Enough of the "impeach Obama" talk already!

I am definitely no fan of Barack Obama. I don't like a socialist in office as my chief executive. Then again, George W. Bush has not exactly been a small government type, either and was a huge disappointment in many ways. In other ways, he did the right thing. They both deserves praise where warranted and criticism where warranted.

Obama has already made some huge mistakes, in my opinion, and has been in office less than a week. The decisions to allow embryonic stem cell research, fund abortion in foreign nations, close Gitmo, and nominate a huge tax cheat as head of the Treasury Department (including IRS) are the ones that readily come to mind.

However, I have a huge problem with the movement to impeach the sorry excuse for a decision taker. Just because a President takes decisions that I do not like, that I find repulsive, or are unethical does not make him a candidate for impeachment. It makes him a candidate for unelection.

The Constitution has specific states in Article II, Section 4, "The President, Vice President, and all other civil Officers of the United States shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors." Bad decision taking as described in the last paragraph do not qualify as treason, bribery, high crimes, or misdemeanors.

There are other things such as a disputed qualification for the presidency, also outlined in that same article, such as being a natural born citizen. If that qualification can be proven to be truly unmet, then I am all for removing Obama from office. Until then, I do not much care for the constant call by hypocritical conservatives for Obama's impeachment. I have gotten a bunch of emails, invitations, and solicitations to join internet groups, message boards, social networking groups, and messages from those who are calling for impeachment or are already planning for it. This makes us no better than the whack job liberals who constantly called for George Bush's impeachment and now for his arrest and prosecution.

Impeachment is akin to the indictment for a crime. Impeachment itself is NOT removal from office. A conviction after impeachment will result in removal from office. I am not into removing someone from office with whom I happen to disagree strongly and certainly not for unconstitutional reasons.

Rest assured, however, if Barack Obama commits acts consistent with a constitutional reason for removal from office, as did Bill Clinton, then I will be all for the clarion call and will be sounding it myself.

If you want to impeach someone, start with Hillary Clinton, who was not eligible to become Secretary of State under Article I section 6 of the US Constitution.

"No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been encreased during such time."

Hillary voted for a pay increase for the Secretary of State. Therefore, she is not eligible to receive the benefit of its salary. This is not just a political stance as some boneheads have alleged. It is the intent of the writers of the Constitution to prohibit the very thing that is happening. A legislator assented to raise the pay for a job that she herself was going to end up taking. The clause does not say that if the salary is lessened that she is then eligible. Law is law.

Thought police violate 2nd Amendment

According to World Net Daily

A new report to the Connecticut state legislature shows police have used the state's unique gun seizure law to confiscate more than 1,700 firearms from citizens based on suspicion that the gun owners might harm themselves or others.

The state's law permits police to seek a warrant for seizing a citizen's guns based on suspicion of the gun owner's intentions, before any act of violence or lawbreaking is actually committed.

This is just plain illegal. I do not care what the Connecticut law says. The United States Constitution says

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

This right was deemed a PERSONAL right in the Heller decision just recently.

Ever see the movie Minority Report? It is about a crime division that used the precognition abilities of three people to determine future crime and arrest people for crimes they will commit, not that they have committed. This is no different. It is just an example of thought police taking away someone's rights based upon speculation. And it is wrong. It is illegal. It needs to stop.

From a great book by Barry Goldwater

"The turn will come when we entrust the conduct of our affairs to the men who understand that their first duty as public officials is to divest themselves of the power that they have been given. It will come when Americans, in hundreds of communities throughout the nation, decide to put the man in office who is pledged to enforce the Constitution and restore the Republic. Who will proclaim in a campaign speech: 'I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them. It is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel the old ones that do violence to the Constitution, or that have failed in their purpose, or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden. I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is "needed" before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible. And if I should later be attacked for neglecting my constituents' "interests," I shall reply that I was informed their main interest is liberty and that in that cause I am doing the very best I can.'"

Barry Goldwater, The Conscience of a Conservative, 1960: Victor Publishing Company, Shepherdsville, Ky., p. 17.

Shows coming along well

I had a great show this evening on "Straight Shooting". I was talking with John Diamond, author of the book "The Rise of America: Fighting the Next Revolution and the Constitutional Crisis". You may want to listen to it by going to my show host home page and listen. You may even want to get a copy of John's book.

I also have another show scheduled for the next several weeks. Next Saturday night at 6 PM eastern time, I will be talking with Paul A. Ibbetson, a published author and lecturer on the Patriot Act. His book is "Living Under The Patriot Act: Educating A Society". His book details the monumental struggle to bring the most powerful law in the war on terror since September 11, 2001 to fruition.

If you have questions on The Patriot Act, this will be the time to listen and call in. There will be an expert on the show for you to quiz and discuss with someone in the know.

Other shows still on the docket are June 2 with the NC Emergency Reserves; and the author of the web site homelandstupidity.us on June 9th.

NC taxes

I have written more than once about the abomination of income taxes. Personally, I believe that income taxes violate the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution. Also, I firmly believe that we should repeal the 16th Amendment.

The North Carolina income tax is based upon the federal income tax system. Basically, it starts where the federal system leaves off, makes some additions and adjustments, and assesses a liability. It is unethical based just upon the idea that it is forced taxation upon one's labor. Non-compliance results in loss of property, legal action, and even prison time. In my opinion, it is forced labor to benefit others and akin to slavery. It is more insidious when you consider the idea that many do not pay their share of a tax burden and live to suckle off the labor of others by the government forcibly taking money from law abiding, tax paying, productive citizens and giving it to those who do nothing to receive their governmental milk from a fat teat.

Wednesday, I did our state and federal tax returns. I found a program that I like at taxact.com Their software is about half the price of Turbo Tax and others, and works just fine. I have used it three years in a row. The software asks all the same questions I answered each time I went to see an accountant and paid anywhere from $120 to $180. $20 is a better price, in my opinion.

Here is the part that is totally evil about the North Carolina income tax system. Did you know that if you got a refund from last year's taxes that the amount of your refund is considered income for the following tax year and therefore subject to income tax? If in tax year 2005 you got a refund of $500 (to make up a figure) from the state in 2006, you are supposed to claim an extra $500 of income for tax year 2006.

That is pure evil and double taxation. I pay my taxes with taxed dollars. The state takes and holds my money without any interest or consideration. When the taxes collected exceed the amount actually owed, I am due back the overage. Again, this is money paid above and beyond what I would owe. The state treasury holds this money for a year and does not pay interest on it. They earn interest. Then, I am supposed to be grateful to get a refund of my own money. That already taxed money is then considered income a SECOND time and I have to pay taxes on it yet again. That is just plain unethical.

North Carolina has one of the highest tax burdens in the Southeast. We are getting as bad as some states in the Northeast, notorious for high taxes. I read some statistic that showed that Massachusetts has a similar burden percentage wise as we pay here, after all taxes are figured.

We pay federal income tax, state income tax, sales tax, property tax, excise taxes, and the list goes on. North Carolina is more brutal in income tax enforcement and collection than the federal IRS. Been there, lived that. To top it all off, the state graciously taxes us on "income" that has already been taxed.

This is why I love the Fair Tax Plan. There are a few things perhaps not taken into account in that plan, but it is still far more fair than income tax. I would even be in favor of a flat tax, provided that ALL people pay it, regardless of income level. 9% is 9%, regardless of income level and is fair to everyone. Eliminate all exemptions, deductions, and include all citizens and I will be in favor of it. I should be able to figure out income taxes with a calculator and 30 seconds of my time. A simple post card of tax liability would do fine and eliminate much of the IRS, both federal and state. I am all for that.