Hawaii Legislature Votes to Protect Speech and Property Rights

This is a follow up to my post; Hawaii Legislature to Violate Property and Speech Rights with New Bill.

The bill to restrict property owners rights from displaying yard signs died in both the State Senate and House, after having received praise in its prior final readings. The legislator eventually decided the bill was simply to restrictive to pass and that it needed more work.

This is a major success for individual rights; speech and property rights are being respected in Hawaii… for now.

See the Star-Bulletin Article here.

US Post Office is Anti-Recycling

A Castle Rock, Colorado man has been “accused of violating postal regulations for reusing a United States Postal Service priority mail cardboard box” to send items in. Yes… accused of violating regulations by recycling.

Gary Adler runs the non-profit organization; Pro-Players Association and ships sports memorabilia around the country. To save money (it is a non-profit after all) he does his best to reuse boxes; post boxes, grocery store boxes, and so on. Many times he even gets the boxes from the trash cans at the Post Office.

The post office charges people special rates when they use the priority or express mail boxes, even if it is not the first time they are being used. They require that specifically marked boxes be used only for that purpose (not that they are any more costly to produce than normal boxes). It is apparently illegal to cover, remove, or hide the markings on the box and send it via regular mail or parcel post – even if you pay that rate. Basically, the regulation makes it so that if you send a box regular rate in a box intended for something else-when it was no more costly to produce-you are suddenly a criminal. The regulation makes no sense. Adler and his organization have always reused boxes. They have covered up markings or simply turned the boxes inside out, recycling the boxes and paying normal shipping charges. Its not only environmental, todays buzz word but also economical – also a buzz word today.

According to USPS however, this is illegal. According to Postal Service representative, Nicole Reiter:

Our priority mail and express mail boxes are bottom line supposed to be used for that service. That is what they are intended to be used for.

And on the first go around they are used for that purpose. Alder gets his boxes from the trash. Therefore the boxes were simply going to sit, be unused and the postal service would loose money on potentially reusable boxes. Alder’s recycling is a service to the Postal Service. They can collect the base postal rate from him and other like him, or the boxes can go to the dump and the USPS collects nothing.

Adler states;

I think it is stupid, tentatively this box was on its way to the dumpster at the post office. Here the post office is saying you can’t use our boxes for recycling, go find something else.

Adler’s boxes were all refused by the post office. He says he will no longer use the Postal Service – sadly his taxes will continue to subsidize the US Postal Lack-of-service; and that is beyond his individual control. Perhaps thats an area to rethink. With companies like UPS, FedEx and so on willing to gladly take his recycled boxes and at a cost comparable to USPS with far greater service, accountability and trust that your packages will actually arrive at their intended location on time, maybe a subsidized government organization for postal shipping is no longer needed, not at the expense of tax dollars anyway. There is a market in mail and shipping. Let the market drive the process; pull the government out of the picture.

Meanwhile, back at the Post Office, Reiter states that:

These boxes are a cost to the Postal Service and they supply them for free to customers who pay for priority or express mail. She said they cannot provide them for free and keep postal rates low for everyone if a customer does not pay the proper rate.

Lets recap; the boxes were already paid for, perhaps many times. They were recycled and pulled from the trash! The boxes went from being a loss to the USPS to actually being used towards a gain. The USPS provides bad service and increasing rates – yet they are still subsidized by our tax dollars. They receive postage from us and tax dollars from us – and their service and operation is still deplorable. However, companies like FedEx, UPS, DHL and the like all operate with greater service at comparable prices. They do not get a government hand out via tax dollars and yet they are all thriving, profitable, efficient, and excellent businesses. Perhaps the postal service needs to rethink its ‘Service’ title. Perhaps it’s time the market took over and the government steeped away.

Least of all… I just hope the USPS doesn’t go ‘postal’ over this whole ordeal!

See the Story on ABC 7, The Denver Channel here.

Pres of Shell Oil Calls for Increased American Oil Production

In an interview with CNN’s John Roberts, the President of Shell Oil Co., the U.S. division of Royal Dutch Shell; John Hofmeister called for increased domestic oil production to lower gas prices. He also remarked on the proposed new tax on oil company revenues and the gas crisis of the 1980’s. Check out the full interview transcript here.

Mow Your Lawn or Face a Property Lien

Well.. that is the case in Washington DC anyway. District law mandates that your lawn must be maintained. Specifically, a lawn may not be overgrown with grass and weeds exceeding the height of ten inches. Property owners are warned; if they do not cut the grass they are cited and fined $500. Yes, fined $500 for not cutting their own lawn on their own property – heaven forbid it’s the look they were going for. If the property owners do not cut the lawn after the citation, the city will step in and cut it for you- trespassing much?! The city then places a lien of at least $300 on your property in addition to the fine already placed against you-for not cutting your own lawn on your own property. Yes, I am deliberately emphasizing that it is ones own lawn on their own property; as in OWNERSHIP.

I think the violation of property rights is quite blatant here. If someone doesn’t want their lawn cut to mirror the rest of the world they should not have to do so. If a neighborhood feels that it should all be set in a specific way than voluntary, agreed upon covenants signed by each owner via a home owners association are a much better way to go. The government has no right to tell us how to decorate our homes – inside or out.

See a DC Examiner article on the matter here.

Another ‘Sound Transit’ Ballot Vote?!

Not again… doesn’t no mean no? Sound Transit is at it again asking for more money and another tax increase for the Seattle metro region. Apparently last time the voters said ‘no’ it wasn’t very clear…

See an excellent Seattle Times editorial on the matter here.

Honolulu Transit Can Learn from Other Cities

Recently a Letter to the Editor appeared in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin insisting that Hawaii should build its transit system and that it could learn from the wonderful DC Metro Rail system. See the letter here (It’s the last letter on the page). Of course I began to choke and laugh at the same time and then wrote my responce and submitted the following letter to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin:

Yes, ‘learn from what other metro areas have done’

This is a letter in response to Sid Kahoonei’s letter “Learn from what other metro areas have done”. Like Sid, I too am formerly of Oahu—Kaneohe to be exact—and I now live in Washington DC. While we do have a metro transit system here in DC it is important to note that our metro system is deplorable. The Transit Authority lost money on building it and runs in the negative currently. It continually raises fares and still doesn’t even break even. The trains are falling apart and are continually delayed because of it. The metro system elevators and escalators rarely work and are always under ‘maintenance’. Track construction, repairs, and maintenance are continual; due to the tension and harsh conditions steel-on-steel rail creates. The Washington DC metro is absolutely not a model to be envied or duplicated. They have more money than Honolulu, more access to materials and yet are unable to make transit truly work for them. Sure, the ease of going from point A to B is nice; yet is comes with consequences, challenges and a cost. Learn from the DC transit system; look to other options.

For example, the Washington DC metro region also employs excellent toll road systems and HOT lanes. They have an excellent integrated bus system serving a region more than five times that of Oahu; combining various regional State, County, and DC transit services. There is excellent transit competition – multiple organizations provide transit services creating a win-win situation for both businesses and consumers. Competition allows for an excellent and affordable transportation marketplace.

Yes Sid, Hawaii must learn from other metro areas. They can look to DC and see a current transit calamity and learn of greater road and traffic management systems.

Scott Nolan Smith
Washington DC
Formerly of Kaneohe

‘Free Tibet’ flags Made in China

Everything is made in China – even things they don’t know about. The FP Passport Blog and the BBC are reporting that a factory in China produced a large quantity of Free Tibet flags. The order was from out of country and the management was not aware of what the flag represented. Individual factory workers saw the flags on TV at protests and looked up the meaning online. The Chinese government was than informed. The flags are illegal in China.

Some of the flags may have already been shipped and could show up in Hong Kong at Olympic protests according to Chinese police.

See original posting here.

See the BBC article here.

Hawaii Legislature to Violate Proterty and Speech Rights with New Bill

The Hawaii legislature is considering a bill that would regulate the way individuals are able to show their support for political candidates in their OWN yards. The bill would establish a limit on the size of campaign signs allowed on a “single residential property to no more than 4 by 2 feet” and the bill further establishes that there can be no greater than a 16 square feet total area of all signs added together. Also, the bill would make it illegal to pay individuals to place signs on their property.

This bill is a blatant violation of ones rights to free speech, expression, and property. Individuals have a right to voice their opinions via yard signs. The signs are on their property. If someone doesn’t want to look at them than they can simple close their eyes or look away. Individuals have rights, collective groups like Outdoor Circle (a major proponent of the bill) do not have rights; especially when it comes to the to trampling individual rights to freedom of expression and legal property rights. And, although paying someone to place a sign in their yard may not be the best political move; people should have the option to be paid for services rendered and candidates should be allowed to offer. Yet I do not recommend this course of action to any campaign workers. Not the best way to campaign… lets spend those campaign funds in better ways.

The people of Hawaii must stand up for their property rights. They must let the legislature know they are tired of being bullied and pushed around.

Tips to loophole the law if it does pass:

1. Join up with your neighbor and straddle the property line with a massive sign, it will therefore not be on a “single residential property”.
2. Paint campaign information on your house itself – or the roof (only if you do not have neighborhood covenants). Therefore signs are not being added to the yard/property – are they truly going to go so far as to restrict property rights and tell us how to paint our houses too?
3. Turn your car/truck into a driving advertisement with massive campaign signs standing in the truck bed, or fly campaign flags from the windows.
4. Turn your window blinds and shades into campaign posters. The State is not your interior decorator… they cannot force you to get new blinds.

I’m sure you are all creative enough to discover even more wonderful loopholes! But, lets just hope the legislature comes to its senses and decides property and speech rights violations are not in their best interest.

Bush Heckler Attacks Girl in Wheel-Chair

Via FoxNews.com:

A man heckling First Lady Laura Bush and daughter Jenna outside the 92nd Street Y was arrested after he punched a wheelchair-bound girl whose parents had told him to shut up, authorities said Wednesday.

German Talis, 22, was shouting obscenities at the Bushes, who were leaving the building Tuesday, when he crossed paths with Wendy and John Lovetro and their daughter Maureen, 18, who has cerebral palsy.

They had been in the audience to hear the Bushes talk about their children’s book, “Read All About It.”

“He began yelling about Iraq and Iran at Jenna Bush. She was waving at the crowd. I told the guy, ‘What are you doing? Shut up. This is about a child and books,’ ” said John Lovetro. “He was unperturbed. I said, ‘Get out of here! You’re being a moron!’ “

The next thing he knew, Talis was allegedly punching Maureen, a fan of the first lady since meeting her in 2004.

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The wisdom of some people…. I understand freedom of speech and ones right to an opinion; but, there is a difference in freedom and beating someones handicap child over conflicts of opinion, especially at an event where your opinions have no merit.

Some people…

What Makes Those Gas Prices So High?

An excellent editorial by Daniel Brackins appears in the Hawaii Reporter today. It addresses the rising cost of gas in the US and what’s behind it. Check it out here.

Daniel Brackins is an Economicst and a Congressional Candidate running in Hawaii’s 1^st Congressional District. Brackins holds a B.A. in Political Science from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA and is currently completing his MBA at Hawaii Pacific University. He is known for his economic research, which he has been privileged to present throughout the United States and Japan. For more information visit www.danielbrackins.com or email; info@danielbrackins2008.com

Seattle Secession Follow-Up

This is a follow-up to my earlier Seattle to Secede from the Union! post.

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The Seattle Times Ed cetera blog has an interesting post about Mayor Nickels and his secession movement. The blog post reminds the Mayor that not to long ago he himself was lobbying for harmony in the State of Washington. In 2002, Nickels wrote an editorial for the Spokesman-Review entitled East, west parts of state need to work in harmony.

An editorial recently appeared in the Spokesman-Review to remind Mayor Nickels of his past, and to educate the mayor with the following:

His honor reminded the audience that the metropolitan center and population hub of Washington accounts for 67 percent of the state’s economic activity – and still couldn’t dictate all the political outcomes it wanted. We would remind Mayor Nickels that only 10 of Washington’s 49 legislative districts are in Eastern Washington and of the other 39, perhaps half a dozen might not be considered to include some part of the Puget Sound area. That leaves it a little unclear as to how those rural lawmakers managed to wedge a monkey wrench in the state’s economic engine.

And the Ed cetera blog began to remember back as well:

Hmmm. Come to think of it, Nickels has had some trouble getting folks right here in Seattle to go along with him on a few transportation ideas, like his grand but now abandoned plan for a tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way viaduct. That idea died on the Seattle city ballot long before the state Legislature ever convened.

So… does this scrub the Nickels Seattle Secession movement or is it a mere road block in his plan for regional domination and consolidated power? It’s hard to say… since when “he’s serious”.. he’s really “just kidding”. What do you think?

See the Times blog posting and a copy of the original 2002 editorial here.

Two Women Raped By Ghost, Police Have No leads

WOW!… Ghosts are getting braver and braver these days! A police report has been filed… the police have officially stated that; “they do not have any investigative leads.”

Alright, here’s the scoop. Two women in Federal Way, WA (a Seattle suburb) claim that a “paranormal person have been placing sensors on their bodies and having intercourse with them at their apartment” One of the women even claims the ghost has followed her between moves; from Kent to Federal Way.

A ghost hunter and a psychic have been called in to help investigate – no definitive word yet on the ghost, it has yet to be found. And according to the KOMO4 ABC News article; the two women were not available for comment either;

the women themselves – well, they weren’t anywhere to be found, just like the ghost.”

The media seems to be taking this oh so seriously and like them, I too am oh so overjoyed that the time of law enforcement officers and citizen tax dollars are being wasted on this case.

I suppose I do hope they catch this ghost though… then again.. do Federal Way city cops have jurisdiction in the after life? And if they catch it…if death cannot hold it – will prison? Can you convict a lifeless entity to ‘life’ in prison? Will they seek the death penalty? Oh the questions to be answered!

– - Typed while humming the X-Files theme. – -