Land Of The Flea

Homeland Security’s Multibillion-Dollar Comedy Show

"What does the United States have to show for tens of billions of dollars of Homeland Security antiterrorism spending by local and state governments? Michael Sheehan, former New York City deputy commissioner for counterterrorism, observed, 'I firmly believe that those huge budget increases have not significantly contributed to our post–9/11 security.' But the war on terrorism has been an unmitigated victory for Leviathan and politicians at every level of government."

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New Jersey Requires a Permit To Preach In Public

"The preachers sued, arguing they were deprived of their right to free expression. They also claimed they were discriminated against on the basis of religion. But true to form, the New Jersey government closed ranks and doubled down on their position. As a state agency, New Jersey Transit argued that they have immunity from civil claims of rights violations. And the worst part is, a U.S. circuit court of appeals agreed with the state of New Jersey. They said state permitting laws trump basic rights like free speech."

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To Lower Healthcare Costs, End The “Certificates Of Need” Racket

"Everybody needs food, but the government does not require entrepreneurs to obtain a certificate of need before opening or expanding a grocery store. Everybody needs healthcare at one time or another, but the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development and 35 states require hospitals to obtain certificates of need (called CONs) before they open their doors or expand. Certificates of need tend to favor large non-profit operations, which are now blocking competition while scamming patients and taxpayers alike."

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There Will Be No Viking Longboats Cruising the Mississippi

"Switzerland-based Viking Cruises, which wanted to build and send small cruise ships up the Mississippi River, leaving new tourism dollars for river towns in its wake, is backing off its plan. Our own federal laws are to blame. More specifically, President Grover Cleveland's Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA). The 1886 law requires that in order to ferry passengers between ports in the United States, the ship must have been built in the United States and be owned and operated by Americans."

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Give Haircuts To Homeless Veterans, Receive Threats From Licensing Board

"A cosmetology license requires '25 weeks [of training], more than an EMT, certified nursing assistant or truck driver.' Ducey views the cosmetology board as 'bullies' and is urging the passage of Ugenti-Rita’s bill, which would make it easier to obtain a license."

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Sessions Says to Courts: Go Ahead, Jail People Because They’re Poor

"Last week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions retracted an Obama-era guidance to state courts that was meant to end debtors’ prisons, where people who are too poor to pay fines are sent. These burdens fell disproportionately on African-Americans. The push to abolish debtors’ prisons will continue, as community advocates and local officials press on. It would be preferable, of course, for the federal government to fulfill its role as a leading protector of basic constitutional rights. Unfortunately, Mr. Sessions has made clear that under his leadership it will not."

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US Experimented on Hundreds of Poor Pregnant Women With Radiation

"Somewhere between 750 and 850 women were given trace amounts of radioactive iron in a 'cocktail' drink during their pregnancies by health officials they trusted. Dr. Paul Hahn, the lead researcher behind the experiments, claimed that the study was intended to record the absorption of iron during pregnancy. Vanderbilt spokesman Wayne Wood told the Washington Post that all of the files were destroyed by the research team in the 1970s."

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Jeff Sessions Should Ask Cancer Patients about Cannabis

"Attorney General Jeff Sessions is actively lobbying Congress to overturn existing law prohibiting federal interference in state medical-marijuana policy. As someone who believes in strong constitutional limits on federal power and the rights of patients to choose, I am deeply disappointed. And as a cancer survivor who wanted the choice for myself, I wonder: does Sessions have any idea what it’s like?"

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