Laboratories Of Democracy

Thomas Naylor, RIP

"Thomas died recently of heart failure, in Vermont, the state he and his Second Vermont Republic organization dreamed of having secede from the American Empire he so loved to hate. It’s doubtful if that group will continue without him, but the Vermont Commons folks and others like-minded will keep the dream alive. He tended to stress what I came to call the Push reasons for secession—that is, it allows a state to get out from under an inept, dysfunctional, and evil empire so as not to go down with its inevitable collapse, and it frees it from the taxes, wars, regulations, and entangling alliances of that empire." Continue reading →

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Free Staters Not Welcome in New Hampshire

"Democratic State Rep. Cynthia Chase calls them 'the single biggest threat the state is facing today.' 'There is, legally, nothing we can do to prevent them from moving here to take over the state, which is their openly stated goal. What we can do is to make the environment here so unwelcoming that some will choose not to come, and some may actually leave. One way is to pass measures that will restrict the 'freedoms' that they think they will find here.... Cheshire County is a welcoming community but not to those whose stated goal is to move in enough ideologues to steal our state, and our way of life.'" Continue reading →

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The Continuing Exodus of Jobs – and Taxable Income – from California

"I wish I could be a fly on the wall when this moment of truth happens to California politicians. They convinced voters in the state to enact Prop 30, a huge tax increase targeting those evil, awful, bad rich people. Governor Brown and his fellow kleptocrats in Sacramento doubtlessly are salivating at the thought of more money to waste. But notwithstanding a satirical suggestion from Walter Williams, there aren’t guard towers and barbed-wire fences surrounding the state. Productive people can leave, and that’s happening every day. And they take their taxable income with them." Continue reading →

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California’s New Democratic Supermajority is the Path to a Smaller America

"California, where I once lived for several years, simply makes no sense in its current configuration. Northern California has little in common with Southern California, and the rural, ag-heavy Central Valley has nothing in common with the glitzy, pricey coast. Lawmakers – who make a mockery of leadership in California – have proven time and again through the years that they’re incapable of effectively or prudently managing the diverse needs of such a diverse state. In short, California makes far more sense as three separate states … and the supermajority is quite likely the accidental path to that future." Continue reading →

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California’s Lt. Gov. comes out in favor of legalizing marijuana

"California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) came out in favor of fully legalizing marijuana and regulating the drug like alcohol, even though he opposed legalization in 2010. The story went on to describe how many Californians think of marijuana like a cocktail, and how many affluent professionals even offer it to guests at dinner parties as part of local custom. It concludes with one final quote from the man widely expected to top the ticket of Democratic challengers to Gov. Jerry Brown in 2014: 'These laws just don’t make sense anymore. It’s time for politicians to come out of the closet on this.'" Continue reading →

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Colorado county bans commercial marijuana operations

"While the state of Colorado recently voted in favor of the ballot initiative Amendment 64, which legalized marijuana, a few counties don’t want the resulting plant growing operations in their backyards. Douglas County, where a majority of residents voted against Amendment 64, passed a ban on commercial marijuana growing operations to take effect Dec. 27, although private citizens can still have a few plants themselves. Another county, Weld, will likely have the same ban in place in January. 'That’s a revenue source that we’re not interested in having here,' Wendy Holmes, a spokesperson for Douglas County, told the paper." Continue reading →

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In Legal Showdown Over Marijuana, Oakland Dispensary Takes Leading Role

"In California, the battle between federal and state authorities over legal marijuana is coming to a head in a high-profile legal challenge. Our report comes from special correspondent Jake Schoneker of Media Enterprise Alliance, a PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Lab based in Oakland, Calif." Continue reading →

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The Next Seven States To Legalize Pot

"The Berlin Wall of pot prohibition seems to be crumbling before our eyes. By fully legalizing marijuana through direct democracy, Colorado and Washington have fundamentally changed the national conversation about cannabis. As many as 58 percent of Americans now believe marijuana should be legal. And our political establishment is catching on. Encouraged by the example of Colorado and Oregon, states across the country are debating the merits of treating marijuana less like crystal meth and more like Jim Beam. Here are the next seven states most likely to legalize it." Continue reading →

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Oakland Insists It Can Defend Medical Pot Club

"The city of Oakland renewed demands to stay forfeiture proceedings against a local medical marijuana dispensary whose business it defends as a matter of state's rights. Though the U.S. government says that Oakland lacks standing to try to block it from seizing Harborside Health Center, the city argued that it has an interest in protecting its economic and public health interests, and it says a stay would serve the orderly adjudication of justice. The U.S. government initiated forfeiture proceedings against Harborside Health Center's Oakland and San Jose locations in July, claiming the clubs sell marijuana in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA)." Continue reading →

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Anthony Gregory: States Thumb Their Noses at the Drug War

"Since California legalized medical pot in 1996, drug policy developments have put the lie to the federal government’s reputation as a bulwark of civil liberties, humanitarian rights, and rational policy. Whether Colorado and Washington outright defy the federal government—as the medical marijuana states have done—or Obama is forced to concede this ground, it is an embarrassment for national supremacy, the administration, and the DEA, and a triumph for the doctrine of nullification." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAnthony Gregory: States Thumb Their Noses at the Drug War