When I opened the page that the Herald titled, AP source: Unlikely that 2 men plotting terror I expected to hear about a couple of people with fingernail clippers getting the 3rd degree by some over zealous TSA officers.  I was expecting that AP was making a big deal out of nothing, but instead I found that our law enforcement apparently taking what I see as a big deal and treating it as if it were nothing.  Here’s what they

WASHINGTON  The FBI probe of two men arrested in Amsterdam after suspicious items turned up in one of the men’s luggage is finding they were probably not on a test run for a future terror attack, a U.S. official said Tuesday, casting doubt on earlier suggestions even as Dutch authorities held the pair on suspicion of conspiring to commit a terrorist act.

The U.S. does not expect to charge the men, a law enforcement official said.

Earlier, U.S. officials said they were investigating whether the two men had been conducting a dry run for a potential terrorist attack. But as the probe evolved, officials said that appeared unlikely.

I’d be willing to dismiss this if the officials had found fingernail clippers, which by the way there is no mention of, but here’s what the article does mention that they found.

When Customs officials discovered one passenger was not on the flight from Dulles to Dubai, they called the plane back to the gate and removed his luggage. It was then they discovered suspicious items in his bag, a cell phone taped to a Pepto-Bismol bottle, multiple cell phones and watches taped together, and a knife and box cutter, according to another U.S. official who had been briefed on the investigation.

Call me a bit backwards, but how can I view this as anything but a test of airline security and the fact that they found this in baggage that was already on a plane that had left the gate, tells me that security failed big time.  And don’t even get me started about the size of that Pepto-Bismol bottle.  Really, we have to take off our shoes and divvy up our bathroom stuff between family members to get through security, but these guys get their cell phones taped to bottles loaded on a plane that they aren’t even on?  Maybe I’ll try that next time I want a full size toothpaste on vacation.

Okay, okay time to calm down. The article does say that the President Obama had been briefed on the situation.

“Everyone in government was impressed with the amount of information-sharing that happened with some of our partners overseas, and the speed with which we were able to run incidents to the ground,” Burton said.

Oops, call me backwards again, but I’ll only be impressed when guys and situations like this are taken as serious threats at all levels of government.   And now I will hold my breath until President Obama refers to these men as terrorists.

As I said, I’ve read a bit about this subject and didn’t hear anything in this clip that rang inaccurate.  He didn’t completely explain that the Visigothic church of St Vincent was torn down and the original namesake Cordoba Mosque in Spain built upon it’s ruins.  That news kind of hit a little too close to home for me.  And while I’ve heard a few times on the radio about Muslims who feel that the namesake Cordoba harkens to a time where the three religions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam all lived in peace only a quick look into history will show the reality that it was anything but peaceful if you were a Jew or Christian.

As I’ve said before the current form of Islam is incompatible with the tenets that our nation was built upon.  Islam must go through a reformation if they are to exist as a religion in these United States.  

If the developers of this Ground Zero Mosque truly wanted to build a bridge between Islam and the Western world they should realize that they haven’t picked a very good place to lay the first brick.

Interview U.S. Senate & House of Representative Candidates

• When: Thursday, July 8th
• What: U.S. Senate & House of Representative Candidates
• Where: Whatcom Community College
• Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Bring: Questions for the candidates
• Cost: Free to the public

I’ve been planning on attending this event since the notice first popped up on Facebook.  After reading that Rick Larsen was to going to be there I started to have second thoughts.

I need to hear more from Clint Didier, missed meeting John Koster, and would actually like to hear from Larry Kalb.  But there is no way I would ever consider a vote for Rick Larsen and I wasn’t sure I could stay awake through all his blandness.  Peppy is good.  Bland is bad.    Now Rep. Pete Stark’s recent town hall was peppy.  I would never vote for him, if someday I were to live in California, but I would make every effort to go to one of his town halls.

Apparently his positions are similar to Rick Larsen and other Democrats, but in his own idiotic way,  he does put on a show worth seeing in person.

So, okay I’ll go tonight.  Please nudge me if I snore.  Take my pulse if Rick Larsen’s answers run long.

Today we have elected into our nation’s highest office a man who believes that individual freedom, liberty and rights must take a back seat to his form of community good government. 

“The utopian schemes of leveling and a community of goods,  are as visionary and impractical as those which vest all property in the Crown. These ideas are arbitrary, despotic, and, in our government unconstitutional.”  Samuel Adams

History is warning us that we are on a tragic path toward the destruction of our nation at the hands of modern day collectivist politicians. 

On this Independence Day, take a moment and think about how you will exercise your right to vote in August and November.  Will you vote to give up your rights and property to a government who will use them as they see fit or will you vote as our founders fought; for a government which honors individual Freedom, Liberty and Rights?  

We the People.

A campaign to impose an income tax on the state’s wealthiest residents is likely headed to the November ballot,

And it is the same message that is on the vote Yes on 1098 website

[I-1098] Imposes a high-earners income tax only on the wealthiest 3 percent of households

This should sound great to the 97% of us who aren’t the wealthiest 3% and even better because we are also promised a 20 percent cut in the state property tax and an elimination of B&O taxes for more than 375,000 small businesses.   And yes, it sounds great right up until you read the initiative and have the sense to put 2 and 2 together. 

The Dupe:

As pointed out in the AP/Herald article the income tax has only 2 brackets and won’t apply to anyone who makes under $200,000.

The income tax would have two brackets. The first is 5 percent of any income above $200,000, or $400,000 for couples. The second bracket is 9 percent on the income above $500,000 for individuals or $1 million for couples.

Seams pretty clear, but the article is wrong.  If you read Initiative 1098 you will find that there are not just 2 brackets, there are actually 3 brackets and tax rates defined.

If taxable income received is:	The tax is:
Not over $200,000	0
Over $200,000 but not over $500,000	5.0% of the excess over $200,000
Over $500,000	$15,000 plus 9.0% of the excess over $500,000

The initiative does not state that those making under $200,000 won’t be taxed.  It does say that we will be taxed at an initial rate of 0%.  With the aid of slacker media, we are being duped into voting in a state income tax that applies not just to the rich, but to everyone of us no  matter how much or how little we make.   If the intent was really not tax those who make less than $200,000, then why not just say that instead of making a tax bracket with a rate of 0%.  Is anyone so  naive to think that the 0% rate won’t go up once the tax structure is in place? 

One of the commenters on the AP/Herald article though, points out this regarding the initiative.  

This initiative explicitly requires a future, majority vote of the populace to expand an income tax to lower income levels.

And they are correct, there is a section that would protect the us from this rate increasing without both the legislature and us approving it. 

Sec. 1004. The excise tax rates in section 501 of this act may not be increased for any income level without a majority vote of the legislature and submission of the changes to the people for approval.

But I’ll say this again, as I’ve said it again before, Never underestimate our elected official’s resourcefulness when it comes to taking our money.    I am certain that the legislature will approve it leaving only the will of the voters between us and an income tax for everyone.

Does anyone remember the will of the voters who approved Initiative 960 which required a 2/3 majority of lawmakers to approve tax increases?  And do we remember that our lawmakers figured out, not a way to reign in spending, but rather, a way to suspended the initiative that we approved?   Here it is again, Never underestimate our elected official’s resourcefulness when it comes to taking our money.

Make no mistake, if you vote for a state income tax for anyone, you will be taxed by the state.  Don’t allow yourself to be duped. Vote NO on I-1098.