statism

The FBAR Fundraiser and the Penalty Jackpot

"This reminds me of the treatment of Ms. Curran – an elderly widow – in Florida. You may remember her as the woman who paid – and may well have been coerced into a 21 million dollar FBAR penalty based on accounts she inherited from her late husband - I repeat accounts owned by her late husband. One blogger referred to this as a 'Penalty Jackpot for the IRS'. Yup, definitely a good return for a small amount of work. The facts in the Curran case are here. But, for those of you who think IRS Penalty Abuse is restricted to rich Homelanders you should take the time to read this submission to the Ways and Means Committee from this disabled 68 year old British born woman." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe FBAR Fundraiser and the Penalty Jackpot

Judge ejects Sikh from court for refusing to remove ‘that rag’ from his head

"The officers who pulled Singh over believed that his kirpan — a ceremonial 'sword' worn by Sikhs that poses as grave a danger to the public as the crosses donned by many Christians — was a 'dangerous weapon,' despite the fact that it had been sewn into the waistband of his pants. Singh tried to educate the lead officer by 'show[ing] him, and other officers present, videos stored on his phone and on Youtube about the Sikh faith.' The officers responded with mockery, one of them allegedly referring to Sikhs as 'depraved' and 'terrorists.' As if that was not humiliating enough, when Singh returned to Pike County to contest his arrest, presiding Judge Aubrey Rimes ejected him from the courtroom." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJudge ejects Sikh from court for refusing to remove ‘that rag’ from his head

End Civil Asset Forfeiture

"A recent New Yorker article has awakened many Americans to the scourge of civil asset forfeiture in which police can seize property without charging anyone with a crime and pocket the proceeds. Many police organizations call the proceeds of civil asset forfeiture a vital source of funding. Scott Bullock, senior attorney at the Institute for Justice, describes the practice and the best avenues for reform." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEnd Civil Asset Forfeiture

Felony Friday: Man Charged For Killing Deer That Ate His Weed Plants

"Felony charges were filed against one poor soul, which highlights the State’s refusal to recognize property rights and the idiocy of the drug war. A Glasco, N.Y. man had his world come crashing down after a neighbor snitched on him for killing the deer that were eating his marijuana plants. Barry J. Brice learned a hard lesson from his run-in with the law. Not only does the State own the deer that destroy your garden, they also dictate what plants are allowed to be grown. Statists would claim that Mr. Brice got what he deserved for growing an illegal plant and killing deer without a license. They would rejoice at the prospect of Mr. Brice being locked in a cage for committing 'crimes' without victims." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFelony Friday: Man Charged For Killing Deer That Ate His Weed Plants

IRS Seizes Small Store’s Bank Account. It’s Asset Forfeiture. It’s Legal.

"This man runs a small store. His insurance company insures against theft for only $10,000 per robbery. So, his daughter waited until there was $9,000. Then she deposited the money in the bank. An IRS agent seized the money. She charged 'structuring.' The IRS requires you to report cash deposits in excess of $10,000. It also prohibits 'structuring' — deposits just under $10,000. 'How will I pay my workers?' he said. 'I don’t care,' she replied. She handed him her card. The Internet may give the story enough coverage to convince the IRS agent’s superior that the bad publicity isn’t worth $35,000. Otherwise, this man is out of business." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIRS Seizes Small Store’s Bank Account. It’s Asset Forfeiture. It’s Legal.

Feds Steal $35K From Small Grocer’s Bank Account Despite ‘No Violations’

"Schott's Market, in Fraser, Michigan, was robbed in January of this year. Unfortunately for Terry Dehko and his daughter, Sandy, who own the place, the thieves are government agents in the emply of the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS doesn't even allege that the Dehkos committed a crime to justify cleaning out their bank account using civil asset forfeiture—they even sent the Dehknos a letter clarifying that 'no violations [of banking laws] were identified.' So, why the mugging? The feds just don't like the way the grocers have been depositing money in their bank account. Really." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFeds Steal $35K From Small Grocer’s Bank Account Despite ‘No Violations’

Dozens of NSA employees used surveillance system to spy on lovers

"In one case, a foreign national who worked for the U.S. government told a colleague she suspected that her boyfriend, who worked for the NSA, was eavesdropping on her phone calls. Investigators found the employee had been collected his girlfriend’s phone conversations with nine different women without valid purpose between 1998 and 2003, and he was suspended without pay and then resigned before he could be disciplined. In another case, a woman told the NSA that she’d recorded a conversation between her husband and a foreign telephone number because she suspected he’d been unfaithful. She also resigned before she could be punished, the inspector general said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDozens of NSA employees used surveillance system to spy on lovers

Gun gesture leads to suspension for Calvert sixth-grader

"A sixth-grader in Calvert County was suspended for forming his hand into a gun on his bus ride to school, an incident that adds to a string of recent high-profile cases involving punishments for children who gesture with imaginary weapons. Carin Read, mother of the 11-year-old student at Mill Creek Middle School in Lusby, filed an appeal of the suspension late last week, after a principal denied her request to remove the alleged infraction from her son’s school records. The boy had already served a day-long in-school suspension, and Read argued that he should not have a permanent record over the matter." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGun gesture leads to suspension for Calvert sixth-grader

Obamacare hides switch of subsidies from young to old, says study

"A new analysis of Obamacare prices says the much-touted taxpayer subsidies for young people are smaller than promised. The missing subsidies will jack up costs for young, healthy people who are single and childless, which may deter many from joining the government-run network. This, in turn, would likely boost Obamacare’s costs to all taxpayers. The new data also shows that officials are choosing to steer the promised subsidies to older people, despite their relatively fewer expenses for children, student loans, careers and housing." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObamacare hides switch of subsidies from young to old, says study

One man’s ObamaCare nightmare

"Andy and Amy Mangione of Louisville, Ky. and their two boys are just the kind of people who should be helped by ObamaCare. But they recently got a nasty surprise in the mail. Insurance for the Mangiones and their two boys,which they bought on the individual market, was going to almost triple in 2014 --- from $333 a month to $965. The insurance carrier made it clear the increase was in order to be compliant with the new health care law. The President's new law, the Affordable Care Act, for the Mangiones will be anything but affordable because the law adds a new tax on every insurance policy and requires a list of additional benefits the Mangiones didn’t want to pay for." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOne man’s ObamaCare nightmare