned."
And yes, as completely insane as it sounds, that apparently includes any falling from the sky - in Oregon!
But Gary ran into problems when two weeks ago, he was found guilty of breaking an Oregon State Law from 1925 against private water collection. Because of that law, he was sentenced to 30 days in jail and issued a $1,500 fine.
Oregon's Water Resources Department said that though it is legal to set up rainwater collection barrels on roofs or other artificial surfaces, Harrington's reservoirs go way beyond that and required permits.
"Mr. Harrington has operated these three reservoirs (ponds) in flagrant violation of Oregon law for more than a decade," the department's deputy director, Tom Paul, told the Medford Mail Tribune.
The state initially approved permits for Harrington's reservoirs in 2003, but reversed its decision.
"They issued me my permits. I had my permits in hand and they retracted them just arbitrarily, basically," said Gary Harrington. "They took them back and said, 'No, you can't have them.' So I've been fighting it ever since."
Harrington has been ordered to drain his three reservoirs, something that he vows to continue fighting. He said that he is only using the rainwater for personal use and fire suppression and that the state is infringing on his rights.
"The government is bullying," he told CNSNews.com. "They've just gotten to be big bullies and if you just lay over and die and give up, that just makes them bigger bullies."
Harrington has set up a website, www.empoweringthejury.org, to appeal to the public for support.
The site includes videos defending his reservoirs and a petition that asks for signatures and donations. But that doesn't sway state officials.
"What we're after is compliance with Oregon water law, regardless of what the public thinks of Mr. Harrington," Paul told the Mail Tribune.
It rains a lot in Oregon. I'd be shocked to find out that people who have a little property didn't build their own ponds to catch some of the rainwater. I know people who live in rural areas who catch rainwater for all sorts of uses - and yes, including vital resource for fire suppression.
Just because it's a law don't make it right. It is a fact that there are many dumb laws in Oregon and elsewhere.
Some dumb Oregon State Laws include: Dishes must drip dry; The “Peer Review Statute” prohibits you from finding out details of any written or oral discussion about your medical treatment; It is illegal to whisper “dirty” things in your lover’s ear during sex; Ice cream may not be eaten on Sundays; It is illegal to buy or sell marijuana, but it is legal to smoke it on your own property; One may not bathe without wearing “suitable clothing;" Canned corn is not to be used as bait for fishing. All are indeed Oregon State Laws.
Gary Harrington being arrested for building ponds on his own property is a perfect example of government, in this case a State Government, gone nuts! To jail a man for putting in reservoirs to fight fires shows that Oregon is a state run by idiots and the incompetent - crazy with power.
Supreme Court Unanimously Rebukes EPA Overreach
March, 2012
"Any piece of land that is wet at least part of the year is in danger of being classified by EPA employees as wetlands… if property owners begin to construct a home on a lot that the agency thinks possesses the requisite wetness, the property owners are at the agency’s mercy… If the owners do not do the EPA’s bidding, they may be fined up to $75,000 per day…
Until the EPA sues them, they are blocked from access to the courts, and the EPA may wait as long as it wants before deciding to sue. By that time, the potential fines may easily have reached the millions. In a nation that values due process, not to mention private property, such treatment is unthinkable."
These are the words of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito rebuking the Environmental Protection Agency for an excessive attack on American citizens.
Federal court strikes down EPA overreach on air pollution rules
August 21, 2012
The Environmental Protection Agency suffered a major defeat in federal court on Tuesday, as its Cross State Air Pollution Rule was struck down.
These EPA regulations were going to cost the American energy industry, not "green energy," $2.7 billion to deliver.
The appellate court's words in its ruling, as quoted by the Washington Examiner, are clear:
"EPA seems reluctant to acknowledge any textual limits on its authority under the good neighbor provision. At oral argument, EPA suggested that ‘reasonableness’ is the only limit on its authority to use cost-effectiveness to force down States’ emissions. EPA would not rule out the possibility that under the good neighbor provision, it could require a State to reduce more than the State’s total emissions that go out of State. But such a claim of authority does not square with the statutory text – ‘amounts’ of pollution obviously cannot ‘contribute’ to a downwind State’s pollution problem if they don’t even reach the downwind State.”
The EPA has twisted the clear meaning of the statute to overstep its authority, only to receive a stinging rebuke from the U.S. Court of Appeals.
The court also cited the EPA for failing to allow state governments "the initial opportunity to implement the required reductions with respect to sources within their borders.”
The EPA is the biggest government bully in the country these days. From mandating rediculous regulations on farmers, ranchers, and energy companies, they are also responsible for stifling economic growth in financially hard hit areas of the country by refusing or stonewalling permits for companies wanting build businesses and factories that would have employeed thousands.
Jun 11th 2012
More from Oregon!
This time it's about one Oregon couple who are determined to hold onto a pool that they built in protected wetlands faces an upstream battle against their town that could potentially wash away their bankroll.
A couple in West Linn, which several times has been rated one of the top 100 places to live by Money magazine, is staring at a huge fine for building a pool on their property without obtaining a permit, The Oregonian reports.
A fine for not getting a permit? OK, like most of us, I've heard of that. But friends, I've never heard of fines like this or the reasoning behind it.
Troy and Gina Bundy, who were issued citations by the local police department last week, have been ordered to pay a retroactive fine dating back to November 2009, when the pool was built, for every day it remains in the wetlands area, the newspaper says.
The fine is $1,000 a day, according to West Linn's assistant city manager, which means that the Bundys may be required to shell out close to $1 Million for the violation.
The Bundys pleaded not guilty to prohibited use of a water resource - in this case a protected ecological zone along a river - and a court date is set for August, where Troy, who is an attorney, reportedly will represent himself.
"I'm going to fight every last minute, and I'm not going to give up until I'm old and gray," Troy Bundy said. "And if they want to steal my kid's college fund from me, they're going to have to pull it from my cold dead fingers."
Asked if West Linn's community development code seemed a bit harsh, Assistant City Manager Kirsten Wyatt said: "I don't think this is especially stringent, but it does reflect the fact that we value our resources."
"I'd almost wager it's standard across Oregon and across other Northwest communities," she added.
"No person shall be permitted to fill, strip, install pipe, undertake construction, or in any way alter an existing water resource area without first obtaining a permit to do so," reads the town's "Water Resource Area Protection" code.
Bundy doesn't dispute that his pool builders did this, but he does say that city officials previously approved the pool's construction.
He also says that if he removes the pool without a consent agreement with the city or without receiving a court or city order, he may not sue the city for the cost of removing the pool.
To date, West Linn has not officially ordered him to remove the pool or been open to any other consent agreement than one that requires him to pay the city for its legal costs and waive his right to sue it, he says.
Seeing as he has spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $70,000 in attorneys fees and other expenses in an effort to resolve his predicament, he is not about to waive his right to sue for the cost of removing the pool, he says.
"The short story is they've never asked me to remove the pool," Bundy says. "I would have done it a long time ago ... but they never asked, so now they can't come back two and a half years later and say, well, you know, they're just going to fine me.' Fine me until what? I still can't take out the pool without a consent order or a court order."
The Bundys said they began construction after purportedly being told by the town's then-mayor, Patti Galle, to "go ahead and put in your pool" and being assured that they could obtain a permit later.
Government is supposed to work for the people - not be the tyrant that people are frightened of. Yet that's the case in more and more cities across America.
City Orders Woman To Stop Passing Out Free Water In 112-Degree Heat
August 22, 2012
Yes, this beats them all!
In Arizona, the city of Phoenix is facing a possible lawsuit after a woman claimed a city worker told her she could not pass out free water in the Arizona heat without a permit.
Dana Crow-Smith tells ABC 15 she was passing out water bottles in the 112-degree heat along with others in an attempt to share their Christian beliefs with people attending a festival downtown last month, when a city worker ordered them to stop.
She said the worker told the group they would be cited if they continued passing out the water because they did not have a permit.
“It was really hot and yeah we wanted to show God's love and a small act of kindness is a great way to do that without shoving it down someone's throat,” Crow-Smith told ABC 15
Now, a civil liberties organization is threatening to sue the city on Crow-Smith's behalf, saying her First Amendment rights to freely practice her religion were violated.
John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute told ABC 15, "It is a sad day when local government officials prohibit Americans from such charitable acts as giving water to the thirsty in their city."
Sure these are only a few of the most recent examples of government overreach. It seems lately, our government is overstepping its authority more and more frequently. It is apparent that they need to be told who they work for - and who they're offending.
No, it's really no wonder that a majority of Americans are saying, "Leave me alone!"
This November, the message that Washington gets may be loud and clear as Voters want Uncle Sam to, "Leave me alone."
Story by Tom Correa
