http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_UNITED_STATES_IRAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-03-25-11-17-55

Mar 25, 11:17 AM EDT

KERRY FLIES TO SWITZERLAND FOR MAKE-OR-BREAK IRAN NUKE TALKS
BY MATTHEW LEE
AP DIPLOMATIC WRITER

WASHINGTON (AP) — With an end-of-March deadline days away, Secretary of State John Kerry is heading back into negotiations with Iran, hoping to seal a framework deal to roll back its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

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Now it appears that there is no written agreement?

This violates everything I learned from Judge Judy!

“I wouldn’t believe you, if your tongue came notarized.” … attributed to Judge Marilyn Milian, but may have an earlier history.

Argh!

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http://nutritionfacts.org/2015/03/19/food-manufacturers-get-to-decide-if-their-own-additives-are-safe/

Home > Dr. Greger’s Medical Nutrition Blog > Food Manufacturers Get to Decide if Their Own Additives Are SafeFood Manufacturers Get to Decide if Their Own Additives Are SafeWritten by: Michael Greger M.D. on March 19th, 2015

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In 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced their plans to all but eliminate trans fats from processed foods, citing a CDC statistic that the elimination of partially hydrogenated oils from the food supply could prevent more than 10,000 heart attacks and thousands of deaths every year. Up until that point, trans fats enjoyed their so-called “GRAS” status: “Generally Recognized As Safe.” How did these killer fats get labeled as safe?

Who decides what’s safe? Currently, a “generally recognized as safe” determination is made when the manufacturer of a food substance evaluates the safety of the substance themselves and concludes that the use of the substance is safe. In other words, the company that manufactures the substance gets to determine if it is safe or not. This approach is commonly referred to as ”GRAS self-determination.” To make matters worse, not only do companies not have to inform the public, they don’t even have to inform the FDA. A company may voluntarily tell the FDA they just came up with a new food additive that they’ve decided is safe, but are not required to do so.

The cumulative result is that there are an estimated 6,000 current affirmative safety decisions which allow for more than an estimated 10,000 substances to be used in food (See Who Determines if Food Additives are Safe?). In addition, an estimated 1,000 manufacturer safety decisions are never reported to FDA or the public. “Manufacturers and a trade association made the remaining decisions without FDA review by concluding on their own that the substances that they themselves were selling were safe.”

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What could possibly go wrong?

Argh!

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http://www.economics21.org/commentary/PRRIA-2015-amtrak-reform-subsidies-privatization-2015-03-06

Amtrak Bill Continues History of Wasted Subsidies
Matthew Sabas | 03/06/2015 

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Four Decades of Failure

Congressional Republicans were elected on a platform of cutting spending, but taxpayers will continue to pay for Amtrak’s losses for at least 5 more years if a bill that just passed the House becomes law. Can’t Congress do better?

Amtrak has cost the government over $45 billion in subsidies over the last 44 years, allowing it to finance the upkeep of unprofitable routes, overstaffed trains, and the mismanagement of its food services.

The bipartisan Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2015 would subsidize Amtrak by an estimated $7 billion from 2016 to 2020. It passed the House by 316 votes to 101 votes on Wednesday and is now headed to the Senate and, presumably, President Obama’s signature. Amtrak has been operating without official funding authorization since the previous bill expired in October 2013.

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How can it operate without an “official funding authorization”?

Why pass anything?

It’s a sad state of affairs just how “law-less” we have become.

The Dead Old White Guys must be rolling over!

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http://www.lewrockwell.com/2015/03/felix-bronstein/deadly-government-labs-2/

I’m From A Government Lab, And I’m Here To Help You
By Felix Bronstein
March 5, 2015

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Among other things, FBI’s handling of evidence in such cases as the Oklahoma City and the 1993 World Trade Center bombings was criticized.  The investigation came about as a result of a whistleblower, Frederic Whitehurst, Supervisory Special Agent in the FBI Crime Lab.  In 2003, an investigation by the Associated Press showed that “the FBI lab, which reformed itself after a mid-1990s scandal over bad science, is grappling with new problems that have opened its work on lead bullets and DNA analysis to challenges … .”  The IG began an investigation, which eventually broadened to the FBI’s DNA analysis unit.  In May of 2003, a man who spent 10 years in prison had his conviction overturned “because an FBI scientific expert gave inaccurate testimony and withheld evidence.”  In the summer of 2003, the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility began investigating its crime lab’s chief of scientific analysis, Steven Burmeister, regarding his conduct in the Oklahoma City bombing case.  Burmeister initially claimed that the crime lab mishandled evidence, but then retracted that statement, allegedly under pressure.  In July of 2014, it was revealed that the task force the Department of Justice created in 1996 to identify cases involving “fabricating evidence and reaching conclusions unsupported by science” and other mishandling by the FBI acted very slowly.  A number of defendants were never informed that their convictions were based on such evidence, and at least 3 death row inmates were executed before they could be informed of this.  “Nearly every criminal case reviewed …  as part of [an] investigation started in 2012 of problems at the FBI lab has included flawed forensic testimony from the agency.”  The FBI then stopped the review of its hair and fiber analysis unit until the July 2014 report came out.

In November of 2014, charges against several defendants were dismissed and prison sentences were vacated as a result of an FBI agent allegedly “tampering with drug and gun evidence.”  In December of 2014, an audit revealed that “F.B.I. agents in every region of the country have mishandled, mislabeled and lost evidence.”  Also in December, a General Accounting Office inquiry found that the “FBI’s genetic tests didn’t nail anthrax killer.”  This corroborated prior investigations that found problems with how the FBI and its lab concluded that Bruce Ivins was the Amerithrax killer.

Perhaps the next time someone states that we must always only look to the federal government when truly important matters of science, safety, objectivity, justice, national security and transparency are concerned, one may take a pause, and consider these (and other similar) cases.

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I have long ranted that the Gooferment is immoral, ineffective, and inefficient.

Here’s another example.

How do we shut this stuff down?

Does anyone believe anything that comes from them?

I don’t.

I used to. 

But, they have lost ALL credibility.

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2988099/Hillary-Clinton-finally-address-email-controversy-today-reports-say-DAYS-silence.html

I’ve deleted all my personal emails and the server will remain private: Hillary Clinton reveals HALF her inbox has not been handed over and says she used one account for convenience
Clinton made peace with the public after her speech to the U.N.
Only acknowledgement of the email controversy had been through a spokesman and a single tweet
Former Secretary of State’s spokesman said Clinton had complied with in ‘both the letter and spirit of the rules’
Her tweet called on the State Department to make public the 55,000 pages of messages her team turned over
Even after the presser questions lingered about Clinton’s use of a private server, which she said would remain out of the government’s grasp
Clinton is reportedly looking to launch her presidential campaign on April 1
By FRANCESCA CHAMBERS FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 08:31 EST, 10 March 2015 | UPDATED: 14:59 EST, 10 March 2015

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Hillary Clinton addressed her use of a private email system during her four years at the State Department during a news conference today in New York City, ending her days long silence on the issue.Clinton explained that she used a personal email address so that she didn’t have to carry around two phones or two devices.’I saw it as a matter of convenience, it was allowed, others had done it,’ she said during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.Clinton insisted that she had turned over all of her work-related emails to the State Department  – which constituted about half of her inbox – and suggested that she deleted messages that were strictly personal in nature so that they did not become public.  She later made it sound as her personal communications remain on a private server that she shares with husband Bill, however, and told reporters that she would not give the government access to her personal property.

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Sounds like she has committed two felonies and perhaps perjury.

Federal Records Retention Act — twice.

Swear on the State Department exit form under oath?

Argh!

If David Petraeus convicted for classified leaks, then it’s only fair to treat HRC the same?

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WSJ: Obama to Propose Tax Increases on Investments, Inherited Property

President Barack Obama will call on the new Republican-led Congress to raise taxes on investments and inherited property and to create or expand a range of tax breaks for middle-income families, laying out an opening position in a debate over taxation that both parties see as a potential area of compromise.

Mr. Obama will outline the measures in his State of the Union address Tuesday night. He will propose using revenue generated from the tax increases–which would fall mainly on high-income households–to pay for a raft of new breaks aimed at boosting stagnant incomes for low- and middle-income households.

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What an idiot!

Do you want less investments?

Do you want fewer family farms?

Do you want smaller inheritances? 

Tax something and you get less of it.

AND, the “fat cats” will still figure out loopholes.

Dumb, dumber, and dumbest.

Shrink the bloated Federal Gooferment.

Reduce taxes on EVERYONE!

Argh!

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WSJ NEWS ALERT: Justice Department Kept Secret Telephone Database

Justice Department Kept Secret Telephone Database
The U.S. Justice Department secretly kept a database of U.S. calls to and from foreign countries for more than a decade, according to a new court filing and officials familiar with the program.

The revelation of another secret government database storing records of Americans’ calls came in a filing in the case of a man accused of conspiring to unlawfully export electronic goods to Iran. A Drug Enforcement Administration official said in the filing that the agency has long used administrative subpoenas, not federal court orders, to collect the metadata of U.S. calls to and from foreign countries “that were determined to have a demonstrated nexus to international drug trafficking and related criminal activities.”

The document doesn’t identify the countries or say how many countries were involved.

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[JR: I guess another Gooferment overreach and violation of the Fourth Amendment.]

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http://connecticut.cbslocal.com/2015/01/05/state-forces-connecticut-teen-with-cancer-to-receive-chemotherapy/

State Forces Connecticut Teen With Cancer To Undergo Chemotherapy
January 5, 2015 8:54 AM

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Hartford, Conn. (CBS CONNECTICUT) – A 17-year-old girl with cancer is in an unprecedented legal battle with the state of Connecticut as the Department of Children and Families removed her from her home and forced the teen to receive chemotherapy.The girl being identified as “Cassandra C.” in court papers was diagnosed with cancer in September, with doctors recommending she receive chemotherapy for the rare condition of Hodgkins Lymphoma. However, the teen refused treatment and her mother supported her daughter’s decision, causing Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families to step in and force the teen to receive treatment, WTIC-TV reports.

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Where does the ego of the Gooferment end?

Are we “free”?

Not by this example!

“We, The Sheeple” are “OWNED” by the various Gooferments.

Argh!

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http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/21/business/fresh-doubt-over-the-bailout-of-aig.html?_r=0

Fresh Doubt Over the Bailout of A.I.G.DEC. 20, 2014
By GRETCHEN MORGENSON

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Last week, Edward Kane, a finance professor at Boston College and an expert on financial regulatory failures, said, “We’ve learned so much from this case that everyone wanted to cover up.” Mr. Kane said that while he is not on Starr’s side in the litigation, the facts that it has surfaced are important for citizens to understand.

“These are the equivalent of storm troopers marching in and throwing their weight around and telling lies about it afterward,” he said. “The lawsuit is an effort to make these people accountable that has not been available through the political system.”

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It’s clear to me that Goldman was pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

Bear Sterns, a Goldman competitor, was executed!

The FED and Treasury stampeded Congress into the rescue.

And as soon as the funds were voted, the “rules of engagement” were changed to benefit the Big Banks and Wall Street. AKA Goldman.

Argh!

And “We, The Sheeple” and the Taxpayers, as well as “Main Street” were financially “raped”!

And, Ms. Warren not withstanding, it continues to go on!

Argh!

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http://www.economics21.org/commentary/tax-change-business-alive-after-your-death-2014-12-19

This Tax Change Could Keep Your Business Alive After Your Death
Diana Furchtgott-Roth
12/19/2014

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As 2014 draws to a close, many people are thinking of tax planning strategies. Some might donate to charity, others might choose to pay state taxes early. One novel idea that has just been proposed on Capitol Hill would allow people to decide when to pay estate taxes.

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Here’s a better idea. Eliminate the death tax entirely.

Since only “poor” people pay it!

Argh!

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Diana Furchtgott-Roth | 12/19/2014 | 

Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on emailShare on printMore Sharing Services0

As 2014 draws to a close, many people are thinking of tax planning strategies. Some might donate to charity, others might choose to pay state taxes early. One novel idea that has just been proposed on Capitol Hill would allow people to decide when to pay estate taxes.

 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickgleason/2014/12/15/republican-crony-capitalism-run-amok-out-west/

STATE & URBAN 12/15/2014 @ 6:18AM 
Republican Crony Capitalism On Display Out West

Patrick Gleason
Contributor 

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Utah’s traditional insurance brokerage community is none too pleased about having to compete with Zenefits. On November 20, Utah Insurance Commissioner Todd Kiser sent a letter to Zenefits, informing the company that it is violating Utah inducement and rebating laws because it offers its software for free. Kiser said the company should be assessed $5,000 for each violation and twice the profit generated per violation. Because of this, Zenefits would currently be on the hook for at $97,000 penalty.

Kiser told Zenefits that it could come into compliance with state law by raising prices and ceasing to advertise. Zenefits does not charge businesses for their software, but they generate a profit from commission paid by the insurance providers with which they connect their clients. Zenefits understandably does not wish to go along with Kiser’s orders. It’s worth noting that Commissioner Kiser was an insurance broker for 25 years prior to being elected to the state legislature. Kiser’s dictate, at the expense of small businesses, will protect brick-and-mortar brokerages like the one he used to run. He even said, in his own words, “the ease of using Zenefits” is part of the reason why he went after them.

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“Crony capitalism is a term describing an economy in which success in business depends on close relationships between business people and government officials. It may be exhibited by favoritism in the distribution of legal permits, government grants, special tax breaks, or other forms of state interventionism.”

Crony capitalism – Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crony_capitalism

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Anyone, who thinks that EITHER political party is not corrupt, is naïve at best.

This is an example of why the USA isn’t “land of the free”.

You can’t compete if you don’t kowtow to the politicians and bureaucrats! 

At least, the Mafia protects you for your money!

Robbery is robbery reguardless of if you use the guns of Gooferment or your own.

Argh!

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http://www.lewrockwell.com/2014/11/walter-e-williams/forget-the-scholar-athlete/

Scholar-Athlete Charade
By Walter E. Williams
November 4, 2014

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Let’s look at the motivation for this gross academic fraud. If you said follow the money, go to the head of the class. UNC’s basketball team generates $20 million in profits for the university. Football generates $22 million. Basketball and football coaches are paid salaries in excess of $2 million. The only way a university can pay those salaries and generate that kind of revenue is to assemble a winning team. That means many universities are more interested in an athlete’s playing skills than in his academic skills. In other words, whether a student can read, write and compute means little compared with whether he can slam-dunk a basketball or make touchdowns.

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Gooferment Skrules are a national disgrace.

We should separate Gooferment from all sorts of things that it shouldn’t be involved in.

Church, Education, etc. etc. etc.

How did “We, The Sheeple” ever allow the Federal Gooferment to take on a life of its own.

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http://www.lewrockwell.com/2014/11/ryan-mcmaken/the-biggest-crony-sports-scam-of-them-all/

The Olympics: The Biggest Corporatist Sports Scam of All
By Ryan McMaken
Mises.org
November 1, 2014

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The 2022 Olympics (i.e., the Winter Games) is now down to only two applicant nations: China and Kazakhstan. This follows the withdrawal of Norway after the taxpayers of Norway balked on ponying up the cash necessary to make the Olympics a playground for the world’s richest cronies and politicians.

Theoretically, the Olympics are a private organization, but in practice, it is a corporatist organization run by plutocrats whose mission in life is apparently to squeeze as much tax revenue as possible out of the residents of the countries and cities that host the Olympics. This is done by demanding the usual brand-spanking new stadiums and facilities from the host cities that later become white elephants. But the IOC also demands countless perks for itself, such as only the finest food and drink, and special driving lanes on streets and highways. (See photos of the abandoned Olympics facilities in Athens.)

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Talk about malinvestment, the “Olympics” takes the cake.

But “We, The Sheeple” still buy into it.

And, the Taxpayers pay for it.

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Sheriff
Mildred S. Scott
(732) 745-3381

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Try calling!

“The User does not subscribe to voice mail.”

From a Gooferment “public servant”!

With a much better pension than I am paying for 

Argh!

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http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/09/23/suspect-charged-with-abduction-in-case-of-missing-uva-student/

Suspect Charged With Abduction in Case of Missing UVa Student
Sep. 23, 2014 7:26pm Oliver Darcy

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Police are looking for Matthew, who was last seen Saturday when he stopped by the police station to ask for a lawyer. Police say he sped away afterward, losing officers who had him under surveillance.

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Of course, have you heard the ineptitude of the cops!

It’s reported that he admitted buying the girl drinks.

That’s a felony and they had him cold!

Book ‘em Dano.

And, people continue to believe that a truly free market couldn’t come up with a better “service”.

Argh!

Gooferment is immoral, ineffective, and inefficient. And here’s an example.

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http://www.libertychat.com/2014/09/offering-plea-bargains-is-actually-a-horrible-government-practice/

Offering “Plea Bargains” Is Actually a Horrible Government Practice
By Robert Murphy on September 5, 2014

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To warm you up to my view–which may at first seem odd–consider this quotation I found from a legal website: “Plea bargains are extraordinarily common in the American legal system, accounting for roughly 90% of all criminal cases. Many countries, however, do not allow plea bargains, considering them unethical and immoral.” Isn’t that interesting? By the end of this post, you’ll understand why this typical U.S. practice is considered a miscarriage of justice in many other parts of the world.

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And excellent argument AGAINST any form of plea bargain!

Argh!

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