Sudden Outbreak of Common Sense

Arizona to vote on taking control of Grand Canyon

"Arizonans will vote next month on a ballot proposal to give the state control over the Grand Canyon – the latest move in the so-called 'sagebrush revolt' in which western states are trying to reclaim federal land. The issue was put on the ballot after the proposal passed the Republican-controlled legislature. It would amend the state constitution to give Arizona sovereignty and jurisdiction over not just the Grand Canyon but all the 'air, water, public lands, minerals, wildlife and other natural resources' within its boundaries." Continue reading →

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Voters in Three States Take on Traffic Cameras

"Residents in in five cities in California, Texas and Washington state have battled for the right to have a say in whether automated ticketing machines are installed in their community. The November 6 results could raise to 25 the total number of municipalities nationwide that prohibit cameras. Anaheim and Newport Beach are unique in having councils propose the charter amendment. Elsewhere, photo ticketing companies and city leaders fought the ballot measures at every step of the way." Continue reading →

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Britain has left the European Union in all but name

"The UK is preparing to pull out of almost all areas of 'Justice and Home Affairs', the so-called Pillar III of EU jurisdiction. (Pillar I is the single market, and Pillar II is foreign affairs). This is revolutionary. We are withdrawing from 130 directives, covering everything from the European Arrest Warrant, the European Public Prosecutor, to the European justice department (Eurojust). Luckily, Tony Blair negotiated the right to a mass opt-out on this Pillar III corpus to be exercised before it all becomes justiciable at the European Court (ECJ) in 2014, a move that would transform the ECJ into Britain's supreme court." Continue reading →

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Zurich eyes halving corporate tax

"Zurich, Switzerland's largest city and financial hub, may cut its corporate tax rate nearly in half if foreign firms lose fiscal benefits amid EU pressure, the regional financial chief said on Tuesday. By doing so, Switzerland's economic centre would aim to convince foreign companies to remain in the canton even if Switzerland bows to EU pressure and alters a system allowing such firms to pay less taxes than Swiss companies. The Zurich proposal follows a similar proposal presented in Geneva last week, suggesting that Switzerland's second-largest business hub should cut its corporate tax rate from around 24 to 13 percent." Continue reading →

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NYPD informant who tracked militants quits, denounces police

"The informant, a 19-year-old American citizen of Bangladeshi descent, was recruited by the NYPD recently as part of an expansive intelligence-gathering program the department launched after the al Qaeda attacks of September 11, 2001. His assignment was to make contact with suspected Islamic extremists to try to determine if they had any inclinations to engage in violence. On October 2, however, the informant, whom the source did not name, posted a message on his personal Facebook page exposing himself as an informant to people he had been in contact with. He declared that he had quit as a police informant." Continue reading →

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Second Michigan county says “NO!” to federal NDAA kidnapping

"On Thursday, yet another local government condemned detention provisions written into the National Defense Authorization Act. The Oakland County, Mich. Board of Commissioners unanimously approved its Support for the Preservation of Liberty resolution Thursday evening. Oakland County joins Allegan County in Michigan, and at least 15 local government bodies nationwide, taking a stand against federal kidnapping. Sources close to the Tenth Amendment Center indicate at least another dozen local and county governments are considering similar resolutions." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSecond Michigan county says “NO!” to federal NDAA kidnapping

Jury Nullification Victory For New Jersey Weedman

"A jury found Ed 'NJWeedman' Forchion not guilty Thursday in the Rastafarian activist’s marijuana distribution case. The decision came after Forchion was nearly held in contempt of court in the morning as he delivered his closing argument. Forchion, formerly of Pemberton Township, tried to introduce his jury nullification argument into the closing, but was quickly stopped by Superior Court Judge Charles Delehey, who had barred any discussion of it." Continue reading →

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TSA removes X-ray body scanners from major airports

"The Transportation Security Administration has been quietly removing its X-ray body scanners from major airports over the last few weeks and replacing them with machines that radiation experts believe are safer. The TSA says it made the decision not because of safety concerns but to speed up checkpoints at busier airports. The United States remains one of the only countries in the world to X-ray passengers for airport screening. The European Union prohibited the backscatters last year 'in order not to risk jeopardizing citizens’ health and safety.'" Continue reading →

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Cubans ditch exit permits for international travel

"Cubans will no longer need an exit permit to travel abroad from January, the communist regime said on Tuesday, in a major overhaul of a half-century-old policy despised by the island’s citizens. The changes are the latest in a series of gradual reforms implemented in recent years by President Raul Castro, who took the helm from his ailing brother Fidel Castro in 2006. Cubans will no longer have to apply for a 'white card' to leave the island from January 14, and the period allowed for overseas stays will be extended from 11 to 24 months, according to decrees published in the official journal." Continue reading →

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