who's your nanny?

I'm Sick of Listening to the Government Bitch about Not Having Any Money

I know I'm preaching to the choir here, especially if members of that choir happen to own a small business, but it's absolutely ridiculous how difficult the state makes it to generate wealth in this country.

For all the complaining the government does about not having enough money to fund all its illustrious welfare programs, you'd think they'd make it a little easier to start a goddamned business.

I'm simply trying to sell a chili spice mix that's already gone through the regulations associated with manufacturing, and at minimum I need a business license from the county circuit court house, a home occupation permit from the dept. of inspections and permits, and a signature from planning and zoning. And don't even dare calling these people for instructions -- you either get a different story each time you dial the phone or you're told they "can't give legal advice."

Sorry, but if you're forcing me to jump through all these hoops, staff a couple fucking lawyers. But then, why would they do that? It's probably the ABA that's primarily responsible for getting all these regulations installed in the first place so anyone who makes the mistake of trying to make an honest living can dole out 500 bucks just to ask a lawyer how to proceed without getting fined or arrested by the state once he's up and running.

I apologize for this little rant, but I just think it's rich that I'm told I have to get a permit from a government office so it can make sure I'll be starting a "valid" business (Couldn't have anything to do with putting me on the grid so the state can collect the extortion fees it calls sales and property taxes, could it?).

Honestly, maybe I oughtta get permission from my mother and my neighbor too -- after all, I like them a helluva lot more than I like the government. I seriously wonder why anyone even bothers to start businesses anymore.

This Is a Libertarian Economist?

Libertarian economist Tyler Cowen asks the question Were the bailouts a good idea? His answer is Yes, in fact they were:

Without the bailouts we would have had many more failed banks, very strong deflationary pressures, a stronger seize-up in credit markets than what we had, and a climate of sheer political and economic panic, leading to greater pressures for bad state interventions than what we now see.  Milton Friedman understood all this quite well, which is why argued bailouts would have been a good idea in the 1929-1931 period. 

But wait...there's more. To those libertarian economists who like to see both what is seen and what is not seen, he outlines the following possible chain of events:

Maybe you think that the bailouts will have disastrous long-run consequences.  And maybe they will, I worry about this too.  But if anyone should know that modern politics can only stand so much short-run panic, it is libertarians and fans of Bryan Caplan's book.  If we had not done the bailouts we did, we would, within a few months' or weeks' time have received a much worse and costlier bailout run by Congress and Nancy Pelosi.  How does that sound?

By calling this potential bailout by Congress and Nancy Pelosi "worse and costlier", Cowen tacitly admits that the current bailouts are bad and costly. But nevermind this subtle admission. Let us utter those magic words, "All things considered, the financial bailouts were a good idea." Therefore, without the bailouts "we would have had many more failed banks, very strong deflationary pressures, a stronger seize-up in credit markets than what we had, and a climate of sheer political and economic panic, leading to greater pressures for bad state interventions than what we now see." But based on this reasoning, does this not mean that the "much worse and costlier" bailouts would saved even more banks, counteracted deflationary pressures more strongly, loosened credit markets even more, lead to economic and political serenity and reduced the pressure for worse state interventions than we now seee? So why object to the possible costlier bailouts? Based on this reasoning a "worse and costlier bailout" sounds like good idea this time around.

What Change? Part 124

From today's Washington Post

The Obama administration will largely preserve Bush-era procedures allowing the government to search -- without suspicion of wrongdoing -- the contents of a traveler's laptop computer, cellphone or other electronic device, although officials said new policies would expand oversight of such inspections.

 

"We're almost reaching a revolution in this country."

You know what they say about "almost."

Let's get on with it already. But don't count on these Republicans to lead the way.

Follow Me on Twitter

My alias, T-Rev('s Stiff Willi Chili), that is.

Ted Kennedy Died?

Shows how much attention I've been paying to things political lately.

Of course, still nothing interesting in the news...

A View from the Abyss

As Trevor pointed out, we're going down, down, down, down but probably even faster than forecasted. Take Obama's health care plan, for instance. The plan is estimated to cost $1.5 trillion over ten years. As we all know, governments tend to underestimate the true costs of their expenditures. As Robert Higgs points out:

The federal government's health programs also turned out to be fiscal time bombs. Between 1970 and 1994, in constant (1987) dollars, Medicare outlays increased from $16.4 billion to $109.3 billion; the federal portion of Medicaid from $7.7 billion to $63.5 billion. Like the old-age pensions, these programs achieved rates of growth that could not be sustained indefinitely.

This means that Medicare grew by a factor of approximately seven and Medicaid grew by a factor of approximately eight over this 24 year period. Using these factors as lower and upper bounds and applying them to the estimated $1.5 trillion, we get a lower bound of an upper bound of $10.5 trillion and an upper bound of $12 trillion over 24 years.

Statisticians and mathematicians will find much to criticize in my quick and dirty estimates, but I do this just to make a point. Our government cannot forecast the costs of anything health-related (well, anything at all) accurately. The costs are always exponentially more than forecasted. So when the White House forecasts a $9 trillion deficit over the next ten years, about $1 billion of which is supposed to fund health care, it's probably a good idea to scope out other countries to immigrate. Or at least stock up on guns and gold.

We're Goin' Down, Down, Down, Down

Maybe The Boss can revamp his hit in honor of his good buddy Barack, who appears to be delivering on all his campaign promises (and more!) as he succeeds in destroying the U.S. economy.

Watch as administration officials continue to make the talk show rounds and pretend that the goal isn't actually to further devalue the currency even as they seek to centralize every aspect of American life, including defending plans to indebt all taxpayers to trillions in health care "reform."

“I know there are going to be some who say this report proves we can’t afford health reform,” Orszag said. “I think that has it backwards,” because savings must be squeezed from the system.

There really is no organized crime ring quite like the American presidency. Now, if only those "racist" right-wingers would realize the next Republican president is destined to be even more despotic than our current thief-in-chief.

O Glorious Taser

Are you fucking kidding me?

If you didn't think we were doomed yet, this ought to clear things up for you.

(Via Radley Balko)

'T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili' Website Goes LIVE!

I'm about a week away from the release of my chili spice mix, but the official Stiff Willi Chili website just went up today.

We still have to make a few tweaks here and there, but please have a look around and let me know what you think.

Bismarck Dinius Acquitted

In a bit of good news, according to a BoatU.S. press release, Bismarck Dinius has been acquitted of all charges against him in a tragic boating accident that resulted in the death of a 51-year-old woman on the sailboat of which he was at the helm.

After seven hours of deliberation, the 12-member Lake County, California jury found Bismarck Dinius not guilty of felony boating under the influence causing great bodily injury. The same jury also acquitted Dinius of a misdemeanor count of boating under the influence and was deadlocked on a third count of boating with a blood alcohol level of greater than .08.  Regarding the latter, the vote was 11 to 1 to acquit. Jon Hopkins, the district attorney who prosecuted the case, said the charge will be dropped. Dinius had originally been charged with involuntary manslaughter, but that charge was dropped by the prosecution shortly before the trial. In April, 2006, Dinius had been at the helm of a sailboat that was struck from behind at night by a powerboat that was being driven by Russell Perdock, who was not charged. Perdock is the Lake County Deputy Sheriff.

Of course, it is only because the U.S. is a totalitarian police state that Dinius was even charged with these crimes in the first place. By all rational observation, it was deputy sheriff Russell Perdock who was guility of negligence in operating a speed boat at an unsafe speed in the middle of the night and crashing into and ramping the sailboat, causing a significant amount of damage.

Though Dinius has escaped the clutches of the state, only he fully knows the costs he has already suffered. The tangible cost of attorney fees and personal time away from work that are required to fight these frivilous charges, not to mention the psychological costs associated with being blamed for the death of a friend, is enough to break a man regardless of whether or not he ends up in a government cage.

If there's one lesson everyone should take from this unfortunate episode, it's that we here in the "land of the free" do not have a justice system; we have a legal system governed primarily by evil men who manipulate the laws to the benefit of themselves.

Only when we understand that coercive government can never result in liberty will we truly be free.

(Thanks to Kramer for sending this story.)

Keep Putting Your Faith in the Whores on the Hill

I was sitting in one of those $20 oil change places this morning waiting for my truck and heard a CNN anchor say that the criminals on Capitol Hill are now pushing some so-called "nuclear option" for health care "reform." "Reform" of course meaning that we're due for even more state regulation of medical services.

I have nothing to report on exactly what the "nuclear option" is because I simply don't wish to clog valuable storage space in my brain with such nonsense. Not to mention, I literally had to get up from my seat and stand on the opposite side of the lobby because I can't even stand listening to the news. But it's just absurd that there are so few people who would even consider the option of reforming current programs by actually cutting government involvement.

We are doomed.

Another Death by 'Non-Lethal' Taser

This time in Arizona.

He had been taken to a nearby hospital after he was shocked by police, but his condition deteriorated and he was pronounced dead at 8:55 p.m. the same day.

The man's name was not released, and police are awaiting his cause of death to be determined by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office.

Only idiots associated with the state would have the audacity to question the cause of this guy's death.

When Fan Bias Is Irrelevant

Yes, I know this is a political blog of sorts. But I also happen to be a huge hockey fan, and a Buffalo Sabres fan in particular.

But that really means nothing when you read about someone losing a child. Sadly, the 2-month-old son of Washington Capitals goalie Jose Theodore has died.

The goalie's sister-in-law made the announcement Thursday during her show on a Montreal-area radio station. Veronique Cloutier, whose sister Stephanie is married to Theodore, did not give details.

Our deepest sympathies to the Theodore family.

I Have Figured Out How to End the Police State

Let's hire Hooters girls and Playboy Playmates to take pictures on police cars holding rifles. It appears to be the only offense which will lead to police officers being fired since assault, theft, trespassing, murder, etc., only lead to paid administrative leave. 

The State Creates a Future Libertarian

10-year-old Clementine Lee was fined $50 for operating a lemonade stand without a license.

“I was kind of nervous, and I also really felt bad because I didn’t know I was doing something against the law,” Clementine told local media. “They made me feel really, really bad, and scared at the same time,” Clemetine said. “We could have gotten into really big trouble and gotten arrested or something.”

Or tased. Or shot.

(Via Manuel Lora)

HARVARD: Because Not Everyone Can Get into Geneseo

I have to tell you, that's always been one of my favorite T-shirt slogans: Even though most of us SUNY Geneseo alums would be the first to admit the shirt is funny due to the obvious nature of the inherent joke, I bet the majority of us would also tell you we'd do Geneseo all over again even if we had the option to attend Harvard out of high school.

I got out of college with about $19k in student loans, and that's including a $6k master's degree. Now, of course, my B.S. and M.S. in elementary education and reading instruction, respectively, render me practically unmarketable outside government-run schools -- I left public school teaching in 1999 -- but I'm fairly certain I'd be just about at the same point in my life today even if I were still on the hook for $100k in education loans from an elite school like Harvard.

Over the years, and with the help of writers and economists at LewRockwell.com and the Mises Institute, I've come to realize what a collossal waste of money most colleges really are. We're a society that values credentials instead of actual education, mostly because that's the system that's driven by the state and its institutions. In the end, if you're lucky enough to graduate from college, you'll probaby look back and realize you spent tens of thousands of dollars primarily so you could party with a new crop of friends. The schooling? Well, you probably could've taught yourself most of it.

But now, along comes MIT, which has just posted its entire curriculum online for free. Why? According to Gary North, because they can.

If [other colleges] are really worth the money, they should prove this for free on-line. MIT has. Why not them?

Simple: because they are not worth the money. They know it. The parents don't know it. The illusion must go on.

Could a college make its money by teaching upper division courses on-line for 25% of today's tuition – $5,000 a year instead of $20,000 – with no room and board costs? Yes. Will any of them do this? Of course not. Why not? Because they are in debt up to their ears for educationally unnecessary real estate. They adopted a technologically defunct model before the Web.

I'm the first to admit that the "college life" can do some people a lot of good. For me, it expanded my horizons by introducing me to many different types of people I probably would've continued to prejudge based on things like looks alone. I was raised with a rather parochial mindset and needed to be on my own to start making decisions for myself. But the one reason I've always appreciated the advance of online schooling is that it shatters the myth that the only way you can learn is by sitting in a classroom listening to some guy in a turtleneck spouting the school's latest PC methodology.

MIT admits they're not going to certify your learning unless you choose to enroll in their courses. But with the curriculum posted online, they have already done far more to further actual education than any other program in the country.

The pervasive bureaucracy that infects higher education won't be eroded immediately, but if employers really want intelligent people on staff -- some don't want you to be able to think, of course -- they'll be able to reject intelligence for lack of a diploma for only so long.

The Largest Street Gang in America

Government police, of course.

Thanks to Emily for alerting us to this video. It's an hour long but well worth the time investment. Watch it all if you can stomach it.

The Servile Mindset

Before you begin to blame the childish for being that way and join the chorus of those defending the general imprisonment of adults and the schooling by force of children because there isn’t any other way to handle the mob, you want to at least consider the possibility that we’ve been trained in childishness and helplessness for a reason. And that reason is helpless people are easy to manage. Helpless people can be counted upon to act as their own jailers because they are so inadequate to complex reality they are afraid of new experience. They’re like animals whose spirits have been broken. Helpless people take orders well, they don’t have minds of their own, they are predictable, they won’t surprise corporations or governments with resistance to the newest product craze, the newest genetic patent — or by armed revolution. Helpless people can be counted on to despise independent citizens and hence they act as a fifth column in opposition to social change in the direction of personal sovereignty. John Taylor Gatto

The government of Paterson, New Jersey is contemplating adult curfews to stem a rash of shootings in the city. 

"We're trying to think outside the box," said Mayor Jose Torres. "This was triggered predominantly by fear among city residents over the shootings that have been occurring this summer."

These shootings have been related to gang activity which is a result of the destructive War on Drugs. Moreover, New Jersey has very strict gun laws which impede its citizens from protecting themselves. This should come as no surprise for this is exactly how a protection racket works. The State creates the problem of crime through its drug laws which inevitably lead to violence. The State then proscribes or hinders its subjects from protecting themselves. Thus, the people are forced to rely on the State to protect their lives and property from a problem which the State created and exacerbated. The worse part of this, as Thomas Paine pointed out, is that the people provide for the very means of their own suffering through the taxes they surrender. But the more important question to explore is Why do the people submit to their own destruction?

Self-preservation is a natural condition of humanity. The "fight or flight" response to programmed into all of us. When we sense danger, we react to save our lives. Thus, it appears to me that adults who do not act on their own initiative to preserve their lives and the lives of their families have been taught otherwise. They have learned this lesson through force or deception. These adults may have been defeated in war by a superior force and learned that resist is futile. Such was the case of Southerns whose lives were controlled by carpetbaggers from the North after the War Between the States.

This is not our current situation, however. Adults today willingly give up their rights and freedoms under the pretense of safety. They have not been defeated in battle. They have been deceived. They have been taught to be dependent upon on the State for protection of their lives and property. A people who really believed that self-preservation was their right and duty would not tolerate gun laws of any kind. They would know that they are the first line of defense against whomever wishes to do them harm and they would not cede this right to be exclusively protected by the State.

In this country many people not only cede their own right to protect themselves but also demand that others give up their right in the name of safety. They foolishly believe that creating a class of individuals which has the exclusive right of bearing arms (the police, for example) will protect them from criminals. Such reasoning is baffling. If one believes that the an armed population will incessantly war among itself, why would one then believe that gun control laws will be obeyed? Clearly if humans were so venal, no civil society could ever come into existence. However, the very fact that most people do obey these laws shows that most people would not take the opportunity, if armed, to kill each other. Individuals who respect man-made legislation prohibiting gun possession are quite unlikely to disregard natural law against murder. But reason does not permit us to understand the mindset of gun control advocates. We must understand fear.

Nation of Serfs

Boy, if ever there were an article I wish I'd written, this is it. Paul Craig Roberts on how the whores in Washington enrich their pimps running the big banks and munitions industry, all while bankrupt Americans pick up the tab.

(Thanks to Steve S.)

Is Bush the Worst President Ever?

He's a strong contender, says Doug Casey.

The Simple Pleasures of State-Run Health Care

Say, for instance, giving birth to your child on a sidewalk outside the hospital after your request for an ambulance is denied and you're forced to walk.

Mother Charged with Child Pornography

For taking photos of herself breastfeeding her baby (!!).

Jacqueline Mercado, a 33-year-old Peruvian immigrant, took a few photos of her young children at bath time. A week later, Richardson police were rummaging through her house for kiddie porn, and a state child welfare worker came to take her kids away.

The photo in question: Jacqueline Mercado and Johnny Fernandez say they took this image last October to memorialize the breast-feeding stage of their son's life. Below: The Lucca Madonna, painted in the 15th century by the Dutch master Jan van Eyck. Defense lawyers argued that while breast-feeding images are a second-degree felony in Richardson [Texas], they are also on public display in the finest art museums in the world.

[...]

With nothing else to support their contention that the photos were related to sex or sexual gratification, the police and the Dallas County District Attorney's Office presented the photos to a grand jury in January and came away with indictments against Mercado and Fernandez for "sexual performance of a child," a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The charges centered on a single photo, the breast-feeding shot. Fernandez and Mercado say they took it--although the child had ceased breast-feeding--to memorialize that stage of their baby's development.

The criminal charges against Mercado have been dropped, but at the time this story went to press the kidnappers on the dole at CPS continued to hold her other children hostage.

How sick. This poor family would have been better off staying in Peru.  

I want to share this quote from a guy at a libertarian Google group I belong to. I'm not sure he'd want me to give his name so we'll leave it anonymous for now, but he hits the nail on the head.

The United States has the most sexually-repressed yet disgustingly perverted culture on the planet. Only a culture of self-loathing, closeted pedophiles and sexual deviants would consider breastfeeding an erotic activity constituting child pornography. Sickos.

I couldn't agree more.

(HT Manuel Lora)

Hologram of Liberty: Chapter 6-Trickery's Origin

This is the seventh essay in my live-blog of Hologram of Liberty by Kenneth Royce. You can also read my Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, and Chapter 5.

This chapter is the most challenging to follow Royce argues that there is a hidden constitution within the official constitution. The official constitution was created for the people, but the hidden constitution was created for the Federalists. Royce's argument is based on circumstantial evidence and he acknowledges this:

Folks, there is something to this second constitution. To be honest, I believe it more than I know it, however, my belief is in good faith and rests on years of legal research and nonfiction writing. While I don't claim to have utterly proven my point, my circumstantial evidence seems at least worth further study, so I'll leave it at that. I offer this theory largely as an historical enigma which deserves investigation.

This chapter is the most speculative of the book; those who are already open to conspiracy theories may find his argument plausible and those who think conspiracy theorists are fools and cranks will find his argument ridiculous and tedious.

He begins his argument by pointing out that there are three distinct meanings of the term United States within the Constitution:

The term 'United States' may be used in any one of several senses. It (1) may be merely the name of a sovereign occupying the position analogous to that of other sovereigns in the family of nations. it (2) may designate the territory over which the sovereignty of the [federal] United States extends, or it (3) may be the collective name of the States,...united by and under the Constitution.--Hooven & Allison Co. v. Evatt, 324 US 652, at 672 (1945)

For example, IV:3:2, IV:4 and VI:3 of the Constitution all use "United States" in the federal sense:

...and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to prejudice any claims of the United States, or of any particular State.

The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a republican form of government,...

...and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by oath or affirmation to support this Constitution...

Conversely, III:3:1 refers to the "United States" in the plural:

Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies,...

Royce asks

Why use one highly ambiguous term as the common name of three different things? Why not simply call the nation the "United States of America" ("U.S.A.")--the states the "States"--and the Federal Government the "Federal Government"?...Was such clarity beyond [the drafters of the Constitution]? Of course not (6/4).

Royce argues that this ambiguity was intentional; the Federalists used confused language so that they could create two constitutions: one for the United States and another for the United States of America. "United States" refers to the federal government. "United States of America" refers to the States and their citizens.

Local 'Cash for Clunkers' Ignorance

I dropped off my Tundra at the Toyota dealership this morning to have a broken plastic clamp replaced along the side of the driver's seat. One of the employees gave me a ride to my office and in the course of small talk mentioned they'd been working until midnight or 1 a.m. some nights just to keep pace with people turning in their cars as part of the "Cash for Clunkers" program.

The employee, no doubt coached by management, was preoccupied with how much this program will "help the economy." However, despite this display of ignorance -- you can't stimulate an economy by stealing one person's spending money and giving it to someone else to spend -- he did note something rather interesting: customers are beginning to have a hard time finding replacement parts for their cars because these "clunkers" are simply being crushed and disposed of once they're turned in.

In other words, the federal government is artificially increasing the scarcity of used cars and car parts, thereby driving up prices, instead of allowing the market to determine when their usefulness has expired. As usual, folks on the lower end of the economic spectrum disproportionately bear the burden of this program as the quantity of affordable used cars decreases.

In what is nothing more than a wealth transfer from taxpayers to the car manufacturers, the "Cash for Clunkers" program is a huge success in the eyes of the corporatist state and its connected beneficiaries. The poor, on the other hand? Well, they'll just have to be satisfied listening to mouthpieces for the state tell them how much the government cares about them.

Ordering a Pizza in 2012

How long will it be before this is your life?

Turn up the volume and watch the pointer.

PC Discrimination Is Just Fine

Too bad it's not only the Greenies who have to pay for their own public parking spaces. My brother took this picture today in Pittsburgh.

From the Mouths of Babes

Every summer my in-laws have their old high school friends over for a weekend of partying. I think it's great that after more than 40 years they all still keep in touch and come from several different states just to hang out together, and over the past 10 years I've gotten to know a few of them well. 

So yesterday we joined them for a few hours and I was talking to Bob from Ohio. He says, "Trevor, you gotta see this" as we go over to his four-year-old grandson who was swimming in the pool.

Bob: "Hey Will, who's the president of the United States?"

Will: "Barack Obama"

Bob: "And what does he do?"

Will: "Takes my daddy's money and gives it to other people."

As they say, teach your children well.

Weed Is Safer Than Whiskey

So why is the federal government driving people to drink? asks Paul Armentano.

Big Business and ObamaCare

John Stossel on why drug companies and insurance providers are backing Obama's health care plan.

HT to Robert Wicks.

Chris Matthews Has Hardballs!!

Alternate titles: "Chris Matthews: Phenominal Douche"; "William Kostric: Hero"

Kostric isn't a hero because he openly carried a loaded firearm to an Obama protest; he's a hero because he stood up for the rights of all Americans and kept his composure in the company of hysteric Chris Matthews, who encapsulates everything that is wrong with "journalism" today and today's nation of sheep.

Just watch:

(Via Karen De Coster)

The Ideological War against Freedom Continues

As I predicted several months ago, the media is continuing its war against freedom by grouping tax protesters and "sovereign citizens" with right-wing militias. I personally have nothing against militias; they are our last defense against this tyrannical government. But given the sheep are frightened of their own shadow, government officials love right wing militia hobgoblin. They can also play the race card and link these militias to white supremacist groups, further frightening the people and cementing their power over us.

This article is like a synopsis of the MIAC report which was released in the winter:

It's reminiscent of what was seen in the 1990s—right-wing militias, people ideologically against paying taxes and so-called "sovereign citizens" are popping up in large numbers, according to the report to be released Wednesday. The SPLC is a nonprofit civil rights group that, among other activities, investigates hate groups.

Once again people who believe taxation is robbery and who believe that they should be free from the violence of the State are now part of the hate groups which threaten the American people. One would hope that the American people would see through this propaganda but their education precludes such assessments.

The article traces the rise of these groups to the 1992 Ruby Ridge standoff:

The spark for that movement came in 1992 with an FBI standoff with white separatist Randall Weaver at Ruby Ridge, Idaho. Weaver's wife and son were killed by an FBI sniper. And in 1993, a 52-day standoff between federal agents and the Branch Davidian cult in Waco, Texas, resulted in nearly 80 deaths. These events rallied more people who became convinced that the government would murder its own citizens to promote its liberal agenda.

Of course the government would murder its own citizens to promote its liberal agenda. It would murder its own citizens to promote a conservative agenda as well. The State comprises robbers and murderers. The criminals who rule us would kill anyone they think threatens their power. And they will get away with it as long as the people think such violence is justified. The people need a reason to condone arrests and mass murder. Patriotism works well, but fear works even better. Without fear, no State could be established. There may well be wars between groups of peoples, but the systematic robbery for which the State came into existence could not endure. People who realize that self-protection is their right and duty will not be ruled by a minority.

Woman Loses Baby Following Extradition Ride

Maricris Shaw is awaiting trial in St. Mary's County, Maryland on criminal charges of identity fraud, writing bad checks, and vehicle taking. According to the Enterprise, the 35-year-old was apprehended by police in Florida and extradited in May, an experience that she says cost her the life of the unborn baby she carried for six months.

The St. Mary's County state's attorney's office outsources its extradition services to Con-Link Transportation Corp., a company it's used for the past dozen years.

Kevin McDevitt, Shaw's lawyer, said his client had a sonogram done in Florida before she got into Con-Link's van.

"Everything was fine with the baby," he said.

Shaw said she told a judge in Florida that she wanted to return to Maryland and resolve her legal problems, but that she was concerned from the onset when the van's crew put her and other inmates in restraints.

"They put a big chain on my belly," she said. "They put me in the back. I was in the middle [with] inmates on my left and right side."

Shaw says she rode in two different vans with six different drivers through 14 different states by the time her transport was complete. However, during the first couple days she became sweaty and dizzy, to the point where other inmates pleaded with the crew to increase the air conditioning in the van because of Shaw's pregnancy.

But in days following everything got worse. Much worse. Shaw came down with a fever and started bleeding. Instead of immediately taking Shaw to a hospital, Con-Link drivers instead took her to a gas station, where they asked a female attendant to assess her condition. You read that correctly. Instead of seeking professional medical attention in the wake of Shaw's hemorrhaging during a known pregnancy, Con-Link officers instead sought medical advice from a gas station attendant.

In a display of intellectual acuity that was clearly absent in Con-Link's drivers, the female gas station attendant told officers they had to get Shaw to a doctor right away. However, Shaw claims that officers said they were given orders to do no such thing and instead took her to the next jail on their route, where she was seen by a nurse who allegedly said Shaw looked "perfect" without even checking the baby.

Shaw contends that she arrived at St. Mary's jail in Maryland on June 5, which would mean she spent eight days on the road. However, police and Con-Link officials dispute this.

A man answering the phone at Con-Link's offices said Shaw's account would be "impossible" and not in keeping with its inmate delivery schedules.

"Our trips do not last that long," he said.

Capt. Rick Burris of the St. Mary's Bureau of Criminal Investigations said Friday that a detective is continuing an inquiry on the matter, but that no indications of any wrongdoing have been found.

Fair enough, perhaps. The duration of Shaw's transport should be easy enough to verify if Con-Link and St. Mary's County police maintained even minimal record of her extradition (hardly a given, of course). What may not be so easy to explain, however, is why she allegedly was not taken to an actual hospital until four full days after her arrival in St. Mary's County.

Now, it's sort of a running joke in southern Maryland that if you're not dead by the time you get to St. Mary's Hospital, you will be by the time you leave. But what isn't so funny is that Maricris Shaw claims that she felt her baby moving the day she arrived at St. Mary's jail, but by the time doctors at St. Mary's Hospital assessed her baby's condition they could not detect a heartbeat. It was at this point that Shaw was informed that her baby had died.

As despicable as the treatment of Shaw and her unborn baby appears to have been, it's just about on par with what she's getting right now from the state's attorney and other officials attempting to paint her as a liar.

St. Mary's State's Attorney Richard Fritz (R) said last week at his office in Leonardtown that the crimes Shaw is charged with are "all cases that are based on deceit and untruthfulness," and that any liability for the woman's eventual miscarriage would also have to consider any previous health issues and other accounts of what happened.

"It sounds rather unbelievable that someone would keep a human being caged for seven days in a little van," Fritz said. "Her word is not necessarily the last word, nor should her word necessarily be believed without question."

Just when you think it's safe to go back in the water, ladies and gents, there's Rick Fritz reminding you that St. Mary's County is infested with sharks in the police department and prosecutors' office who revel in demonizing their suspects before they ever even get their day in court.

Fritz, ever the humanitarian, claims it's "unbelievable" that Shaw would be caged for days in a van, yet this is the same guy who just last year saw to it that 16-year-old John Edison Jr. was confined in a government cage for nearly six months on charges for a crime that any rational person would have known he didn't commit. This is the same man who essentially admitted that county and state police executed Jamie Dean in 2006, yet he refused to hold any of the offending officers accountable for their actions.

Worst of all, Fritz implies that because Maricris Shaw is merely charged with crimes that are based on "deceit and untruthfulness," we're simply to conclude that she's lying about the way she was treated during her extradition. Yet again, Fritz appears to be doing his best to convince us he operates under the assumption that we're all guilty until proven innocent. Shaw was pregnant at the outset of her transport from Florida and suffered the tragedy of a miscarriage while in the custody of police and affiliated contractors, yet we're to believe that her baby's fate was due to "previous health issues?" How convenient.

Even if Maricris Shaw is guilty of every charge levied against her, it is indisputable that her baby was innocent and undeserving of its fate. At minimum, one would think that if the state's attorney -- who once claimed it was the responsibility of his office to "[make] sure that our police are above reproach in their relations with our citizens" -- cannot be bothered to even consider the prospect of government malfeasance in the matter, he could at least display a little sympathy for a grieving woman.

That he can do neither merely proves that he's just about the last person who should be allowed to have any control over the legal proceedings in St. Mary's County.

Liberty Isn't Contingent Upon the Mere Right to Protest

As freedom-loving Americans continue to voice their displeasure at the Democrats' plans to completely socialize health care, it's pretty clear that the bums in cheap suits we politely refer to as politicians are just not used to being knocked down a rung or two.

Unfortunately, Arlen Specter is probably right when he says that the people who are protesting these town hall meetings are "not necessarily representative of America" -- there should be many more people furious over the prospect of being robbed of the basic right to procure medical care on one's own terms.

Then there's Claire McCaskill, who arrogantly refers to opponents of totalitarianism as "cynics."

"If they don't let us vent our frustrations out, they will have a revolution," Mary Ann Fieser of Hillsboro, Mo., told McCaskill at her Missouri health care forum. McCaskill admonished the rowdy crowd, saying "I don't understand this rudeness. I honestly don't get it."

[...]

McCaskill said she was "proud of the people that showed up and I don't take that personally."

"It's that they don't trust government right now," she said on NBC's "Today" show.

"It wasn't the majority of the audience, it was a huge chunk of them," she said. "But I get that distrust. There's a lot of cynicism out there and it's important that I get out there and listen to that." 

Would that these windbags would not only prevent us from venting our frustrations, but that more people would realize this current crop of criminals is ramming these new programs down our throats regardless of whether we complain about them or not. Obama and Co. understand that if they flit around the country for a few weeks on these taxpayer-funded smoke-and-mirrors campaigns that most Americans will eventually say, "Oh, they must actually care about us if they're willing to go out and do the legwork."

But it's all bullshit, people. What Mary Ann Fieser and other concerned Americans may not entirely understand is that revolution is no less necessary just because politicians allow you to complain about your subjugation before you're actually subjugated. Even stupid politicians are smart enough to hire staffers who will tell them how far they can push the citizenry before it revolts. The shame is ours for not realizing this.

One of the biggest canards in American life today is that politicians "work for us," but when was the last time you had to steal money from your employer in order to be compensated for your labor? Politicians do not work for us. Just the opposite, we work for them; we bust our asses to feed our families and then surrender half of our property to these thieves at gunpoint so they can in turn boss us around. What freedom!

Liberty isn't contingent upon our right to protest. It's contingent upon our ability to realize that the state is a criminal gang that has no concern for our well-being whatsoever.

The Stiff Willi Chili Blog Is Here!

As some of you may be aware, I'm launching my own chili spice mix shortly as a result of winning the 2009 DC101 Chili Cook-Off. T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili Spice Mix should be for sale in the next few weeks, and in anticipation of the launch I've decided to get my new food blog up and running.

I've practically gone nuts the past couple weeks working with the manufacturer in the attempt to design the label for the bottle, but it looks like it will be going to the printer today. Times like these I wish I were a little more spirtitual, because I could probably use a few prayers!

Anyhow, the official T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili website is still in work but should be rolled out in the coming week. Like most of y'all, I'm broke as a joke, so it's quid pro quo time and my friend Jenn at Blake Creek Design is hooking me up bigtime by designing my site.

The web address for the site is www.stiffwilli.com, but right now it's actually being forwarded to the blog, so go check it out and let me know what you think. I plan to use the blog to post some of my own recipes (including many using my spice mix) as well as those submitted by customers and fans, photos of people wearing Stiff Willi Chili shirts across the country, and of course, pictures of hot buxom chicks who are interested in becoming Stiff Willi Girls! All in all, I want it to be a fun blog that has the ability to go in any direction Stiff Willi Chili fans want it to.

Oh yes, boys and girls, the sky's the limit and the spice mix is only the beginning!

They're Heeere

Anti-smoking bandits in New Jersey have finally gotten around to banning smoking outdoors. Oh, sure, they're cloaking the ban in the argument that butts are cluttering the beach, be we know better, don't we?

The Ocean County resort also has cracked down on noise, illegal parking, and trash disposal, officials said.

While the smoking ban took effect immediately, Camera conceded that it was unlikely police would do more than warn violators as the season winds down. So far, Seaside Heights has installed a line of poles and signage to delineate where the smoking area ends. It also has provided large receptacles for collecting spent cigarette and cigar butts.

At least beach bum Stephanie Stevio was more honest:

"It's usually so breezy on the beach that if people around you are smoking, you get smoke blown in your face," Stevio said. "Especially if the beach is really crowded."

Ahhh...gotta love the smell of public property in the morning!

Tallahassee Police Get 23-Year-Old Girl Killed

This story is a couple months old, but everyone should know about it. The video's about 15 minutes long, but watch the entire thing if you can stomach it.

(Thanks to Jack Slater for sending it to me.)

Has the Tipping Point Been Reached?

The White House as turned to town-hall style meetings to convince Americans that more government control of health care will be good for them, but apparently many Americans are angry about it. Karen DeCoster links to a protest in Dearborn, Michigan over the proposed health care bill. In Tampa, FL a protest against health care turned violent. The video shows several protesters screaming "You work for us!" at the local politicians. One man who says he was simply trying to get information on the health care plan was assaulted by police.

This outrage has not gone unnoticed by the White House. MSNBC reports that

[t]op White House officials counseled Democratic senators Thursday on coping with disruptions at public events on health care this summer, officials said, and promised the party and allies would respond with twice the force if any individual lawmaker is criticized in television advertising....

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss details of the closed-door session that took place hours before lawmakers headed to their home states for a month long vacation. (emphasis added)

Democrats have accused the Republicans of sanctioning mob tactics to defeat the health care bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said

These are nothing more than destructive efforts to interrupt a debate that we should have, and are having...They are doing this because they don't have any better ideas. They have no interest in letting the negotiators, even though few in number, negotiate. It's really simple: they're taking their cues from talk show hosts, Internet rumor-mongerers ... and insurance rackets.

The Republicans countered that these protests reflect genuine resentment of the President's policies:

"All the polls show there is serious concern, if not outright opposition, to the president's health care plan," said Antonia Ferrier, spokeswoman for House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio. "Democrats are ginning up this cynical shell game."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is not worried about the protest:

"What you see, I think, is a display of the democratic process," Pelosi said. "We all respect that."

It is possible that this health care plan will be the tipping point for the American people. In spite of what Pelosi and Reid believe, there is genuine anger and outrage festering among the American populace. I think that much of it is simply conservative outrage at liberal policies and as such I believe that this opposition is not as principled as I would like it to be. Conservatives oppose centralization in certain areas of the economy, but not all. They love the police-state and have a fetish for the US military. They support some regulation of the market because they fear a true free market. They believe that a territorial monopolist of law and ultimate decision-making is necessary and they continue to believe in the myth of the rule of law. They worship the Constitution and still believe in democracy. As such what we are witnessing is a true civil war in which conservatives and liberals fight for control of the State.

I Could Kiss Karen De Coster

You can spend the rest of your afternoon reading all your favorite blogs, but you won't find anything as good as this.

Gubmint Groceries

Tom DiLorenzo speculates as to what we can most likely expect to see just as soon as we allow the federal government to monopolize health care (which, of course, will have to be written "health care" from that point forward).

You know, you can almost forgive people of earlier eras for falling victim to the evils of socialism and fascism. After all, they didn't have access to the internet, which in mere minutes would have allowed them to google any number of historical examples capable of explaining the insufferable ramifications of tyrannical political philosophies.

But what's your excuse?

They Don't Call It the Fraternal Order of Police for Nothing

In a story that should come as no surprise to regular readers of this blog, a Columbus, Ohio police officer on injury leave has pleaded guilty to driving 149 mph on his motorcycle, resulting in a six-month suspension of his license -- but only after fellow officers appear to have attempted to cover up the stop.

Gahanna Officer Christopher Thomas, 33, received a speeding ticket eight days after he was caught going 149 mph on I-70 near Buckeye Lake, and then only after the Ohio Highway Patrol made a courtesy call to his department. Trooper Jason E. Highsmith, 35, who was riding his motorcycle near Thomas, received a ticket for going 147 mph four days later.

[...]

The Ohio Department of Public Safety has requested an investigation into the actions of all three men involved in the June stop, including Trooper Bryan D. Lee, 25, of the Granville post, who wrote the tickets. Footage from Lee's cruiser shows him recognizing Highsmith and turning off the sound halfway through the official recording.

Of course, it's not like Thomas really needs a driver's license anyway. He's already been collecting a salary at the expense of taxpayers just to stay home.

Re: White Guys Hate Cops, Too

Brutus, since I can't think of anything else to write about at the moment -- and don't have the time anyhow because I'm swamped in bureaucratic paperwork trying to incorporate my business so I can pimp my chili spice mix before the turn of the next century -- I'll share a couple police stories of my own.

For starters, I've long thought there are only two types of police officers: cool ones and complete pricks. I think that's probably still a fairly decent assessment, though the cool ones are being rapidly displaced by power-hungry jerks. Most of my encounters with cops have taken place on the highway, and I think I've been pulled over six times for "speeding." I'm 3 for 6 when it comes to getting off without a ticket.

I remember only four of these occasions specifically. The first was back in college in early 1996 when a buddy and I drove to the train station in Rochester, New York to pick up our friend Marge. The speed limit had just changed from 55 to 65 and though the trip back to Geneseo was only a half-hour, it was hardly routine so I had to pay close attention to the overhead signs. I was going 70 in the middle lane, assuming the speed limit was 65, when a county sheriff's deputy pulled me over. I explained that I was only going 5 mph over the limit, but he eagerly explained that he was hiding behind an area that was still at 55. Whee, I exclaimed, or something to that effect. At any rate I hadn't noticed a highway marker. I knew there was no getting out of this one, so I politely asked if he could hurry it up because I had to pee (I actually had to). At which point he sat in his cruiser for at least 15 minutes.

Verdict: Dick.

The next time was in the fall of 1996 in St. Mary's County, Maryland. I had just moved from New York to Maryland to take my first full-time job, a teaching position at one of the county schools. I had to go to the DMV (Maryland calls it the MVA but I still haven't gotten used to that after more than a dozen years) because my car was still registered in New York and I needed to pay Maryland's extortion fee in order to have the privilege of owning a car here. I was over the grace period and literally thought to myself before I left for the MVA that this would be the day I would get burned on my way up the road -- appropriate given the fact that the cop could nab me for driving an unregistered vehicle in addition to any moving violations. So I was extra careful to watch the speedometer. I didn't matter. I was clocked going 10 over the limit and issued a $60 citation. (Considering the one I'd just paid in Rochester was $120, I asked the cop if I could just give him $100 and have my way on the roads the rest of the day. He declined.) When he asked where I was going, I told him I was on my way to register my car. He laughed and didn't push the issue. I was surprised.

Verdict: He was pretty cool.

I was pulled over again the following year, this time up in Dansville, New York as I was on my way back home to Maryland after visiting my pathetic excuse for a girlfriend. I stopped at a gas station to fill up and get a can of dip for the drive and had no idea what the speed limit was on the way to the highway entrance. I was doing about 45 -- figured that was fair -- when a town cop threw the lights on behind me. I had my license and registration ready to go as he approached like he was waiting for me to hang a tommy gun out the window. I opened the door because my window would fall into the door every time I tried to roll it down, and the officer gave me one of the "Whoa! Whoa!" gestures. This would most likely get you tased or at least form tackled immediately nowadays, but I explained my window situation and he told me to just sit back in the driver's seat. My window ended up falling into the door anyway because I then had to roll it down. He asked where I was going. I said, "On my way back to Maryland, doesn't that suck?" He laughed and said, "Am I going to find anything on your driving record if I run your license?" I said, "I sure hope not." At which point he told me to have a safe drive and let me on my way.

Verdict: Coolest on-duty cop I've met to date.

The last time I was pulled over (knock wood) was in 1998. I was driving through Mechanicsville, Maryland where the speed limit drops from 55 to 45 at the bottom of a hill. Yeah, one of those deals. I was on my way down to 50, but the state trooper must've decided I was too much of a threat to the Amish buggies on the shoulder in that particular patch of highway to let me get on with my day as I decelerated. I had already pulled over before the cop even left the speed trap to roll up behind me, and out popped a hot little Hispanic firecracker. She went all of about 5'2" and I immediately knew I was screwed. Ladies and gents, there ain't no getting around a ticket from a female cop, especially one that can claim double minority status. The world is their enemy and they're out to make you pay for it one motorist at a time. And even though we all know hot chicks can often get their way with male officers, I doubt Brad Pitt has much of a shot with policewomen out to do anything guys can do and better (so take that!). This was the extent of our conversation:

Her: "License and registration."
Me: (sigh, eyes rolling)
Her: "Have a nice day (hands me the ticket)."
Me: "Go fuck yourself (muttered, of course)."

Verdict: Whore.

You know, looking back at this I was pulled over a lot in a relatively short timespan. Funny thing is, even though I didn't even realize how much I hated the state back then, I sure as hell hated it enough not to want to surrender any more money to it than I had to, so I was always conscious of how fast I was driving. But you'll notice that all of these episodes occurred prior to 9/11, before complete militarization of even local police departments had occurred.

Today I practically consider it a divorceable offense for my wife to be pulled over. While she's certainly not as bad a driver as most women, she still puts her makeup on while she's driving and loses track of her speed. (She denies all of this, of course.) I probably shouldn't be such a prick myself; it's the state's fault, after all, for monopolizing road ownership and law enforcement in the first place (and these guys will pull you over for anything if they feel like it, even if you're only going more than a few mph over the posted limit). But you have to be smart enough -- and, yes, cynical and vindictive enough -- to take measures to avoid being pulled over by police at almost any cost these days.

It's bad enough to have to surrender payment at the hands of jackasses dispatched to steal our property just so they can raise more money to hire more officers in order to perpetuate the cycle. But it's even worse to be electrocuted or killed in an age when everyone is fair game as the police remain above the law.

White Guys Hate Cops, Too

Writes Ted Rall:

No one should be less scared of cops than me. I'm white, clean-cut, middle-aged, invariably polite: "Hello, sir. Is there a problem, officer?" Yet I can't point to a single positive experience I've ever had with a cop. Neutral ones, sure--basic, cold, bureaucratic interactions. But no great ones.

And lots and lots of negative ones.

Where to begin?

I'll never forget the New York traffic cop who stepped off the curb in front of my car on Madison Avenue and ordered me to turn right. He wrote me up for illegal right turn. "But you told me to," I protested. "Wrong place, wrong time," he smirked. $165 plus three points on my license. I appealed. The cop lied under oath. The court believed him.

Or the Nevada highway patrolman who pulled me over. I was doing 80 in a 70. He wrote me up at 100 mph. My brother-in-law, never the suck-up, confirmed I was going 80. I was so furious--the fine would have been $400--that I spent double that to fly back and challenge the ticket in court. I won.

I completely agree with Rall on this point: I have never had a good experience with a police officer. Neutral at best. Several negative ones. I still remember being stopped in New Jersey because I did not know about "jughandles." I made a left turn and accidentally went the wrong way down a one-way street. It was late at night and there were no cars on the street where I turned. There was no "No Left Turn" sign nor was there a "Do Not Enter" sign. The cop gave me a ticket for going down the one way street and then had the effrontery to say that he was being kind because he could have cited me for making the left turn as well. No, you arrogant S.O.B, you could have let me go since I was not from the area and clearly not familiar with the laws. Condescension such as this is one of the many reasons many people hate the police. Clearly it was in his powers to let me go without a ticket of any sort; he explicitly stated that he was not citing me with the other offense. Not only did he give me a ticket, he then taunted me with his "kindness." They are quite aware of their power and enjoy lording it everyone else not a police officer or other hallowed member of the State. Cops are a menace to society and I am glad to see a white, mainstream, liberal male say so.

 

Good to Know the Police Validate Our Parenting Skills

I hate to read any story about little kids getting hurt, but it at least sounds like 7-year-old Michaela Polak should pull through after nearly drowning in her pool yesterday. She and an 8-year-old boy banged heads inadvertantly when they were playing in the deep end of the pool and both children sunk to the bottom after losing consciousness.

"The children were definitely not unattended," Niagara County Sheriff James R. Voutour told The Buffalo News this morning. "[Tracy] was right there. She turned when the splashing stopped and it got so quiet. She did a great job."

It seems strange these days to hear any Liberty Eradication Officer commend a private citizen, though I shudder to think about what Voutour's words and actions would have been had Mrs. Polak been found to have had, say, half a margarita in her stomach at the time of the accident.

But am I the only one who thinks it's just a little perverse that a county sheriff, of all people, feels the need to commend a parent for taking quick action to save the life of her child? What the hell else would Mrs. Polak have done?

Are we so incapable of living independently that there is no outrage when an agent of the state deigns to pass judgment on the adequacy of the love we have for our own children? As if we must be told how and how not to respond in a dire emergency when the lives of our kids literally are at stake.

Be sure to note that the only reason Michaela and her friend are alive today is because regular people -- parents and neighbors alike -- took quick action without any need to wait around and be told what to do. Notice as well that neighbors who resuscitated the children had never even taken a state-sanctioned CPR course (the horror!). Yet all Sheriff Voutour can bring to the party is an admonition that all of us officially learn how to administer chest compressions.

When it comes to providing help in emergencies, "Something is better than nothing," the sheriff told The News. "And from what they described, [the Zettles] did a pretty darn good for never taking a course. A least getting chest compressions and getting oxygen in and getting oxygen moving to the brain is better than nothing.

"But I encourage everyone to take a CPR course," Voutour said. "That's what they should be doing."

The state's condescension toward us peons is palpable. But here's the catch: How could life be any different given our near-ubiquitous hero-worship of anyone who works for it?

Socialism Robs Everyone

Despite repeated campaign pledges by Our Holy Savior Barack the Beneficent (peace be upon him) that the so-called middle class wouldn't see their taxes increase "one single dime" under his reign, administration officials nevertheless refuse to rule out significant tax hikes to pay for all of the president's wefare programs, universal health care chief among them.

Though I'm the first to admit I never believe anything that comes out of the mouths of politicians, it looks like Obama was honest on this one. You just had to take him literally. Our taxes won't increase "one single dime"; they'll increase thousands of dimes.

Whether you find yourself in the upper or lower eschelon of income earners, everyone suffers under centralized government control of their lives. The costs of socio-fascist policies are not merely measured in dollars and cents, but in quality of living as well.

It's not going to mean much to poor single mothers that they won't have to write personal checks for their kids' doctor visits (they don't need to even today) when treatable bronchitis turns into deadly pneumonia because wait lists prevented on-demand service.

Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta ... Er, I Mean, Cop

Just when you thought you had a good story of a run-in with a police officer acting above the law, check out the sad story of Bismark Dinius. He was at the helm of a sailboat when it was plowed into in the middle of the night by a 385 hp Baja Outlaw operated by deputy sheriff Russell Perdock, who just so happens to be the number two official in his police department.

Sadly, 51-year-old Lyn Thornton, fiancee of the sailboat's owner Mark Weber, succumbed to injuries suffered during the collision. So who was charged with manslaughter? You guessed it: Bismark Dinius.

As you might suspect, it's always good to be a police officer if you've killed someone as a result of acting like an irresponsible jackass:

Right from the start, questions were raised about how the investigation was handled. As soon as the police arrived, Dinius was given a breathalyzer test and later a blood test at the hospital.  He was found to have a BAC of .12.  The bigger issue is Deputy Sheriff Perdock’s blood alcohol level.  A Lake County sergeant told a local TV reporter that he was instructed by a superior not to give a breathalyzer test to Chief Deputy Perdock. Instead, Lake County Sheriff James Beland drove Perdock to a nearby hospital where a blood sample was taken.

Accounts vary as to what happened next.  Beland testified that after they left the hospital, he drove around with Perdock for more than an hour before taking him home and then dropping off the blood sample at the Lower Lake Substation. Beland couldn’t remember what they talked about, but he was fairly certain they didn’t talk about the accident. Beland also couldn’t remember whether the blood sample was in his car’s trunk or on the passenger seat. Perdock contradicted Beland’s testimony, saying that he was certain he didn’t ride home from the hospital with Beland, although he couldn’t recall how he got home.  Russell Perdock said that he’d had “part of a Coors Lite” earlier that afternoon. His blood test came back clean, but according to the label placed on the sample at the hospital he was tested 24 hours after the accident. A deputy filed an addendum later saying that someone at the hospital must have made a mistake; Perdock’s blood was tested two hours after the accident.

Read the rest of the story.

(Thanks to Kramer)