Land Of The Flea

IRS Official in Charge During Tea Party Targeting Now Runs IRS Obamacare Office

"The Internal Revenue Service official in charge of the tax-exempt organizations at the time when the unit targeted tea party groups now runs the IRS office responsible for the health care legislation, ABC News reports. Sarah Hall Ingram served as commissioner of the office responsible for tax-exempt organizations between 2009 and 2012. But Ingram has since left that part of the IRS and is now the director of the IRS’ Affordable Care Act office, the IRS confirmed to ABC News today." Continue reading →

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Oklahoma ABLE Commission agents bust south Tulsa brewpub for making too-strong beer

"The Oklahoma ABLE Commission cracked down on a south Tulsa brewery Tuesday afternoon. Agents say Pi Pizzeria and Craft Beer House is only licensed to make and sell low-point beer, but some customers complained it's too strong. 'Through the sampling process, we sent those samples to the lab and did determine they were making an alcoholic beverage, not low-point beer,' said Erik Smoot, ABLE Commission agent. The agents seized everything Pi used to make and brew its product. They say the manager is being charged with making and selling strong beer without a license." Continue reading →

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The IRS War on Medical Marijuana Providers

"The IRS employs Section 280E, a 1982 addition to the tax code that was a response to a drug dealer's successful effort to claim his yacht, weapons purchases, and even illicit bribes as business expenses. Under 280E, individuals involved in the illicit sale of controlled substances -- including marijuana, even medical marijuana in states where it is legal -- cannot claim standard business expenses on their federal taxes. Oakland's Harborside Health Center was hit with a $2 million IRS assessment in 2011 after the tax agency employed Section 280E against it. Similarly, when the feds raided Oaksterdam University, it wasn't just DEA, but also IRS agents." Continue reading →

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New Zealand Supreme Court to hear Kim Dotcom extradition appeal

"The Court of Appeal in March had overturned a decision ordering US prosecutors to hand over the evidence to Dotcom’s legal team as they seek to extradite him to face online piracy charges. The appeal court ruled that a summary of the case would suffice. Dotcom’s lawyers have sought to reinstate the original decision, arguing they could not effectively fight the extradition battle without full disclosure of the evidence against their client. The US Justice Department and FBI want Dotcom to face charges of racketeering, fraud, money-laundering and copyright theft in a US court, which could see him jailed for up to 20 years if convicted." Continue reading →

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More On Silva Murder By Police

"Mr. Silva’s murderers are back from the vacation to which we treated them and once again swaggering the streets of Kern County, hunting their next victim. Residents may want to 'shelter' indoors for protection from these sadists. Many have sent me articles on the ghastly crimes against serfs at least two of Mr. Silva’s assailants have previously committed. And you can see why they continue to exterminate us: 'The deputies did not face criminal charges in the death of [Jose Lucero]' -- though his family received $4.5 million in a civil suit. This was a particularly heartrending butchery as his parents watched uniformed killers beat and Taser their boy to death." Continue reading →

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Gitmo-izing Air Passengers

"Sometimes the most unpleasant and important truths are disclosed in unintended ways. Speaking on behalf of military officials at Guantanamo, Lt. Col. Samuel House denied that the searches are abusive. According to House, the searches imposed on Gitmo detainees 'are conducted with clothes on, similar to pat-down searches conducted by an airport security screener.' Doesn’t this mean that it is standard operating procedure for TSA screeners to treat innocent American air travelers as if they were Gitmo detainees?" Continue reading →

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It’s time to tell the TSA what you really think of it – and for it to listen

"The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has ordered the TSA to engage in something known as notice-and-comment rulemaking on its screening procedures, and specifically its use of full-body scanners. You can leave your comment at the Federal Register website until June 24th. The TSA hopes the public it’s assigned to protect will approve of the scanners and the way they’re used. But it promises to 'review and analyze' the comments to develop a final rule related to the use of airport scanners. What could they do? That isn’t entirely clear. The lengthy document seems to suggest that four options are on the table." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIt’s time to tell the TSA what you really think of it – and for it to listen

The Government-Created “ME ME ME Generation”

"A generation educated in government schools, funded by government student loans, and unable to find jobs in a government/central bank twisted marketplace are called 'lazy, entitled narcissists who still live with their parents.' How shall the State solve this problem? Since obviously no one else possibly can... How about some 'Good Service'? There you go. The massive military empire, that has been at constant war for most (if not all) of our lives, can use some more recruits! Peace Corps, as they like to call it. So of course! Why not force the 'lazy, entitled narcissists' to go out there to advance 'U.S. foreign policy objectives'?" Continue reading →

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U.S. Officials Deal Blow to Bitcoin

"The scrutiny comes after the Treasury Department ruled in March that firms issuing or exchanging online cash, including currencies not backed by a central bank, would be subject to the same money-laundering rules as traditional providers like Western Union Co. A number of firms have registered as money-transmission businesses since the agency issued the guidance, but Mt. Gox hasn't done so, according to a FinCen list. The agency doesn't have authority to take on Mt. Gox directly because it is based in Tokyo, but has fired a shot across the exchange's bow by going after its U.S. subsidiary." Continue reading →

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Power to Tax = Power to Destroy

"Think, for a moment, about the implications of the IRS’s actions. If you dare to advocate a political position that it dislikes, will your taxes be audited? How much will it cost you to defend yourself? This is not small-time Chicago ward heeler politics. This is serious, criminal official misconduct on a massive scale. High IRS officials knew about and concealed their anti-conservative policy for two years, since at least June 29, 2011. Equally shocking, one of my least favorite bureaucrats, IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman, for a year falsely denied that the IRS had done the very thing they just finally admitted doing." Continue reading →

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