Students, Guns, and Money

01 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by perrinlovett in Legal/Political Columns, News and Notes

Tags

CIA, debt, government, guns, insanity, jihad, John Boehner, law, middle east, money, Muslims, Old Republic, shooting, The People, Warren Zevon

My apologizes to the late, great Warren Zevon.

Another shooting in another gun-free zone. Hmm. Always the narrative. One would seem to preclude the other. You don’t hear about too many shootings at police stations, gun ranges, NRA conventions – places where everyone is armed. Anyway, 13 or more innocent people are dead in Oregon. Very sad.

It’s also rather suspicious that officials know the shooter’s age and sex but not his name. We knew Vester Flanagan’s name and even his alias immediately. CNN had pictures of KKK-wannabe Dylan Roof instantly. Nothing this time.

Also interesting is the shooter’s request that his victims rise and state their religions before he executed them. All this leads me to believe the shooter was either anti-Christian or Muslim. Maybe both. Maybe he was just a nut. Maybe he was a recently imported, CIA trained “refugee” from the middle east seeking a better, safer life in America. That was sort of the story in Chattanooga and some other recent shootings. The government is working overtime to import jihadis into the rubble of the Old Republic.

The same government is about to run out of money. All year they have employed various tricks to make invisible the mounting debt crisis. As I said earlier, they’re printing and spending just not reporting. Now the chickens are coming home and the roost is ready to collapse.

Not to worry. Ahead of his departure Speaker John “Boo Hoo” Boehner is orchestrating a plan to raise the government’s borrowing limit. They will succeed. A default and resulting shutdown would be the best thing that could possibly happen to this country. After several weeks or months the people would forget about the government and never want it back. The best thing for us is the worse for the political class. They can’t have that. The horror show will go on.

They keep spending, we keep dying. Convenient, huh?

Government defined in four words. Google Images.

Money Vultures Panic in Georgia

01 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by perrinlovett in Legal/Political Columns, News and Notes

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

banks, banksters, Constitution, Courts, debt, due process, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, federal court, Federal Reserve, fiat money, Fourth Amendment, garnishment, General Assembly, Georgia, Jesus, law, Marvin Shoob, money, money-lenders, panic, The People, the poor

Happy October the first! I cover a lot of legal issues here. Many of them are bad – like the New Jersey Supreme Court’s recent ruling that the police no longer need a warrant to search your vehicle. Fourth Amendment be damned.

However, I am so happy to report good news! For the economically disadvantaged among us (many and growing) and those in danger of joining them (most of the rest) the news doesn’t get much better than this:

Last month a Federal Judge struck down Georgia’s debt collection garnishment law as Unconstitutional! See also: here and here.

The Judge was Marvin Shoob, whom I know from experience to be a class act and one of the fairest jurists around.

Tuesday’s ruling by U.S. District Senior Judge Marvin Shoob said the statute violated constitutional guarantees of due process by not giving debtors enough notice about the sorts of funds that are exempt from garnishment and how to claim those exemptions. He said the statute also didn’t provide a procedure to adjudicate exemption claims quickly enough.

Although the ruling rests on protecting the rights of individual consumers whose funds may be protected from creditors, it could affect all sorts of garnishments, including those that arise from business disputes and child support orders. Lawyers are debating whether simple changes in forms and procedures can allow garnishments to proceed prior to any legislative fix or further court ruling.

“People are panicking,” said Harriet Isenberg, who co-chairs the creditors’ rights section of the State Bar of Georgia.

Alyson Palmer, Collections-Lawyers-Scramble-After-Garnishment-Law-Is-Struck, Fulton County Daily Report, September 10, 2015.

Good. Let them panic. They deserve it for a change as do their money-changing masters.

The subject case stemmed from a judgment collection action by a major credit card company against a poor man in Gwinnett County. I know these cases well. When I was a law clerk I reviewed hundreds of them – each the same. The banks file suit with no evidence whatsoever that any debt is owed and in 90% of their cases they win a default judgment.

It’s a terrible shame. They don’t have any proof. One or two Request for Admission questions and these cases would be dismissed. The poor don’t know. The banks (and the State) don’t care.

Once the bank has a default judgment they file a wage or bank garnishment in an attempt to recover some of their (proof-less) monies. As Judge Shoob points out the garnishment procedure is as crooked as the rest of the process.

As an aside, even if these banks could prove they had loaned money in the first place, I still wouldn’t feel bad for them losing it. It never really existed, being a product of the Federal Reserve’s illegal funny money ponzi scheme. More on that another time.

For now the banksters and their vulture collection agents will have to comply with the law. Otherwise, “using a statute that has been declared unconstitutional to seek collection of consumer debt arguably would violate the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.” Daily Report, supra. That means the bank would end up owing and facing stiff penalties. Ha!

Banks and other large companies run the State of Georgia. They will have this ruling nullified somewhere and soon. There’s even talk of a special session of the ordinarily do-nothing General Assembly in order to bring the law into compliance with the Constitution. Imagine that.

For now the banksters are feeling the panic their ancient predecessors felt when a certain Street Preacher ran them out of the Temple. The rest of us are feeling a little relief. Thank you Judge Shoob.

Secrets of the Trade (and other Bullsh*t)

14 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by perrinlovett in Legal/Political Columns

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

America, Amerika, Boehner, CAFTA, Congress, Constitution, corporations, Democrats, economy, evil, freedom, government, H.R. 1314 (2015), jobs, Marcus Aurelius, money, NAFTA, Obama, politicians, President, Rand Paul, rats, Republicans, Rick Allen, Ron Paul, secrets, SHAFTA, The People, Thomas, TPA, trade, Trade Act, Wall Street, Washington, White House

Recently I wrote of the coming wave of destructive evil from Washington (the latest, as that tide ever brings the same). Courtesy of Barry Obama and John (the tan smoker) Boehner “your” federal government is moving towards new, secret, and purely ruinous foreign trade powers.

Frequently I deride the horrors of politicians and politics in general – see these links for details. The New York Times and NPR report that, as of Friday, the malicious train of ObamaTrade has been temporarily derailed. I say temporarily because things like this are usually a done deal once they start.

“Eighty-six Republicans voted for the program, more than double the 40 Democrats who supported it. But the trade adjustment assistance bill failed when 303 voted against it.

Republican leaders then passed, in a 219-to-211 vote, a stand-alone bill that would grant the president the trade negotiating authority he sought. But that measure cannot go to the president for his signature because the Senate version of the legislative package combined both trade adjustment and trade promotion.” New York Times.

I was pleased the popular press reported on this issue – they lacked the zeal these reserve for important stories (say, about Caitlyn Jenner) – but they did, at least, report. I was a little dismayed they left off important reference information for the inquisitive public. The Bill in question is H.R. 1314(EAS), the Trade Act of 2015.

This gem of K Street legalese would, among other things, amend the Tax Code of 1986 in order to help large organizations make more money at your expense. It would also grant the President new and unprecedented unilateral trade powers. Pay no heed to that Congressional consent nonsense in the Constitution.

Get a load of this:

(b) Principal Trade Negotiating Objectives-
(1) TRADE IN GOODS- The principal negotiating objectives of the United States regarding trade in goods are–
(A) to expand competitive market opportunities for exports of goods from the United States and to obtain fairer and more open conditions of trade, including through the utilization of global value chains, by reducing or eliminating tariff and nontariff barriers and policies and practices of foreign governments directly related to trade that decrease market opportunities for United States exports or otherwise distort United States trade; and
(B) to obtain reciprocal tariff and nontariff barrier elimination agreements, including with respect to those tariff categories covered in section 111(b) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. 3521(b)).
(2) TRADE IN SERVICES- (A) The principal negotiating objective of the United States regarding trade in services is to expand competitive market opportunities for United States services and to obtain fairer and more open conditions of trade, including through utilization of global value chains, by reducing or eliminating barriers to international trade in services, such as regulatory and other barriers that deny national treatment and market access or unreasonably restrict the establishment or operations of service suppliers.
(B) Recognizing that expansion of trade in services generates benefits for all sectors of the economy and facilitates trade, the objective described in subparagraph (A) should be pursued through all means, including through a plurilateral agreement with those countries willing and able to undertake high standard services commitments for both existing and new services.

– H.R. 1314, Sec. 102. TRADE NEGOTIATING OBJECTIVES.

(4) AGGREGATE REDUCTION; EXEMPTION FROM STAGING-
(A) AGGREGATE REDUCTION- Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the aggregate reduction in the rate of duty on any article which is in effect on any day pursuant to a trade agreement entered into under paragraph (1) shall not exceed the aggregate reduction which would have been in effect on such day if–
(i) a reduction of 3 percent ad valorem or a reduction of 1/10 of the total reduction, whichever is greater, had taken effect on the effective date of the first reduction proclaimed under paragraph (1) to carry out such agreement with respect to such article; and
(ii) a reduction equal to the amount applicable under clause (i) had taken effect at 1-year intervals after the effective date of such first reduction.
(B) EXEMPTION FROM STAGING- No staging is required under subparagraph (A) with respect to a duty reduction that is proclaimed under paragraph (1) for an article of a kind that is not produced in the United States. The United States International Trade Commission shall advise the President of the identity of articles that may be exempted from staging under this subparagraph.
(5) ROUNDING- If the President determines that such action will simplify the computation of reductions under paragraph (4), the President may round an annual reduction by an amount equal to the lesser of–
(A) the difference between the reduction without regard to this paragraph and the next lower whole number; or
(B) 1/2 of 1 percent ad valorem.

– H.R. 1314, Sec. 103, TRADE AGREEMENTS AUTHORITY.

Make any sense to you? Of course not. And, this is the part that is open for public inspection. A shadow bill, the real law, is still locked up and under armed guard in the Capital basement vault. What kind of government operates like this? Sadly, “ours’ does.

(Breitbart.)

Members of the respective houses of Congress can (allegedly) enter the vault to read the shadow text. Rand Paul did so. “’I think I am not supposed to reveal the details of it, but I can tell you it was about 800 pages long,’ Paul said.” Breitbart. “Paul said he thinks the secretive process makes it look like the government has “something to hide” and that he thinks if Obama opened up the process it’d make it easier for several Senators—and the American people—to truly understand what it is they’re voting on.” Id.

They do have something to hide. They always do. The details are in the vault, so to speak. The fact that a U.S. Senator has to keep mum about the text demonstrates this without question.

Another telling facet is the desperation among Republicans and the White House to pass this filth. “The fate of the trade legislation now depends on Obama’s ability, along with business-friendly interests, to persuade dozens of Democrats to switch their votes before a planned do-over vote early next week.” Washington Post.

The President is literally pleading with his own party to help him screw the American People. He’s already won over many of the “loyal opposition.” At a Washington Nationals ballgame last week “a bizarre scene unfolded as the crowd crammed inside Nationals Park lurched into a chant about the legislation. ‘TPA! TPA! TPA!’ chanted Republican congressional aides seated near the first base dugout when Obama stepped onto the field at the top of the fourth inning.” Fox News. “TPA” refers to Trade Prostitution Act.

Another telling feature is the desires of large U.S. corporate interests to pass the Bill. The more power their political puppets have, the more money they can make. You and your retirement plans be damned. “’Manufacturers will not back down in this fight for expanded trade, for the future of our industry and our country,’ the National Association of Manufacturers said in a statement.” Business Leaders React With Dismay to Defeat of Trade Bill, New York Times. Naturally, they have yachts to buy.

Some out here in the real country get it. “Do you remember back in the 1990s when the United States entered into the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)? And the subsequent Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)? These trade agreements have not worked out well for American workers. American jobs went to Mexico. American workers were laid off and communities devastated. American companies, just to increase their profits, built their production plants in Mexico and paid their workers pennies on the dollar for their labor.” Remember NAFTA and CAFTA? Well, here comes SHAFTA, Economy in Crisis.

Unfortunately, we have not learned our lesson — even after two decades of failed trade agreements. Right now Congress is considering entering into another trade agreement with South Pacific countries named the Trans Pacific Partnership, otherwise known as TPP. However, this trade agreement is even more onerous than previous failed trade agreements.

* The TPP was constructed in secret by corporations. Congress and the public had no input. This is fundamentally undemocratic and undermines transparency in government.

* It is a trade deal that increases corporate power and CEO bonuses.

* Thousands of jobs out-sourced to countries that do not respect human rights or worker’s rights.

* It allows transnational corporations to sue countries if they believe they have been harmed (sometimes speculatively) in a trade agreement written by corporations and behind closed doors.

* Expands the deregulation of banks, hedge funds and insurance companies. Remember the Wall Street crash of 2008 due to deregulation? Regulations keep corporations honest and prevent them from harming us.

* Harms environmental regulations in counties that are part of the TPP.

The corporations are now done writing their secret trade agreement, and Congress now has to vote up or down on the law. The Obama administration is seeking “fast track” authority from Congress in order to complete the negotiations. This means there will be no committee hearings, expert testimony or amendments. The Obama administration is taking this anti-democratic approach because they know if this treaty was debated, it would never become law.

– SHAFTA, Id.

Read that again. Let it sink in.

Last week, prior to the vote and temporary corporate profit defeat, I called my Congress Critter, one Rick Allen, for his input. While I live in his District, he does not necessarily represent me. Since the departure of Ron Paul I have had no semblance of representation in Washington. So it goes.

Amerika being what it is these day I was unable to speak directly with my employee. Rather, I had a conversation with a polite young fellow named Eric. He laughed and admitted, yes, much of the Bill is secret. (F’ing hilarious!) He did note that I could read all about the public parts – see Thomas quotes, above. True to his position and the nature of his work he would not say definitively whether my boy Allen was in favor of sending more jobs oversees and more money to Wall Street.

As an aside, Allen did vote against the Bill. Then he immediately voted to keep it alive for future consideration. How very political of him.

Eric was well aware of the TPA chant at the baseball game. Though he was not present he did state that several of his office mates were. I warned him of what Marcus Aurelius said about this kind of thing. The Roman leader and philosopher was solidly against jingoistic public displays of partisan passion. My warning was likely lost – then and now.

If you care you may contact some staffer of your “representative,” whoever that may be. Just click this little link to locate your dedicated servant: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/.

You may be able to visually pick him/her out of the following picture. This photograph is of a general Congressional pow-wow over the Bill last week:

(They do all look the same. Google.)

Denny Slams His Victim

07 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by perrinlovett in Legal/Political Columns, News and Notes

≈ Comments Off on Denny Slams His Victim

Tags

ABC, Amerika, Congress, cowards, Democrats, Denny Hastert, Devil, evil, government, law, money, police, politicians, rape, Republicans, Steve Rieboldt, The People, Washington, women

Last week I brought you the disturbing news about one of our beloved political “leaders” – Rodentia Americanus Denny Hastert. Yes, I have already convicted the filth by way of opinion but, then again, I know these people – I have no doubts here. They possess an evil aura or force one can actually feel like a slap in the face. Long days I spent in the dreadful confines of the Dark City on the Potomac with them. I would rather not recount those experiences and I never want to go back there again. It is my mission to do what I can to disrupt their Satanic plans for you and yours.

I caught a little hell from the GOP peanut gallery. Yes, the Democrats do the same things. I never said they do not. As the RepubliCONS are held to some mythical standard of purity I find it much more interesting when they (always) fall from grace. The truth is they have no grace, no souls, no redeeming qualities. Keep your partisan political-centric idiocy to yourself.

More has emerged on the sordid life and times (crimes) of Denny “The Molester” Hastert – out of the closet, one might say. One victim of the former House Speaker has been identified as Steve Rieboldt (deceased).

I knew Denny had picked on one of the younger, lesser members of his available pool of victims. This is the way of the wolf; always going for the weak. The young man (and I know there were more) was the wrestling team manager (the towel boy) back in the 70’s in Illinois. He probably loved the sport and wanted to be around it while lacking the necessary physicality to compete. He probably, more than any other squad member, had to spend time with his demented teacher.

Rieboldt’s sister, Jolene, spent years trying to bring this horrible abuse to light. Her brother died in 1995 thanks in part to the lifestyle imparted by the Speaker. That rat, then a corpulent member of Congress, had the audacity to appear at the funeral. Jolene confronted him boldly:

“I was just there just trying to bite my tongue thinking that blood was coming out because I was just… So after he had gone through the line I followed him out into the parking lot of the funeral home,” Jolene said. “I said, ‘I want to know why you did what you did to my brother.’ And he just stood there and stared at me. He didn’t say, ‘What are you talking about?’ you know, [or], ‘What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ He just stood there and stared at me.

“Then I just continued to say, ‘I want you to know your secret didn’t die in there with my brother. And I want you to remember that I’m out here and that I know.’ And again, he just stood there and he did not say a word.”

Hastert got in his car and drove away. Jolene said Hastert’s non-response “said everything.”

– Jolene Rieboldt, ABC News.

God bless this strong and devoted sister.

Republicans are supposed to be the American tough guys. They stand for national defense, guns, and self-reliance. Bullshit, all of it. Note that this perverted freak didn’t have the nerve to confront or even murmur a response to a woman. Such it often is; those who prey on children are themselves the weakest, lowest bullies known to man. If confronted by an angry father or brother they will literally self destruct.

Hastert now stands accused by his own government of crimes against that government and the all-powerful banking lobby. Laws like this serve only the powerful elite; they are a plague on the rest of us. A real police entity, given to protecting people (not money), would go after this useless shit for what he did to children. But, so we have it in modern Amerika. Banks and money are protected at all costs. The weak and innocent are left to fend for themselves or rely on our vigilant women for protection.

Think about this case the next time some damned elected “servant” grovels on TV about his plans to help you. You’d be better off appealing directly to the assistance of the Devil himself. Sic Semper Tyrannis!

Despicable Denny Proves a Point (Several in Fact)

31 Sunday May 2015

Posted by perrinlovett in Legal/Political Columns, News and Notes

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

America, banks, children, Congress, crime, Denny Hastert, Diebold, elections, evil, FBI, Federal government, felony, freedom, Geneva Convention, George Bush, government, House of Representatives, illegal, Illinois, immoral, Jesse Ventura, Jesus, law, Matthew 18:6, money, politicians, rape, Republicans, Structuring, Texas, The People, Tom DeLay, voting

Warning: the subject matter de jure is downright sickening. The other day I stated that I really hate politicians. If you’ve ever met or smelled one, then you understand.

News came last week of the indictment of yet another filthy, criminal pol. It was spun in rather drab fashion I think. People are so used to this sort of thing it’s not really news anymore. Yet, and still, the people clamor for their “representatives” whenever an election comes to town. That’s proven point number one – the public is composed of voting idiots.

Dennis “Denny” Hastert was a Republican Congress-criter from Illinois. He served as the 59th Speaker of the House from 1999 until 2007. This coincided, largely, with the reign of Jorge Bush, the Dimmer.

You may recall how Hastert helped Bush double the national debt while creating new cabinet agencies and several undeclared wars – conservative stuff. Proven point number two – politicians of any party and their governments are a band of criminals and the scourge of civilization. Denny’s House Whip (the following story lends new and lurid speculation as to this term) was Tom DeLay. DeLay narrowly avoided a felony conviction and prison for election violations in Texas. Hastert now faces felony charges of his own from the federal government.

Remember my piece on “Structuring?” No? Read it again for good measure.

Cash transactions in excess of $10,000 are automatically flagged by banks and referred to the FBI for investigation. No crime needs be committed. Just withdrawing your own money for any reason is suspicious enough for the ever-nosey feds to examine. One would think they’d be busy fighting terrorists or child rapists or something.

Anyway, it is also illegal to split cash deposits or withdrawals into smaller increments so as to evade the reporting process. It seems criminal intent is in the Eye of Sauron of the government beholder. Consult the U.S. Code – 31 U.S.C. 5324 – for specifics on this idiotic law.

Dear Denny has been charged with structuring his cash withdrawals. Some time ago he began to withdraw $50,000 at a time from his bank accounts. Five times the “legal” limit, these transactions were automatically flagged. The bank or the cops must have informed Denny because he began to make withdrawals (lots of them) at just under the $10,000 limit. Denny withdrew several million dollars in such fashion.

These lesser withdrawals were noted by the bank. Concerned Denny was being blackmailed or something, the bank reported the new, lower withdrawals to the Empire. While any cash transaction over $10,000 must be automatically reported any amount the bank deems suspicious can be reported on a “STR” or suspicious transactions report.

Let’s be clear for a second. Your money is your money. You have the right to do whatever you want with it and in any amount or combinations of amounts. It is your damned property. Or you should have the right. The government and “your” bank are infringing your rights. Thus, poor Denny is a victim of this Draconian, illegitimate law. Point number three – federal banking laws exist to control and hurt people.

Denny is also charged with lying to federal officials. This proves another point of mine – do not talk to any officers or agents of any police force – ever. If you’re not talking, you’re not lying. Point four – do not talk to the cops.

It turns out Denny had a rather pressing reason to move his funds around as he did. Before Denny descended into the cesspool of Washington he was a fat teacher and wrestling coach at a high school in a small Illinois town. Either from a deranged mind or a strategic training regimen for his future political career Denny began to sexually molest one (or more) of his underage male charges.

I have not researched the specifics of these allegations and I do not plan to. I will assume they were lecherous, debased acts of the Jerry Sandusky variety. It is technically possible Denny is innocent in this matter (the sex matter). It is also technically possible a black hole will materialize overnight and swallow the sun, thus bringing a tomorrow without dawn. The odds of both are roughly equal though weighted in favor of the astronomical anomaly. Denny obtained the cash in order to pay off his would be accuser(s). Child molestation or rape charges don’t help a grafting political career and may cause inconvenient jail time.

I imagine these boys (or boy) were younger and smaller than most. Predators seek out the weaker members of the herd for attack. In any event they were young men, children, in need of molding and guidance. Instead, they suffered physical trauma and psychological damage no-one, especially a child, should ever experience.

Men (and women) who molest children should be disposed of in the most brutal manner conceivable. Hastert, Sandusky, Michael Jackson, that lowlife down the block – not one of them contributes to society and each is a unacceptible danger. Hang them from the highest trees. This is point five: “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matthew 18:6 (KJV)(mind you, Jesus says this tortuous execution would be better than what awaits the degenerate in Hell).

(Cash, rape and politics. Ready the millstone. Chicago Tribune.)

One would think the government would be more interested in prosecuting child rape than imagined financial irregularities. One would be wrong in America. Jesse Ventura once noted the excellent point that people under the age of 21 are treated as children in America, forbidden to drink alcohol by the government. The same government sends people under 21 off to war to die in jungles and deserts. Thus, the U.S. government sends children to war. This is a war crime under the Geneva Convention.

Sad, but true, in America the government cares more amount money and systemic process than about protecting innocent children. Given enough time to metastasize all governments eventually behave with such disregard for morality. This brings up point number six – government is utterly useless and extraordinarily dangerous. Tell that to the Diebold voting machine next time you are asked to sanction the system.

It’s Your Money, They Want It Now

04 Wednesday Mar 2015

Posted by perrinlovett in Legal/Political Columns, News and Notes

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

banking, civil forfeiture, Congress, Constitution, Courts, crime, executive order, government, immigration, IRS, jail, law, Lincoln, money, Obama, robbers, Structuring, Supreme Court, taxes, theft

If you are unfortunate enough to view television these days undoubtedly you have seen a J.G. Wentworth commercial. They feature a variety of folks (opera singers, bus drivers, etc.) singing about the virtues of cashing in on structured settlements. They’re kind of catchy.

(Your money’s in the bank – go to jail noooow! Google Images.)

The federal gubmint has a similar scheme to cash in on your settlements. They call it “structuring” too! I wrote about the program several years ago. It is illegal to split cash deposits (your money mind you) so as to evade the banks’ legally mandated cash reporting process. Why the government needs to know how much money you deposit or that you deposit it, period, is beyond me. Something about fighting drugs and terrorists. Or was it drugged terrorists? Anyway, it’s all codified in 31 U.S.C. 5324.

Why split up the deposits? Beats me. That’s your business – or it should be. These days everything necessarily has to involve the government. Here are two examples of otherwise innocent splitting now criminalized by our kind friends in Washington:

“2. Jane needs $18,000 in cash to pay for supplies for her wood-carving business. Jane cashes a $9,000 personal check at a financial institution on a Monday, then cashes another $9,000 personal check at the financial institution the following day. Jane cashed the checks separately and structured the transactions in an attempt to evade the CTR reporting requirement.” CTR Pamphlet, www.fincen.gov.

“3. A married couple, John and Jane, sell a vehicle for $15,000 in cash. To evade the CTR reporting requirement, John and Jane structure their transactions using different accounts. John deposits $8,000 of that money into his and Jane’s joint account in the morning. Later that day, Jane deposits $1,500 into the joint account, and then $5,500 into her sister’s account, which is later transferred to John and Jane’s joint account.” CTR Pamphlet,www.fincen.gov.

Plain as can be. Jane and John are hardened criminals and need to spend time in jail. They will. Or, at least they will get probation and “forfeit” their money to the feds. So will Janet Malone of Dubuque, Iowa. Janet’s husband died and left her with the cash rewards of his gambling hobby. Janet decided the money would be better off in a bank rather than scattered around her house. She deposited some of it in a fashion which seemed reasonable to her. The IRS, always knowing better, objected.

With all the courtesy of starving termites they seized her money and have charged her with criminal structuring. She will probably enter some sort of guilty plea. Most people do. The IRS will likely keep her cash under civil forfeiture laws. There’s really nothing civil about it. Between 2005 and 2012 the IRS so seized about a quarter of a billion dollars in this fashion. It gave some of it back. Some. This is the same agency that now pays tax refunds to criminal illegal aliens who never paid taxes in the first place. Something smells on the Potomac.

Congress is incensed by this blatant theft from the people. They could just repeal the law or, better, abolish the IRS completely. They won’t. Instead they have convened a committee! It’s focus will center on stopping IRS abuse of small businesses. As an aside they may also examine the effects of Rearden Metal exposure on unicorns.

Know this: the government wants what you have. And, they’ll get it. They don’t even need a law to justify their thievery. The White house wants to raise taxes by executive decree. Abe Lincoln did this during the war between the States. The Supreme Court belatedly found this unconstitutional. Don’t hold your breath this time.

Do not look to Congress for any help. Remember the illegals? His Excellency, President Obama, has been using his pen to flout immigration laws. The brave Republican “opposition” collapsed faster than a jellyfish beneath a steam roller. This is the way it is.

As is, either keep your money to yourself or comply with the ridiculous law whilst banking. Otherwise, you’ll end up a poor inmate somewhere. It’s kind of like the old highwayman’s motto: “your money or your life.” Except these robbers write the law. Now you know.

Ten More Things For A Happier Life

04 Thursday Apr 2013

Posted by perrinlovett in Other Columns

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

advice, camping, Cassandra, change, clutter, fast food, fat, fish, garden, hiking, hobby, hypnosis, insurance, loafing, mind, money, nature, NFL, pink, sissies, sleep, trades, Troy, useless, Who Moved My Cheese?

I like making these lists. Many of these ideas I have tried to put into practice, some just come to me and I share them with you so we can implement them together. Let’s see what I have today…

1. Less is More

My favorite Priest and George Carlin did the same stand-up routines about people and their “stuff,” not sure you copied whom. Anyway, modern people have an over-abundance of things, items, and stuff weighting them down like anchors. Clean out the clutter! Here’s how to do it: look around your home and see what items you have not used in the past six months. By and large, those are things you just don’t need. I have never been a pack-rat but about a year and a half ago I had the opportunity to look through most of the things I owned. I got rid of the majority of them. Now, I’m happier and I never miss anything I scraped. You’d be amazed at the things people will buy from you. Sell what you can, donate as much as you can, and can the rest. Once you start, it is very easy. Get rid of all the unnecessary stuff in your life. Then, see number five, below.

2. Get Back to Nature.

First I recommended walking around, then hiking. What I’m referring to here is more than just taking a hike. It means slowing down and enjoying the natural world around you. Modern conveniences are great at times, but they usually lack a human feel. To reconnect with the world just try sitting quietly outside. Look around, count squirrels. After your hike, pitch a tent and camp out. Cook over a fire. At home, plant a garden and eat what you grow. It’s better for you and gives you something to do that makes you feel truly accomplished. It’s pretty easy too.

(Play in the dirt! Google.)

3. Take Some Time Off to do Nothing

People rush around like rats in a maze nowadays. That may be the life for some but I figure there’s more to life than just rushing. Usually, folks only stop their day-to-day madness for a specific event – a sick day, vacation, or some special event. I say, just every once in a while, take a day to do nothing. Call in sick one day and spend it loafing. Odds are, you need it. Time off refreshes the brain and will enable you to tackle your chores with greater vigor – tomorrow. Americans, despite chronic unemployment and diminishing incomes, are still the hardest working people on earth. Reward yourself with a little “you” time.

4. Start a Hobby With a Useful Skill

Everyone has a job – teacher, architect, lawyer, driver, etc. Imagine, if you will, that one day the world changes and your profession is no longer in need. Then what? Wouldn’t it be great to have something else to fall back on? Pick a trade or hobby that will always be in demand (gardening/farming, sewing, carpentry, etc.) and add it to your vocational repertoire. You’ll learn something, have fun, and have an edge if things change – they always do.

5. Give up Something You Don’t Need

Yes, this is kind of related to number one but, instead of letting go of a physical thing, give up something you do that really isn’t that important to your life. You’ll improve yourself thereby. Over the past ten years or so I’ve been trying as hard as possible to put as much distance between myself and our idiotic popular culture as I can. I have no interest in vapid celebrities, boring television, statist-organized movies, and music which is really just noise with a price tag. With the exceptions of watching golf and the Dawgs, I have stopped paying attention to all competitive sports which do not involve me cranking a reel, squeezing a trigger, or physically improving myself. Recently, I decided to cut my last tie with professional sports (excepting golf) by giving up pro football. The NFL is no longer a sport, now it’s a soap opera with injuries, time-outs, the TSA, and pink everywhere. I don’t need to watch overpaid prima donnas clad in pink play a child’s game for four hours. I’d rather smoke a cigar, pump iron, or fry the fish I catch. Besides, pro sports were specifically engineered by the elite as our “bread and circuses” in order to keep us pacified. I’m not easy to pacify and impossible to control. Rebel against something!

(So manly. Not. Google.)

6. Spare Someone the Advice

Most people do not listen to your advice, solicited or otherwise. If they do, they usually ignore it. This even happens if they pay you for your advice – I know all about this. Note: I am in no way talking about great blogs here… Cassandra was the Princess of Troy. She constantly gave advice and made predictions. Despite being correct 100% of the time, no-one ever listened to her. Don’t be Cassandra. People will usually do as they will, it’s their nature. Let them be.

7. Re-Evaluate Where You Stand

Where are you? Who are you? Are you a middle-aged man in a small, crapulent city you hate? Do you always vote for a particular party of ticks just because they’re “your party?” Going to school because you can’t think of anything else to do? Sounds like it’s time to do some soul-searching and maybe make a change. Change is good. Read Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, http://www.amazon.com/Who-Moved-My-Cheese-Amazing/dp/0399144463/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365124623&sr=8-1&keywords=who-moved-my-cheese, do understand why. If what you’re doing isn’t working for you, stop. If it is, rejoice and continue.

8. Cut the Processed Food

I lost 50 pounds of unsightly fat (probably more setting aside muscle gain) in the past 6 months. Part of my plan, which I didn’t really plan, was to stop eating out and to eat unprocessed or fresh foods at home. It just happened for me and the results are astounding. Fast food is loaded with fat, grease, poisonous additives, and carbohydrates (which turn into fat). It also costs a lot of money. A burger or ice cream every now and then is okay. It won’t hurt your diet and, in moderation, tastes the way it’s supposed to. Try replacing half of your processed/fast food intake for a week and see what happens. I think you’ll thank me the week after.

9. Check Your Insurance

We insure ourselves against everything these days. Part of this is common sense, part of it is peer pressure, and part of it is a reaction to all the fear we’re force-fed by society. For instance, “they” say everyone needs life insurance in case one dies leaving behind obligations. This might be true. But, what if you have no obligations and no dependents? Who benefits then from all those monthly premium payments? And, in that case, should you die, why care about what happens to the world when you’re gone – you’re gone! Also, if you have accumulated sufficient personal assets to cover any post-demise incidentals, what’s the point in giving some unregulated bank your money? Check your situation and see if you really need that policy. Or, any kind of policy. See if you could save money by switching companies or cutting back on services you don’t need. And, always remember – insurance companies are in business to take your money, period. If a time comes when they have to pay out, they will avoid it at all costs. Plan your coverage accordingly.

10. Hypnotize Yourself

(Crazy but true. Google.)

This sounds a little wackier than my usual rambles but it’s possible, it works, and it will help you. It relates to many of my previous points. The problem is, I can’t exactly explain how to do it. That’s up to you and your brain. Really, it’s just psychological conditioning, I suppose. I have mastered the ability to command or trick my brain into ceasing all worry, any negative thoughts, or any conscious processes I wish to halt for the time being. This is great a bed time when the mind is still in high gear. I order it to stop, it stops. I then order my body to sleep, I sleep. Perhaps someday I will master the science of relaying the process. Until then, remember that if i can do it, so can you – without instructions. Try one night when you can’t sleep and you’re out of NyQuil.

As always, pass these along if you care. Try to come up with great suggestions of your own (in spite of seeming like a Cassandra). Sleep long and prosper!

Structuring, Are You Guilty?

06 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by perrinlovett in Legal/Political Columns

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

31 U.S.C. 5324, Americans, attorneys, banks, Boston, crime, CTR, FBI, Federal government, forfeiture, Harvey Silverglate, money, selective prosecution, Structuring, The Smurfs!, Three Felonies a Day, U.S. Attorney

Boston attorney Harvey Sliverglate wrote an insightful book called Three Felonies A Day, http://www.amazon.com/Three-Felonies-Day-Target-Innocent/dp/1594035229, about how the average “law-abiding” American commits three “serious” offenses every day without realizing it. His point is one I have seen firsthand – the feds have thousands of laws, which criminalize everything imaginable, from which to choose to selectively prosecute anyone they want. They can always decline, but when they do target a citizen, that person is instantly in a world of pain.

Here’s an example of such a federal criminal law you didn’t know about and probably have committed. After law school, passing the bar exam, and practicing criminal law for years, I had never heard of it until one particular case (maybe I’m dumb…). The mere existence of the law and it’s application potential I find staggering.

I had a client charged with another crime who received a wrist-slap as punishment (more excellent lawyering, folks! [my deal to have his case completely dismissed fell through due to administrative technicalities]). The FBI had previously seized numerous items of his property including about $25,000 in cash from his house. The do that frequently and usually the items (especially money) are “forfeited” to the government. However, while this particular case proceeded through the system, they slowly returned almost all items to my client’s wife. Immediately after the final hearing an agent approached me about returning the cash! I was a little dumbfounded. They gave the money back that very day. I have still never seen or heard of this happening again.

Anyway, the client’s wife and I went to the local FBI office to retrieve the money. It was still in large bill form, exactly as removed from the house. Whatever I may say about them, the FBI is extremely efficient and organized. While the money was being counted out in our presence I told the wife she should immediately deposit it into her bank account for safety. Then I recalled that cash transactions in excess of $10,000 are automatically flagged by banks and refered to the FBI for investigation. As you know, all cash amounts over $10K are the result solely of criminal activity…

So, to help her avoid the hassle, I suggested she break the deposit into 3 installments. The agent in charge stopped counting, looked up, and said, “That’s Structuring.” I looked at him like a deer observing an approaching 18-wheeler and asked, “Huh?” He then explained how it was illegal to split cash deposits so as to evade the reporting process. He then kindly noted that if she deposited all the money (he thought it a good idea too) the report would come to him and he would have the system pre-flagged to ignore and dismiss the report. I know and trust this particular agent as an outstanding man of integrity so I had no problem trusting him. Things worked out fine.

As I was leaving he said he would have our friend at the U.S. Attorney’s office provide me information on the crime. By the time my friend called, I had already researched the law – 31 U.S.C. 5324. He directed me to a website which provided a pamphlet warning against the practice and giving examples of innocent enough transactions which are, in fact, illegal. He asked me to spread this information to all attorneys I know and all of my friends. Thus, I relay his story to you. By the way, the banking industry refers to this practice as “smurfing,” in honor of those little blue critters from the 80s…

(The Smurfs weapon of choice. Google Images.)

You can view the pamphlet here, http://www.fincen.gov/whatsnew/pdf/CTRPamphlet.pdf. They have one geared toward gambling winnings too, http://www.fincen.gov/whatsnew/pdf/CTR-CPamphlet.pdf.

Here are two examples of smurfing violations, taken from the first pamphlet:

Jane and John are hardened criminals who could be sentenced from one to five years in federal prison. Don’t be like Jane and John!

I can envision situations in which an attorney or am accountant, for example, might “structure” a client’s funds like this. While the attorney and his client might have innocent intentions, their acts would be criminal. I’m still trying to get this all straight in my head.

We know that keeping cash on hand is illegal as the cash can be stolen (“forfeited”) due to alleged involvement in criminal activity. All cash comes from crime! We also know depositing the money whole with a bank will be reported as a possible indication of crime. Depositing the money in batches is a crime.

I now take my friend’s friendly advice; I advise everyone that everything is illegal. Good luck out there!

Politics

27 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by perrinlovett in Uncategorized

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

academic, Alex P. Keating, America, Amerika, anarchist, budget, bullshit, Congress, conservative, Constitution, coroporations, D.C., debt, Debt Clock, democracy, Democrats, Dennis Kucinich, drones, due process, Emperor Palpatine, entertainment, evil, faction, Family Ties (TV show), Federal Reserve, finance, Founder's Almanac, George Washington, government, Greek, H.L. Mencken, Heritage Foundation, history, illegal, insurance, interest, libertarian, libertarians, Liberty, lies, media, Medicaid, Medicare, military-industrial complex, Minority Report, money, Obama, ObamaCare, office, P.J. O'Rourke, parasites, Parliament of Whores, political parties, political theory, politician, politics, poly, ponzi scheme, Presidency, Rand Paul, Republican, Ron Paul, Ronald Reagan, Rush Limbaugh, Social Security, special interests, States, stupidity, tariffs, taxes, television, terrorists, the children, The People, three branches, ticks, War, Washinton, welfare

“Politics” comes from ancient Greek roots. “Poly,” of course, means “many” and “Ticks” are little blood-sucking parasites. Thus, “politics” means: many little blood-sucking parasites. I really wish I could attribute that definition to my own genius but I feel overly honest today.

(Emperor Palpatine, the ultimate politician. Source: Google Images.)

Wikipedia says “politics” is “the art or science of influencing people on a civic, or individual level…” See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics.

I have studied politics (formally and informally) since around 1980. In those days, everyone in the South tended to be Democrats, party-wise. My parents were proud Democrats at the time and were horrified when Ronald Reagan won the Presidency. I watched on. As the years progressed, I decided I was a “conservative” and, therefore, a Republican, much like Reagan.

I watched Family Ties back then and might have been influenced by the antics of Alex P. Keating. Then came the Rush Limbaugh era; I listened everyday after high school while working as a runner for a local law firm. I knew Rush was right. Well, something in my subconscious had doubts. In college I drifted into libertarian thought and have remained there ever since. As the years pass I become closer and closer to a full-blown anarchist.

During this time, while I descended from a believer in minimal government to a dreamer about no government, reality took a turn for the worse. The whole of my dear country seems to have gone the other way! Whereas we had a big government when I was a child, now we have a GIGANTIC monstrosity of a government that seems to grow geometrically ever second.

Hence my disconnect from the world of practical politics. It is patently obvious that there is no discernible difference between the two major parties in America – they both lead to bigger and more controlling governance. Over the years I supported several politicians in various ways – both Republicans and Libertarians (I have Democrat friends too). My support usually faded away with my short, rambling attention span. I have never been a member of any party. I am proud of that; I hate political parties.

(Politicians soliciting contributions. Google Images.)

In his Farewell Address to the nation, President George Washington devoted nearly two pages to warning the people about party politics. He began: “Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the Spirit of Party, generally.” Thereupon he listed the many dangers of “faction” at the expense of Public Liberty. He closed with a thought on excessive party politics: “A fire not to be quenched; it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest instead of warming it should consume.” See: The Founder’s Almanac, pp. 309 – 310, The Heritage Foundation, Washington 2002. Given Washington’s fame and standing you would think more people would have listened; they did not and American “democracy” became an all-consuming conflagration.

H.L. Mencken wrote in the Minority Report (1956): “Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule – both commonly succeed, and are right.” Mencken defined “democracy” as “the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” Every election since has proved him right on both counts.

The most excited I ever got about any election(s) was in 2008 and 2012 supporting Ron Paul. I knew then Dr. Paul was an anomaly in American politics. My fellow citizens chose a different path and now Dr. Paul is retired. With him, at the end of 2012, went Rep. Dennis Kucinich. Washington is now devoid of any statesmen whatsoever and the only small impediments to Total Government are gone. I would like to believe Dr. Paul’s son, the other Dr. Paul, will follow in his father’s hallowed footsteps; I don’t think it will happen.

I have decided to waste no more time following the stupidity (which worsens daily) of field level politics. My personal academic concentration is now centered on political theory or philosophy and the history thereof. A good friend of mine says that America is finished, like a $500 car in need of $5000 worth of repairs. For our generation I fear he may be on to something. Still, I hold some hope for the future.

My fledgling professional academic career is and will be focused on educating younger persons about the mistakes of faith in politics and government, the evils resulting from such faith, and alternatives to the status quo.

Perhaps the most honest book ever written about American politics is Parliament of Whores by P.J. O’Rourke (1991). The title says it all. Inside the reader will discover, among many other witty things, a whole section of chapters entitled, The Three Branches of Government: Money, Television and Bullshit. Perfect.

Government and politics in general, particularly in America, really do center on O’Rourke’s three “branches.”

Money in politics is not necessarily the root of all evil, but it certainly is the tool of all evil in politics. It takes a lot of money to get elected to national or state office in the first place. Savy politicians set up campaign funds legally designed to break or sidestep any campaign finance laws in the way. Then the ticks turn around and suck blood from any source to fill their funds. Sometimes they contribute a little of their own money but most of it comes from “donors.” People all over give a little here and there to help some bozo get elected; once elected the bozo ignores the little people. The big bucks come from the special interest groups, they get the politician’s attention post-election.

Money flows into Washington, D.C. and the several State capitals by the dump truck load. Giant corporations and the super rich constantly brib ..er.. give to elected officials in all kinds of ways. Sometimes they support a pet project of the tick’s (charity, etc.), sometimes they provide booze and hookers, they give kickbacks and favors, and sometimes they just give plain old cash in brown- paper grocery bags. The amount of money flowing into the Capital is astounding, but it pales in comparison to the money flowing out.

This year, like last year, the federal government will spend something like 3.5 Trillion dollars per its official “budget.” I just put “budget” between quotation marks because Congress hasn’t put forth an actual budget, as required by the Constitution, in years. Alarmingly, the vast majority of federal spending is on UnConstitutional programs. The government spends a huge percentage of that money out of debt. Fully a third of the budget is borrowed these days. Check out the U.S. Debt Clock for a good fright: http://www.usdebtclock.org/. In fact, I believe the borrowed sum exceeds the amount paid by individual taxpayers. Corporations also pay for a larger portion of the budget than do the individual taxpayers. However, as with any business expense, corporations pass their taxes along to customers via higher prices for their goods and services. So the People ultimately pay those taxes as well. Aaaaand, guess who guarantees the huge debts run up by the ticks? Yes, taxpayers again. So, Ma and Pa America have to pay for all the illegal, unnecessary spending of the government, even when they receive no representation for their money.

Like I said, most government programs are not grounded in the Constitution and are therefore illegal. Of the $3.5 trillion spent, Medicare and Medicaid get about $800 billion. They are not in the Constitution. Social Security, the third rail of tick-dom, gets a similar amount. Not in the Constitution. Our never-ending, foreign, undeclared wars of aggression get a slightly smaller amount. Being undeclared and indefensible, they to are also illegal. The total of interest on the national debt, federal pension costs, and various welfare programs get a similar amount of funding. Like undeclared warfare, specific welfare is also illegal. As none of the programs are needed there is no need for all the federal employees vested in those pensions. If the government didn’t spend so damn much money there would be no debt and, thus, no interest. The “legitimate” functions of the federal government are mostly unnecessary anymore, and those that are should really only cost us a few hundred billion dollars per year at most. That could easily be covered by tariffs and import fees – as the government was supposed to be funded and was funded for years without trouble.

I could go on and on with the money stuff but we still have television and bullshit….

Television is really representative of all major media, both news and entertainment, in this nation. Whether you get your news on TV, from the radio, or from a print medium, it’s all the same. The government puts out a line of crap and the media runs with it. Very seldom in America are we treated to any critical reporting anymore. Remember those special interests? They own the media nearly completely. Towing the line is part of the overall scheme.

This scheme extends into non-news entertainment. Reality shows, pro sports, pop music and other trivial pursuits are the modern bread and circuses of Amerika. While you drunkenly watch 300-pound men decked out in pink play with a ball, the government is stealing you blind and destroying your country. The ticks laugh at you too.

Bullshit. It’s a crude term but it accurately describes everything I’ve been writing about. It’s also all you ever get from the government. Mostly everything you hear, see, or read from the government or its pet media are outright lies. Very little the ticks do is honest or important so they have to concoct wild stories to get you to go along – provided you even pay attention, most people do not. For instance, when Washington goes to war the ticks always say it’s over something noble like “keeping the world safe for democracy” or “fighting the ‘terrorists’.” Saying they want to keep profits high for the military-industrial complex (a special interest) doesn’t sound as good. When President Obama announced ObamaCare, he didn’t say he wanted windfall profits for the insurance and finance companies of America (special interests). He said it was all to help the children, or the less fortunate, or you and me. Bullshit!

And when the government and the ticks tell the truth, it’s truly frightening. The Whitehouse says it will use drones to kill Americans without Due Process. You better believe they will! When Congress authorizes an illegal ponzi scheme like Social Security or an illegal monopoly like the Federal Reserve (the biggest special interest of all), they do so openly and with impunity.

My point is … well, I’ve already made it – I do not like modern, practical politics and for good reason.

The next time you come into contact with a tick, instead of giving it money and voting it into office, get out the tweezers and the alcohol. I’m Perrin Lovett and I approve this message.