06 May 2005
Real ID Act edges closer to passage

Well, my last post on this topic drew a tremendous number of writebacks and comments, so I figured I'd better pass on the bad news here: Real ID has passed out of the House, and is headed towards almost certain Senate approval. The actual law was buried in a military appropriations package that many legislators found it impossible to oppose.

Here's a good FAQ about what this will most likely mean in practice. I just wonder how we're going to manage to pay for all of this "reform" and "security". And I wonder how many folks are going to have trouble coming up with the appropriate forms of acceptable ID just to get a driver's license.

But possibly the most interesting angle is the what's going to happen when the Christian Right, which forms a large part of the Republican political base, gets a hold of this. A taste of political battle to come may be found here.

USATODAY.com - State governments nationwide have tried to make it more convenient for drivers to get licenses at local DMV offices. Now, officials are concerned that a move by Congress to discourage illegal immigration could lead to long waits and a confusing process to get an official state ID.

(link) [Yahoo! News: Top Stories]

00:00 /Politics | 2 comments | permanent link

Opps

I missed the National Day of Prayer yesterday! Silly me! I really wasn't invited anyway (read the fine print at the bottom of the page). A tip of the hat to the Wildhunt Blog for reminding me!

But my mom always told me "Better late than never!", so here's my thought for the National Day of Prayer, in the form of a quote. I've have this particular piece laying around in my files for a while, and have always considered it's author to be one of my heroes, but I must acknowledge that this has been brought to the fore courtesy of an excellent column today by Christopher Hitchens:

The religious factions that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious clout with wisdom. They are trying to force government leaders into following their position 100%. If you disagree with these religious groups on a particular moral issue, they complain, they threaten you with a loss of money or votes or both. . . . Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me? And I am even more angry as a legislator who must endure the threats of every religious group who thinks it has some god-granted right to control my vote on every roll call in the Senate. I am warning them today: I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of "conservatism."

-- Sen. Barry Goldwater

00:00 /Asatru | 1 comment | permanent link

Court yanks down FCC's broadcast flag

Another victory for the good guys in the Copyright Wars!

Just weeks before July deadline, an appeals court zaps federal anticopying rules for digital TV.

(link) [CNET News.com]

00:00 /Copywrongs | 0 comments | permanent link

Bush removes logging barrier

Didn't Bush once claim to want to be the "environmental President"? I wonder whose environment he was talking about?

USATODAY.com - The Bush administration on Thursday overturned one of the most significant land conservation measures of the Clinton presidency: a ban on roads, logging and development on 58.5 million acres of national forests. The move could open large pristine areas to industry.

(link) [Yahoo! News: Top Stories]

00:00 /Politics | 0 comments | permanent link

World's first Hindu theme park

Are these kinds of things sacred or sacrilege? I wonder what a Heathen theme park would be like? The Rainbow Bridge roller coaster? Mimir's Well waterpark?

Its backers describe it as the "world's biggest ever mythological theme park". Hindu gods such as Ram, Hanuman and Krishna will be the central attractions for a 'Disneyland on the Ganges' in India.

(link) [BBC]

via jdj:reloaded

00:00 /Asatru | 0 comments | permanent link

Marijuana Tax Stamps

Kansas Marijuana Tax StampI couldn't make this shit up! The bureaucratic logic here is nothing short of breathtaking - this clearly shows exactly how a system overgrown with legalisms actually operates.

Several states require drug dealers to purchase tax stamps for their products, even though said products are illegal! The picture at the left is the Kansas stamp - I wonder what that strange brown object depicted in it is supposed to represent? Here's the spiel from the website:

The fact that dealing marijuana and controlled substances is illegal does not exempt it from taxation. Therefore drug dealers are required by law to purchase drug tax stamps.

The drug tax is due as soon as the dealer takes possession of the marijuana or controlled substance. Payment of the drug tax will purchase the drug tax stamps. Attach the stamp to the marijuana and/or controlled substance immediately after receiving the substance. The stamps are valid for 3 months. Drugs seized without stamps or having expired stamps may result in criminal or civil penalties which may include fines, seizure of property or liens against real estate.

A dealer is not required to give his/her name or address when purchasing stamps and the Department is prohibited from sharing any information relating to the purchase of drug tax stamps with law enforcement or anyone else.

Purchasing drug tax stamps does not make possession of drugs legal.

The main market seems to be collectors: there's even a whole site devoted to this "hobby" at marijuanastamps.com. The gentleman who runs the site has several other sites devoted to his main interest: revenue stamps. It seems as though drug tax stamps are but a smaller eddy in a greater stream.

Revenue stamps are a fine old tradition in this country. Most folks are familiar with the stamps printed on packs of cigarettes by the various states, showing taxes paid, but revenue stamps have been used nearly everywhere a tax was collected, even on decks of playing cards. I wonder how many drug warriors have ever heard of the original Stamp Act and where that ultimately led?

00:00 /Politics | 2 comments | permanent link