November 3, 2009, 7:41 pm 42 comments in the last 30 days.
Tax Policy: History & Ethics of Taxation .

Taxes are a source of perennial angst for most citizens. Most people believe that they are being taxed unfairly, and most of them are probably right. Historically, taxation has frequently been a source of injustice. In European history, the landless population, who were treated as slaves, paid taxes in the form of produce from the land to lords, monarchs, and the church. This system was kept in place through brutal repression, enforced illiteracy and cultural destruction. Conscription of the male population for various wars, which was another form of taxation, was a convenient way of culling the population and eliminating any potential resistance before it could start.

November 2, 2009, 3:21 pm 39 comments in the last 30 days.
Jack Herer: A Man Well-Loved is Saved Again.

For over 30 years, Jack Herer has been the inexhaustible guru of the hemp movement. Many people have expressed their deep concern for Jack's well-being since his heart attack in mid-September, at an Oregon hemp festival. Sunday night, Jack Herer was taken by ambulance to the hospital in Eugene from the rehabilitation center where he has been receiving care. His breathing became more distressed throughout the afternoon, and finally he was rushed to the Emergency Room.

November 18, 2009, 6:05 pm 29 comments in the last 30 days.
Tea Party Counterprotesters' Violent Clash with Anti-Immigration Crowd (VIDEO).

A media group called World Net Daily, sent Salem-News.com a video clip this morning of a violent clash between protesters at an anti-immigration counter protest in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The group claims that last Saturday, "Che Guevara supporters with a radical pro-amnesty coalition viciously attacked and bludgeoned tea party protesters at a Florida anti-illegal-immigration rally."

November 10, 2009, 1:17 am 26 comments in the last 30 days.
Asperger's Syndrome Wives Need Understanding.

Asperger's Syndrome is a neurological disorder considered as high-functioning autism. Individuals with this syndrome have difficulty with social aspects of intelligence. This manifests itself as a notable lack of "common sense." The presence of Asperger in children is getting more attention now, but the undiagnosed adult is not yet well recognized. Because these types of brain disorders seem to be more common in men, many times wives have trouble getting the support they need.

October 24, 2009, 7:43 pm 23 comments in the last 30 days.
President of Argentina Under Fire For Breaking Up Fox-Like Media Group: Clarin.

If you think Barack Obama has trouble with Fox News, President Cristina Fernandez of Argentina has more trouble with Clarin, the biggest media group in Argentina. Like Fox in the US, Clarin has taken its role as watchdog very seriously.

November 8, 2009, 5:36 pm 22 comments in the last 30 days.
Policy Analysis: HR 3962 Division A - Affordable Health Care.

Establishes minimum requirements and eliminates anti-trust exemptions for private insurers. Establishes Health Choices Administration, and Health Insurance Exchange. Establishes public health care option bound by same requirements as private insurers. Mandates employer and individual health care coverage. Imposes taxes to enforce mandates. Imposes taxes on individuals with incomes over $500,000 or $1,000,000 filing jointly.

November 3, 2009, 1:01 pm 21 comments in the last 30 days.
First-Ever Cannabis Cafe to Open in Portland for Medical Marijuana Patients.

The hippest joint in town, Rumpspankers, is Oregon NORML's Cannabis Café set to kick off next Friday (the 13th) at exactly 4:20 p.m. The special cafe for members only is an innovative gathering place for the medical cannabis community, brought to fruition by Oregon NORML, the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws. Madeline Martinez, Executive Director of Oregon NORML, says this cafe will fill a void that so many patients feel in their lives.

October 22, 2009, 2:27 pm 19 comments in the last 30 days.
U.S. Senator Wyden's Position on Net Neutrality Upheld at FCC.

The FCC will prevent Internet service providers (ISP) from being able to act as gatekeepers, favoring their own applications or services over those provided by others and blocking or slowing certain Internet content. The senator’s statement follows: “The FCC did the right thing today. They said loud and clear that in America, the consumer is going to stay in control of how they use the Internet – not the well-connected, well-funded service providers,” said Wyden.

November 1, 2009, 7:10 pm 14 comments in the last 30 days.
Wingnut of the Week: Liz Cheney, How Dare You?.

When dead American soldiers were brought back in secret, in shame, it was at the orders of Vice President Cheney. Cheney planned the Iraq invasion even before the election and well before 9/11. The Cheney's testimony before the 9/11 Commission is filled with things like, "We never thought anyone would attack America, we knew nothing, nothing, nothing....never expected anything at all."

October 29, 2009, 7:50 am 14 comments in the last 30 days.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Progress Encouraging.

CEA Chair Christina Romer says data released today by the Commerce Department show that real GDP grew at an annual rate of 3.5 percent in the third quarter of the year. "This is in stark contrast to the decline of 6.4 percent annual rate just two quarters ago. Indeed, the two-quarter swing in the rate of growth of 9.9 percentage points was the largest since 1980."