I've written about the PVC (Property Values Crowd) before. The PVC will do anything--ANYTHING--to anyone, anytime, if it means their "property values" will be protected. If your neighbours ever start complaining about something hurting their property values, consider moving. They're not the kind of people you want to be around. They'll be complaining about you and your property if you don't mow the grass often enough to suit them.

Miss Vickers didn't back down when challenged by these nasty neighbours (rather unneighbourly of them to complain--I think they're "unneighbours"). Since she was not in violation of any city ordinances (Just wait--I'm sure they'll eventually find one), the unneighbours' first effort to sick the city government on her failed. She heroically told the TV media "It's my property, and I'll do what I want with it." Damn right!

Vickers is the owner of Red Rain, an "environmental general store" in Homewood. According to the TV news report, now the unneighbours are trying to nail her for operating a business in a residential district because she sells some of the vegetables she grows in her yard at her store.

All I can say is more power to Miss Vickers, and if you are one of these PVC people, you had better take care not to move in next to me--I might just tell you what you can do with your "property values," and you might not like it.

September 17, 2003
I have no sympathy for the Alabama State Troopers complaints about budget cutbacks. This agency needs to be eliminated. A state police force is a dangerous institution--removed from local control, it can and does violate the liberties of citizens.

The recent surveillance camera incident in Tuscaloosa shows that the Alabama State Troopers are no more trustworthy than any other government organisation, and the pointless and expensive "Click It or Ticket" campaigns they conduct should outrage every driver..

State troopers do not protect against crime. They show up after traffic accidents to write reports and raise revenue for the state by writing tickets. Accident reports can be handled by the sheriff's department, and tickets are nothing more than highway robbery that we can do without.

Do you feel safer when a state trooper is driving behind you? I didn't think so. Most citizens realise that troopers are not there to protect them--they are there to raise revenue for the state. Think of them as tax collectors with guns. I want fewer state troopers on the highways, not more.

September 17, 2003
It's no secret that government lies, and Tuscaloosa citizens recently caught the government lying to them. Surveillance cameras have been place all over Tuscaloosa for the stated purpose of monitoring traffic, but the fact that these so-called "traffic" cameras are equipped with pan and zoom capability shows that their real purpose is to spy on the citizenry. That's exactly what happened recently on the Strip. These cameras can follow your movements down the sidewalk, in your vehicle, or even look through the window of a home.

The growth of the surveillance state has reached epidemic proportions. And the Powers That Be just don't get it--they are planning to expand the system. Public surveillance cameras are an affront to a free society and should be taken down immediatedly. Apologies and assurances that the cameras will not be misused are worthless. As long as the cameras are up, you can be assured that Big Brother is watching. Feel safer yet?

September 11, 2003
Now that the Riley tax has gone down in flames, let's hope the most irritating and overused phrase of the tax-mongers will go with it: "...the least among us." Every editorial and speech included this insulting phrase. Some people are objectively, observably POOR, in an economic sense. It doesn't mean they are "least" in any other sense, and I'm sick and tired of hearing this phrase. JUST STOP IT!

Let's also hope that Susan Hamill, who is responsible for spreading this irritating euphemism via her What Would Jesus Tax nonsense, will quietly fade away, her 15 minutes of fame having passed. Given her big mouth though, I wouldn't count on it.

September 3, 2003
Alabama law restricting smoking takes effect.
Great, just what we need, another law. Note that "State Sen. Vivian Figures, D-Mobile, sponsored the legislation after having an asthma attack on the Senate floor." What does that have to do with smoking? Was Roger Bedford puffing away on a big stoagie in her face? More proof that widows of politicians should NEVER, EVER be elected to replace their husbands when they croak (for those with short memories, Vivian Figures is the widow of Michael Figures, who died in office a few years ago. She was elected to fill his seat).

August 27, 2003
I went to the Riley tax rally at the University of Alabama today. Originally scheduled to be outside, it was moved indoors because of rain. There was a large crowd there, mostly students and university employees. Shortly before the Riley event, tax opponents held an anti-tax rally nearby, and then about 20 libertarians and other tax opponents went marching into Riley's rally with our signs and flags. I carried a Gadsden rattlesnake flag on a long pole, expecting the event to be outside. I wanted to get it high above the crowd. I had to leave it outside when the event was moved inside a building, but I still had my sign. It said "...AND THE HORSE YOU RODE IN ON!", and I held it up high so the crowd could see. Several curious people asked me what my sign meant, so I explained it to them. I'm pretty sure Riley saw it. I did an interview with Michael Staley (a Republican tax supporter), http://www.staleyreport.com/. He said the video would be on his site soon.

Others in our group carried an Alabama flag, and a First Navy Jack flag, and everyone had a sign, either pre-printed or handmade.

We found out that many of the people were there because they had to be. The "Machine," UA's fraternity/sorority apparatus, apparently put out the word that all frat/sorority members should attend and support Riley. There did seem to be an inordinately large number of young, attractive girls there for a political event.

Despite the largely pro-Riley crowd, we made a good showing, and got some media coverage. Some other anti-tax people who attended included Jeff Bell (LPA/LS), Holden McAllister (LPA), Mike Rster (LPA), David Allen (SCV), Leonard Wilson (SCV), Stephen Gordon (LPA), Dylan Reeves (UA College Republicans), and Jean Allen (LPA/LS). Mike Rster almost collapsed laughing when a speaker called Riley "the most courageous governor in Alabama history," for having the "courage" to raise taxes.

Riley is living in a dreamworld if he thinks the support he saw today is representative of the rest of the state. This tax proposal is going down. The only question is whether we can retain some organisation to fight the next round of taxes. Sept. 9 isn't the end, it's only the beginning. I've already taken the first step towards putting together such as permanent anti-tax organisation--look for details on FreeAlabama.Com soon.

August 17, 2003

More news from John Martin:

ONE MORE REASON TO VOTE "NO" August 17, 2003

I was just informed about this. Even the major anti-tax groups have missed it. Remember the infamous "Home Rule" amendment they tried to impose on Elmore County? It would have given the county commission carte blanche to raise and impose taxes with almost no limits. Riley's tax plan includes something much worse. IT GIVES THIS SAME KIND OF "HOME RULE" TO EVERY COUNTY IN THE STATE. Now you know. Don't just vote "no." VOTE "HELL NO!"

THE BUCKMASTERS EXPO August 17, 2003

Just for the heck of it, I decided to look at the heavily advertised Buckmasters expo in downtown Montgomery. If anybody didn't believe hunting in Alabama is big business, he would have found out in a hurry if he came here. Even though it was Sunday, when absolutely nothing else was going on downtown, I had to go three blocks away just to find a parking space.

There must have been over 10,000 people there--inside and outside. The civic center was packed. There was hardly room to walk through the crowd.

They were selling and promoting everything--clothes, blinds, tree stands, scopes, binoculars, scents, calls, rattlesnake skins, deer heads, bows, arrows, knives, gun safes, ATV's, a new video game called "Laser Shot," and even land (where you might be able to build your own "Galt's Gulch"). Oddly, they didn't have many guns, and most of these were either BB, pellet, or black powder.

What does all of this have to do with freeing Alabama? Surprise!!! A whole lot.

One of the flyers being handed out said, "Question: What man-made disaster could cost Alabama hundreds of thousands of acres of prime hunting land?" I think most of us already know the answer. Anybody who didn't could flip it open and find it--"Answer: GOVERNOR RILEY'S 1.2 BILLION DOLLAR TAX HIKE."

And, of course, it revealed how those "rich timber companies" and other landowners contributed 315,000 acres of their prime hunting land FREE to the department of conservation for public hunting. So much for that crap about them not paying their "fair share." It's nice to know that probably 99% of those hunters and their friends are on our side. We can feel confident that Riley's insane plan will go down in flames. But we must make sure the vote is so overwhelming that "Taxus Maximus" won't dare call a special session or pull some other stunt to screw us. If we can limit the state's revenues, we can force him and his "rubber stamp" legislature to be accountable by cutting the state budgets.

Check out Buckmasters.Com and thank them for their support.

AWESOME ALABAMA TEA PARTY Saturday, August 9, Birmingham

Did any FreeAlabama.com readers go to the big August 9 anti-Rileytax rally at the Wynfrey Hotel at the Riverchase Galleria? If they didn't, they missed a heck of a party. The event started at the LPA headquarters on Highland Ave. in Birmingham. LPA members and others decorated their vehicles with anti-tax slogans and brightly colored ribbons.

Joining us in the event was celebrity tax protester, Gene Chapman, who is walking across the country to Washington, D.C. to protest federal tax laws. He was very conspicuous with his shaved head and robe of sack cloth. His van was covered with numerous anti-tax signs and stickers. At 1 pm, our caravan proceeded to the hotel. As we passed UAB, we saw a huge "yes" sign attached to the side of an overhead walkway. We all wondered how the state could use our own tax money to advertise its hideous plan to steal more of our money.

The media had claimed that only 300 - 400 people would show up for this event. Imagine the surprise they got when all 1000 seats in the ballroom were soon filled up. After 400 more people went in for standing room only, the management had to shut down the escalator and refuse to let any more people go in (because of good ol' government-run fire code regulations). Soon, a crowd of 1000 more people gathered in the lobby wanting to know what was going on.

The rally was sponsored by 101.1 FM. Radio talk show hosts Russ Fine and Matt Murphy, along with Stan Pate, told the crowd to go outside the building and then whooped it up about Bob Riley's lies and deception. The crowd was yelling, "NO MORE TAXES."

Through a bullhorn, Fine yelled, "A sleeping giant has awakened with a roar. Bob Riley will be taken to the woodshed and humiliated by the whuppin' he gets.... We are mad as Hell, and we're not going to take it any more." He predicted that the voters would soundly reject Riley's personalized imposition of the Communist Manifesto. The crowd cheered. Fine roared, "Does anybody here not pay enough taxes?" "NO!" yelled the crowd.

"They're trying to shame you into something that is not good for you. There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for something he does not want merely because somebody else thinks it's good for him." Stan Pate said, "Bob Riley completely betrayed everything he promised you.... "That's just a one-billion-dollar lie." He handed out numbers of "Billion Dollar Bob" bills to the crowd. Matt Murphy also addressed the crowd.

Fine read a letter from a retired Navy officer: "Where in the Bible can you find a single verse that says to give to Caesar so Caesar can give, on your behalf, to the poor? Where, Mr. Riley, do you drum up the audacity to tell me and to tell other decent, God-fearing, hard-working, tax-paying Alabamians that they are not good or moral Christians if they do not agree with your decision as Caesar in Alabama... to seize and redistribute their money?"

Various anti-tax organizations attended the Rally. Besides the Libertarian Party, we had the Christian Coalition of Alabama, the Tax Accountability Coalition, Citizens for a Sound Economy, and several others. Collectively, we handed out thousands of signs and bumper stickers.

David Azbell, Riley's press secretary, was the one disgruntled rally attendant. He lamented Alabama's rank as "49th and 50th" and begged that we "move forward as a state." Well, Azbell ought to emigrate to Taxachucetts or New Jersey. He'll pay all the taxes he'll ever want to throw down a money pit. Meanwhile, the people of Alabama must stand firm to make sure we always remain 49th or 50th as far as taxes, spending, and big government are concerned. That is the only way to become 1st or 2nd in economic growth and individual liberty.

August 17, 2003
Tonight I watched the last two hours of the ABC miniseries Storm of the Century, written by Stephen King. Once you get past all the supernatural hoo-ha, it provides a great example of the tyranny of democracy, even the homegrown, local type. To cut to the chase of the story, a mysterious and dangerous supernatural stranger threatens an isolated island community with destruction unless they give him one of their children to raise as his own. The townspeople VOTE to comply with this demand. Only one man in town, the town constable (played by Tim Daly), argues against capitulation to this extortion, and against the notion that the townspeople even have the right to decide that someone must give up a child. Daly has the righteous anger of a man who knows he's right, but is unable to convince others to overcome their fear and do the right thing. The townspeople vote unanimously (except for Daly) to give up one of the children, with even the constable's wife going along (the stranger has threatened to kill everyone, including the children, if his demands are not met, and apparently has the power to do so). She comes to regret her decision when they draw lots and her son is the one chosen to be taken by the stranger. The bad guy takes the kid and leaves. Six months later the constable divorces his wife and leaves the island, not being able to stomach being around the contemptible people who would put someone's child up for a VOTE, and certainly not being able to stay married to one. Many of the townspeople later regret their decision, and commit suicide or drink and drug themselves to death.

Moral of the story: Democracy--Bad for you, Bad for America.
Bonus: You get to laugh at the funny New England accents of the characters.

August 9, 2003
Here is an update on news from Montgomery, courtesy of John Martin:

TWO MORE MONKEYTOWN WHITE ELEPHANTS

Tue., Aug 5 The local Montgomery TV news gave the lowdown on two more "investments" that Mayor "Boobie" Bright is proposing for the city. He wants spend $29 million of our taxes to expand the downtown civic center and blow another $52 million on a new hotel next to it and the existing nearly new Embassy Suites Hotel. The city council did decide to put off voting on it for a week until next Tuesday. But the odds are overwhelming that the people will soon be stuck with this boondoggle. WOW! Money really does grow in trees in this town. Wonder where it's coming from. Does anybody see Atlas about to shrug?????

"Boobie" wants to make sure it happens before a new mayor and council is elected in October. He knows it may not have a prayer afterwards, especially with watchdogs like Matthew Givens on the council.

KEVIN ELKINS -- TURNCOAT

What has happened to Montgomery radio talk show host, Kevin Elkins? Until a few weeks ago, he has shown a great deal of promise in becoming a libertarian. In 1992, he even joined the party and ran as a Libertarian candidate. He understands the atrocities of the drug war, welfare schemes, and other government excesses. Last year, he vigorously opposed the infamous Montgomery County occupational tax.

But recently, Elkins has shown a different attitude toward big government. He gave his support for numerous local spending programs -- among them, the Hyundai plant, "Biscuit Bay," the civic center expansion, and the new downtown hotel. And to top it off, he has thrown his support for Riley's catastrophic tax plan.

Kevin Elkins is on WLWI 1440, Montgomery, from 7:10 to 9:00 am. Call (334) 860-1440.

WISH I COULD MAKE MONEY LIKE THIS Tue., Aug. 5

On Don Markwell's Viewpoint (WACV 1170), City Councilman Charles Jinright said that wealthy Montgomery lawyer Jere Beasley bought a parcel of land from the city that is now under "Biscuit Bay," the city's new underwater baseball stadium, for $250,000. Then two years later, he sold this same piece of land back to the city for $2 million. Now that's how to make a killing in real estate.

Jinright insisted that land prices in that area had "risen astronomically" over the past two years.

Don Markwell's Viewpoint is on WACV 1170, Montgomery, from 9:10 to 11:00 am. Call (334) 272-9228 or toll free 1-800-269-9228

TAX RALLY REPORT

On Friday, Aug. 1, I attended the grand opening of the Tax Accountability Coalition in Montgomery. I talked to a lot of good people, including John Giles and Bob Gambacurta.

Bob confirmed something that I had suspected all along: The Partnership for Progress' argument in its numerous ads that 85% of Alabama's people will get a tax cut instead of an increase is a blatant, bald-faced LIE. They came up with that funny number by figuring that Bush's federal tax reduction would compensate for Riley's increase. Bob said that the actual number getting a tax cut is only 17%. Even that might be inflated. I'll bet a large percentage of them would be people on public assistance (the only ones whose rent won't go up due to higher property taxes).

A cameraman from WAKA TV (Channel 8, Montgomery) came to the rally and covered it. The 10 O'clock news broadcast a very brief report, but then immediately followed it with another report that the "silver-haired legislature" was supporting Riley's tax plan.

The coalition has plenty of yard signs and bumper stickers. If you need some, get some. As I was headed home, I stopped to talk to six people I saw working in their yards. Every last one refused to take a sign or bumper sticker. One blatantly said that he supported the tax: He said, "We need money for the schools" and stressed the importance of education. I countered by saying that education was too important to be run by the government. He refused to understand.

RileyRate.com E-mail: BobG@taxonyou.com info@taxonyou.com

Get and display signs and stickers. 5735 Carmichael Parkway Suite B Montgomery, AL 36117 (334) 213-2302

July 29, 2003
This is terrifically ironic. Apparently, the government itself is setting up what looks like a forerunner of the Jim Bell System, otherwise known as Assassination Politics, which some hope to be the instrument of the government's own destruction.

A quote from the article: "Can you imagine," Mr. Dorgan asked, "if another country set up a betting parlor so that people could go in — and is sponsored by the government itself — people could go in and bet on the assassination of an American political figure?" Yes, I can, and others have.

July 23, 2003
OK, the tax amendment can be found at the Secretary of State's website, here. However, there are a number of acts which were passed by the legislature, signed by the governor, and which constitute parts of his “package” separate from the constitutional amendment which we will be voting on. These separate acts raise taxes on cigarettes, mortgages and deeds, and eliminate the federal income tax deduction for Alabama income taxes, among other things. It looks to me like these measures will take effect regardless of how the vote goes in September, despite assurances from a SOS employee that this is not the case. We shall see.

July 17, 2003
I still haven't been able to find a copy of the complete Riley tax amendment (I have heard it's about 55 pages long, which will just add to the alleged problem of an overly-lengthy constitution that the reformers/tax increasers cite as a reason to rewrite the constitution. Logically then, shouldn't they oppose adding another amendment?), but all anyone really needs to know in order to decide how to vote is that every [mainstream] newspaper editor seems to be in favour of the tax plan. Go ahead and look. What more do we need to know?

July 16, 2003
You won't often hear me say "there ought to be a law," but I think it's warranted in this case. The feds have a law to prevent gov't employees from engaging in political activity while working. I think we could use something like that at the state level. At the very least, anyone who is paid out of the gov't trough should be banned from advocating for more taxes. These people are like cheerleaders for a band of robbers. GO! GO! ROB 'EM SOME MORE!

July 15, 2003
John Martin in Elmore County passes on the following thoughts: "Elmore County has recently switched rural garbage collection from Waste Away to Sunflower. Sunflower is offering cheaper rates and promising better service. BUT here’s the question: WHY is Sunflower, or any provider for any service, given an exclusive contract by the county???? Why can’t several companies compete in the county together? Then there will be real free market competition, AND better rates and service for everybody."

John should be grateful he doesn’t live a little further east, in Macon County. They charge $20 a month just for garbage pickup, and they’re cracking down on non-payers--after all, we can’t let people have a choice about paying for county "services," now can we? Cheaper private alternatives might arise, and we can’t have that.

July 15, 2003
I received a neocon rag called the Claremont Review of Books in the mail (I’d like to know how I got on that list), and told the publisher to stop sending it to me. With all the great stuff sitting on my shelves waiting to be read, I hardly have time to waste reading about the greatness of Lincoln and the perfidity and evilness of the South, which is mostly what this issue seemed to be about. Not to mention an article praising Leo Strauss (an influential neocon intellectual), and a cute little drawing on their subscription form of Uncle Sam striding through a Muslim city, six-shooter on his hip and club in hand, with the slogan "There’s a new sheriff in town" emblazoned above. Sheesh! Here is the cute little response I received when I asked them to remove me from their mailing list:

Dear Mr. Bowden:

I’m not sure how you got on the list, either. We rent a lot of lists, usually only once, so the chances are you won’t receive our publication again.

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t take the trouble to reply -- I would simply pass your note along to our circulation director and be done with it. But for the neo-con line.

Let me be clear: We aren’t neo-cons. We eat neo-cons for breakfast. And we dine on paleo-cons and Southern Partisans for lunch. If you care to learn the difference between a Claremont conservative, a neo-con, and the rest, I’d encourage you to explore our website. But I gather from your note that you aren’t too interested in having your presuppositions prodded.

Cordially,
Ben Boychuk
Managing Editor
The Claremont Review of Books
The Claremont Institute

Yeah, whatever. I checked out their website. It’s more St. Abraham this, evil Southerners that. As Tom DiLorenzo wrote me: “They’re running scared; that’s why they keep publishing these ‘whistling past the graveyard’ articles that claim ‘victory’ for their interpretations of history.”

July 14, 2003
I highly, highly recommend to everyone to buy, borrow, or steal (just kidding) a copy of Murray Rothbard’s Conceived in Liberty, a four-volume history of colonial America, from the first settlers through the Revolution. Despite the fact that it has a total of around 1600 pages, not a single paragraph is boring or dull. The entire series is packed with detail and fascinating history, written from the joyously-libertarian perspective of Murray Rothbard. His view of history as a perpetual struggle between power and liberty is refreshing and useful. My view on a number of America’s founding fathers have been revised as well, with Washington and especially Franklin slipping, and Sam Adams and Christopher Gadsden getting top marks. This set is invaluable in understanding the historical background to the founding of the United States, and also volume 1 gives great detail on the history of religious struggle and persecution in the colonies. Suffice it to say that the folks who are bent out of shape over Roy Moore’s monument don’t know what religious persecution is--but the Quakers found out first-hand what happened when you challenged an established religion. You knew Puritans were bad, but you won’t know how bad they were until you have read Conceived in Liberty.

July 14, 2003
Last Saturday, I went down to Pat Godwin’s Nathan Bedford Forrest b-day party at her home near Selma, and had a good time. Boy!, was it hot, but at least the weather was good and there was no rain. The food was delicious (succulent Alabama-grown catfish and plenty of it). There was also a lot of good entertainment, and Basic Gray sang the "Morris Dees song."

On a related note, the new SCV camp in Tuscaloosa is up and running now. It’s the Hargrove-Eddins Camp, No. 381. I will post meeting times on the events calendar.

July 8, 2003
This is the logical culmination of political correctness. Now who could be offended by that mascot? Fat people?

July 7, 2003
Courtesy of John Martin:
The Montgomery Advertiser has a poll on health insurance today. It asks, "What efforts would you support to help provide every family with medical insurance: (1) Increase state spending on Medicaid, or (2) Require employers to provide health insurance." Both of these choices are pure statist--in other words, no choice at all. It has no way to write in a response or a third choice. The way this poll is worded, it is impossible to submit the correct answer. Complain here.

July 3, 2003
Mainstream reporting on the Montgomery tax meeting last weekend completely neglected to mention the astonishing fact that someone, presumably one of Riley’s henchmen, stole the registration forms from the Montgomery meeting. Riley’s forces now have the names of everyone who attended, to put to who-knows-what use. Like Russ Fine said, they’re gonna fight dirty, so we had better take the gloves off.

July 1, 2003
I heard on the radio a PSA from the Georgia state police. Apparently, fireworks are illegal in the entire state of Georgia. Unbelievable! The cops were warning folks from Georgia who come to Alabama to buy fireworks to use them here and not bring them back to Georgia. Yeah, right. It reminds me of the South Park episode where the town banned fireworks. Uncle Jimbo and Ned go to Mexico to buy some high-powered ordnance. When Ned asks Jimbo if fireworks are legal in Mexico, Jimbo answers, "Everything’s legal in Mexico--it’s the American way!" Right on! At least you still have the right to blow yourself up here in ’Bama.

June 30, 2003
I’ve been thinking of doing a blog for a while now, to serve as a repository for all those thoughts that fly through my head during a day but don’t warrant the effort required to write a full column on them. So here it goes. New entries will be added to the top of the blog. Updates will be whenever I think of something interesting enough to merit posting.

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