The Nanny State in Your Car

Proponents of the nanny state are ringing in an extra special new year in Austin, Texas where beginning next week the use of navigation devices while driving will be illegal.

According to people calling themselves "Austin City Council" hand-held cell phone use while driving is also an ordinance violation.

Since the control freaks are always looking to create more victim-less crimes here are some ideas for them:  

• Ban people from driving while tired
• Prohibit drivers from placing their finger on the radio dial
• Make tinted windows on cars illegal
• Tax people for not wearing seat-belts
• Place a ban on the application of make-up while driving
• Require tax stamps to be placed on the front windshield of all vehicles
• Prohibit people with less than 20/20 vision from driving

Property Rights on The Rocks in Texas

Eloisa Tamez and fence on neighboring property.
  
(Photography by Jeff Wilson)

Because the state just enjoys dividing people...a tragic story from Texas:

Following two years of courtroom battles with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the agency got the go-ahead in 2009 to extend its controversial border fence across her land.  Since then, roughly 75 percent of her formerly three-acre lot has been behind a steel barrier, land that's now the property of the federal government.* 

This is an example proving that property rights are not enforced in Texas.

You may think you own land but how is that possible if someone else can come along and take it from you in exchange for payment they deem appropriate?


*From The Texas Tribune

Texas' Biggest Welfare Recipients

Dr. Reuben Elovitz, Welfare Recipient 

Thankfully more researchers are sifting through the data on who collects Medicare taxes.  The Texas Tribune published a table of the greatest Medicare welfare recipients in Texas...

Medicare Data Shines Light on Billions Paid to TX Doctors

Highlights from the research:

• 342 Texas doctors were paid over $1 million by Medicare in 2012
• 20 doctors hauled in over $3 million annually from Medicare
• Missing context like doctor's costs and number of patients treated make the data incomplete

Mission Creep on the Texas/Mexico Border

Texas Highway Patrol

photo by: Julián Aguilar, The Texas Tribune 

File Under: Medicaid Fraud

The Texas Tribune reports on the most recent case of Medicaid fraud:

State spending on orthodontic services spiraled out of control: Between 2003 and 2010, Texas Medicaid payments for orthodontic services grew by more than 3,000 percent — from $6.5 million to $220.5 million — while program enrollment only grew 33 percent.

Just the state being swindled out of millions of your dollars, again.

Funny that you never hear about Starbucks squandering billions of dollars which lead to a 3,000% jump in coffee prices.  The people who serve you coffee seem to be better stewards of resources then the people who collect the taxes.    

Sanctions Backfire On Those Imposing Them

File under: oops.

Western sanctions against Iran have had a dramatic negative effect on the U.S. economy.  In addition to restricting the Iranian people's access to trade, the two-decade long policy by the West has hurt people in the West.
 
According to the National Iranian-American Council the U.S. has lost one million new job opportunities thanks to the inability of the North American people to engage in trade with the Iranian people.

Is it worth putting up with twenty years of economic chaos because a few dozen politicians in the U.S., U.K., Israel and Iran are upset with each other?  

Find the full report at the NIAC.

Do You Need An "Immigration System"?

There are a handful of people in Washington, D.C. who are very concerned about children walking around freely in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

These D.C. people say they need more of your money in order to "detain, care for and transport" a bunch of these children who according to them have walked too far in the wrong direction.

Children from Guatemala allegedly walking the wrong way

(Omar Torres/AFP/Getty)

Allegedly these children were only supposed to walk so far north until they were not supposed to walk any further.  Despite this "illegal walking around" taking place 2,000 miles away from the D.C. people they want you to know they are working to fix the immigration system.

But first... they need another $3,700,000,000.  

Before you give them more of your hard earned money to fix the system, ask yourself if you really need an "immigration system" at all.

Drone Crash in Texas

A drone for your local SWAT team
(AP Photo/Lance Bertolino, Vanguard Defense Industries)

Police are searching for a drone which crashed in Lake Conroe, Texas last week.  The robot, which could be fitted with a grenade launcher, malfunctioned while the sheriff's were practicing flying over the lake.

In addition to the $250,000 cost of the drone, more resources are being wasted as divers are spending time on a search and rescue mission of the flying machine.  

From the Houston Chronicle.  

Marijuana, Texas and Law

A new survey from Progress Texas shows that nine out of ten people in Texas support decriminalization of marijuana.  

It's pretty clear at this point the people have simply decided what the law is in regards to the marijuana plant.  The scribbles of dead politicians are no longer relevant.  

Remember that statues are not law.  Law exists before statutes are written.

Law is sometimes codified in statutes but politicians words written on paper are not necessary in order to have law.

Taking Aim at Amtrak in Texas

Private rail transportation is possible.  The Texas Tribune reports that mayors of major cities in Texas "Back the Bullet Train" planned to connect Dallas and Houston.

Could Texas Central Railway put an end to the massive boondoggle that is Amtrak in Texas?  With federal funding of $1.4 billion per year it may be hard but never underestimate the resource distribution mechanism created by people acting freely with each other.

Over the long run, Amtrak as a political machine and ward of the state will not be able to keep up with consumer demand for lower prices and greater service.  Despite starting from the rear we can hold out hope that Texas Central will.