17 June 2005
In-lieu ideas for in-lieu fees
The LPFC calls on the City of Fresno to obey the letter of the law, as interpreted by the California Supreme Court, and the spirit of the law by instituting utility rate cuts and returning the revenues of at least one year derived from overcharging utility customers. We applaud the actions of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and the Valley Taxpayers Coalition in suing the city for charging utility customers at a rate higher than necessary to deliver the utility services.
It appears from all indications from Mayor Alan Autry, his appointed staff, and some city councilmembers that not only do they have no intention of rebating overcharges, but they additionally intend to maintain the present rate structure by changing the budget rules to redefine the overcharges to meet legal scrutiny. Former Fresno State athletic director Al Bohl was stewed in very warm water for subverting budget rules to make appearances of a balanced budget, for which he was awarded a salary bonus. In-lieu of returning money to taxpayers and reducing future charges to match actual expenses, the city appears ready to either have the police and fire departments charge the public works department for services rendered (what services are they talking about and do they do that with other departments?) or ask us taxpayers to agree to a(nother) tax increase in a city-wide ballot measure.
The LPFC rejects both of these in-lieu ideas to substitute for in-lieu fees. The in-lieu charge itself is a practice that should be banned. The idea of taxing something that doesn't exist is the most outrageous of taxes. Why not have the city charge an in-lieu bus fee because, after all, there is no private bus system to tax? Or an in-lieu stadium fee to counteract the lack of private professional sports venues? Should we have a senior golfer's in-lieu fee to make up for the revenue from the alleged lack of cheap private facilities for senior golfers, the apparent justification for run-down, city-owned Palm Lakes golf course?
The local elected (and pundit-ocratic) Republicans were very vocal (correctly) about ending the Democratic-imposed car tax last year and about granting the citizenry a rebate. Why are they not being equally irate about ending these equally illegal and unwise in-lieu fees and granting the citizens of Fresno a rebate? Is it because the mayor is not a Democrat?
In-lieu of in-lieu fees, the city should charge for what it delivers, nothing more. In-lieu of increasing our taxes, the city should look to cut services that don't involve the legitimate role of the City of Fresno -- the equitable enforcement of each Fresnan's right to sole dominion over his/her person and property. In-lieu of budgetary trickery, the city should be straight forward about its fiscal practices.
Otherwise, Fresnans should actively prepare some in-lieu choices in its elected officials.
It appears from all indications from Mayor Alan Autry, his appointed staff, and some city councilmembers that not only do they have no intention of rebating overcharges, but they additionally intend to maintain the present rate structure by changing the budget rules to redefine the overcharges to meet legal scrutiny. Former Fresno State athletic director Al Bohl was stewed in very warm water for subverting budget rules to make appearances of a balanced budget, for which he was awarded a salary bonus. In-lieu of returning money to taxpayers and reducing future charges to match actual expenses, the city appears ready to either have the police and fire departments charge the public works department for services rendered (what services are they talking about and do they do that with other departments?) or ask us taxpayers to agree to a(nother) tax increase in a city-wide ballot measure.
The LPFC rejects both of these in-lieu ideas to substitute for in-lieu fees. The in-lieu charge itself is a practice that should be banned. The idea of taxing something that doesn't exist is the most outrageous of taxes. Why not have the city charge an in-lieu bus fee because, after all, there is no private bus system to tax? Or an in-lieu stadium fee to counteract the lack of private professional sports venues? Should we have a senior golfer's in-lieu fee to make up for the revenue from the alleged lack of cheap private facilities for senior golfers, the apparent justification for run-down, city-owned Palm Lakes golf course?
The local elected (and pundit-ocratic) Republicans were very vocal (correctly) about ending the Democratic-imposed car tax last year and about granting the citizenry a rebate. Why are they not being equally irate about ending these equally illegal and unwise in-lieu fees and granting the citizens of Fresno a rebate? Is it because the mayor is not a Democrat?
In-lieu of in-lieu fees, the city should charge for what it delivers, nothing more. In-lieu of increasing our taxes, the city should look to cut services that don't involve the legitimate role of the City of Fresno -- the equitable enforcement of each Fresnan's right to sole dominion over his/her person and property. In-lieu of budgetary trickery, the city should be straight forward about its fiscal practices.
Otherwise, Fresnans should actively prepare some in-lieu choices in its elected officials.
07 June 2005
Valley lawmakers: Support medical marijuana use NOW!
The LPFC joins the national and state Libertarian parties in their stern oppositions to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling yesterday, giving federal drug enforcement agencies authority to prosecute medical marijuana patients in states that have passed medical marijuana laws, including California. This ruling is judicial activism at its highest by ignoring the Tenth Amendment restriction of the federal government to constitutionally enumerated powers and grossly expanding the Constitution's interstate commerce clause to authorize federal action on patients and vendors who grow or purchase or consume marijuana from the same state.
Equally as despicable is the Bush (and Clinton's before it) administration's zeal in closing down cannabis cooperatives and depriving sick Americans of a proven means of alleviating much of the pain of their illnesses. A regional Drug Enforcement Agency spokeman said that they are not going after sick patients. Tell that to Steve Kubby or the family of Peter McWilliams or Angel Raich, who brought the suit to make this obtuse ruling possible.
The only way to clean up the mess the justices have just created is for Congress to pass a law, such as the Hinchey-Rohrabacher bill, which would de-authorize the federal government from acting against medical marijuana patients in states that have passed medical marijuana laws. The LPFC calls on valley Congressmen George Radanovich, Devin Nunes, Jim Costa, and Dennis Cardoza to support this bill.
We also note that the local lawmakers have not been helpful to medical marijuana patients, either. They've allowed the sheriff, their police chiefs, and their own compassion deficits to advise them to pass minimalist ordinances that make it extremely difficult for patients to be able to find medical marijuana providers without excessive hardship. The LPFC calls on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors and the eleven city councils in the county to pass realistic ordinances that give sick patients a reasonable means of obtaining the medical marijuana they need to ease their discomfort.
Equally as despicable is the Bush (and Clinton's before it) administration's zeal in closing down cannabis cooperatives and depriving sick Americans of a proven means of alleviating much of the pain of their illnesses. A regional Drug Enforcement Agency spokeman said that they are not going after sick patients. Tell that to Steve Kubby or the family of Peter McWilliams or Angel Raich, who brought the suit to make this obtuse ruling possible.
The only way to clean up the mess the justices have just created is for Congress to pass a law, such as the Hinchey-Rohrabacher bill, which would de-authorize the federal government from acting against medical marijuana patients in states that have passed medical marijuana laws. The LPFC calls on valley Congressmen George Radanovich, Devin Nunes, Jim Costa, and Dennis Cardoza to support this bill.
We also note that the local lawmakers have not been helpful to medical marijuana patients, either. They've allowed the sheriff, their police chiefs, and their own compassion deficits to advise them to pass minimalist ordinances that make it extremely difficult for patients to be able to find medical marijuana providers without excessive hardship. The LPFC calls on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors and the eleven city councils in the county to pass realistic ordinances that give sick patients a reasonable means of obtaining the medical marijuana they need to ease their discomfort.
05 June 2005
State of the City -- Immigration
This is the first of several commentaries on the 2005 report of the Fresno mayor to his constituents.
Mayor Alan Autry proposed a two-year moratorium on immigration. He was also a guest on Lou Dobbs' CNN show, which daily blasts free market government policies. As an aside, it is interesting to have the mayor comment on immigration, a constitutionally national duty, given the controversy over Fresno's Human Relations Commission, which is slowly being decommissioned because it crossed the line, according to some, by taking a stand on a national issue, the war in Iraq.
I would suggest to the mayor and all of you to read the what the Cato Institute says about immigration control in its Cato Handbook for Congress. It summarizes the evidence that immigration is a net economic asset, that immigration is NOT a drain of government budgets, that current immigration is NOT out of proportion to historic immigration levels, that immigration is NOT the cause of urban sprawl or "overpopulation", that immigration does NOT reduce the employment or wage levels of American citizens, and that immigration is NOT a risk to national security.
Immigration adds new ideas in technology and culture that keep America dynamic and a forever-young nation in outlook and vitality. Immigration is a critical component of a free market system because readily accessible labor is as important as readily accessible capital or readily accessible natural resources.
A secure America is based on a just and non-interventionist foreign policy, a strong national DEFENSE (not OFFENSE), and a focus on REAL terrorist threats. Libertarians see no problem whatsoever in investigating and thwarting those who are TRULY threatening America. The widespread assumption that hindering the activities of innocent Americans and immigrants is necessary to thwart the activities of terror threats is bogus and needs to be overturned.
"Illegal" immigrants are "criminals". So are those who have unregistered guns or carry them in their cars, those who make sports bets for others online, those who smoke marijuana to relieve the pain of their illnesses, and those who protest unjust laws by violating them. Criminalizing an individual's peaceful and consensual activities (especially those done to make life better for him/her self and family) is one of our society's cruelest and most self-defeating habits.
The migration from the Bay Area and Southern California is far greater and will use far more local services than any migration from Mexico or Canada. A better migration reform might be to close the Fresno County border or to ask Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona to close their southern and western borders to prevent more jobs and citizens tired of big-sky-high taxes from fleeing.
Mayor Alan Autry proposed a two-year moratorium on immigration. He was also a guest on Lou Dobbs' CNN show, which daily blasts free market government policies. As an aside, it is interesting to have the mayor comment on immigration, a constitutionally national duty, given the controversy over Fresno's Human Relations Commission, which is slowly being decommissioned because it crossed the line, according to some, by taking a stand on a national issue, the war in Iraq.
I would suggest to the mayor and all of you to read the what the Cato Institute says about immigration control in its Cato Handbook for Congress. It summarizes the evidence that immigration is a net economic asset, that immigration is NOT a drain of government budgets, that current immigration is NOT out of proportion to historic immigration levels, that immigration is NOT the cause of urban sprawl or "overpopulation", that immigration does NOT reduce the employment or wage levels of American citizens, and that immigration is NOT a risk to national security.
Immigration adds new ideas in technology and culture that keep America dynamic and a forever-young nation in outlook and vitality. Immigration is a critical component of a free market system because readily accessible labor is as important as readily accessible capital or readily accessible natural resources.
A secure America is based on a just and non-interventionist foreign policy, a strong national DEFENSE (not OFFENSE), and a focus on REAL terrorist threats. Libertarians see no problem whatsoever in investigating and thwarting those who are TRULY threatening America. The widespread assumption that hindering the activities of innocent Americans and immigrants is necessary to thwart the activities of terror threats is bogus and needs to be overturned.
"Illegal" immigrants are "criminals". So are those who have unregistered guns or carry them in their cars, those who make sports bets for others online, those who smoke marijuana to relieve the pain of their illnesses, and those who protest unjust laws by violating them. Criminalizing an individual's peaceful and consensual activities (especially those done to make life better for him/her self and family) is one of our society's cruelest and most self-defeating habits.
The migration from the Bay Area and Southern California is far greater and will use far more local services than any migration from Mexico or Canada. A better migration reform might be to close the Fresno County border or to ask Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona to close their southern and western borders to prevent more jobs and citizens tired of big-sky-high taxes from fleeing.
