Governor Branstad demands equality

He remarks that he wants "everyone treated the same" regarding legislators bringing guns in the statehouse. The inference is that legislators should be leaving their weapons at home instead of protecting themselves. But since common, ordinary citizens are restricted from bringing weapons there, who are they protecting themselves from?

Here's a thought: Why isn't the governor demanding citizens the same rights as the legislators?

The governor has his own protection detail of state troopers (something even high-horse legislators don't have). But according to the article:

The state administrative code, which does not exempt the Legislature or its staff, bars any member of the public from carrying a dangerous weapon in the Capitol complex buildings.

Can elected state officials exempt themselves from the law?

Gov. Branstad stands up to US Attorney General

Iowa Governor, Terry Branstad, stood up to US Attorney General Eric Holder yesterday over Holder's comments regarding his opinion that felons should be able to vote after they serve their sentence. (No word about his concern that felons should be able to have their 2nd Amendment rights restored after they serve their sentences.) The money quote:

“I’m disappointed that the attorney general of the United States who also was involved in that ‘Fast and Furious’ project to give guns to drug smugglers in Mexico would criticize Iowa without even knowing the Iowa Constitution,”

In other words: "Stick it."

I'm curious that Branstad would use that dig against the AG. While viewing this report on the TV they hoisted a typical barb from the Iowa Democrat party: whining about the drive to require IDs to vote. (No word about the requirement to provide an ID in order to purchase a firearm from a dealer.)

Democrats always provide the best hypocrisy.

I thought they were on furlough

From time to time I look up information from the forestry service (a part of  the USDA). This is in relation to my efforts to build up Camp Stranded. Two particular reference documents I had found weeks ago was Silvics Volume 1 and Volume 2. These tree references had been converted to PDF documents years ago and are out there on the Forestry Service's website for people throughout the world to use. Other documents are there as well but I hadn't the time to review all of them.

This week I wanted to reference volume 2 and elsewhere on the site for any other information on tree seed propagation. Last week, I had access.

This week, however, I'm out of luck:

Apparently it was deemed necessary and vital to remove access to information that had been listed on our nation's servers for years.

I could understand if the server was unplugged because the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, wanted to save money on electricity because now there is no money in the budget to pay for it. But a server is running in order to redirect it to the "Blame the Republicans for the shutdown" webpage.

I could understand a 404 page not found message or a "Server unavailable". But someone, after the shutdown started, logged in and placed this up for the world.

I can even understand if a site hadn't been updated and still showed data from prior to the shutdown. For instance, the site still displayed Sunday's temperature in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Remember folks, shutting down information sites that are basically static information, that hasn't been updated in years, is a vital service and that Republicans in Congress are the evil reason for the government shutdown.

But then there's this: you can still apply for a job at usajobs.gov. Never mind that this is a website that is an access point to a database that is not static. I found several jobs here in Iowa that were posted this week. Apparently it is a vital and essential service to post jobs that no one can interview for until after the shutdown. Here's one posted for a cook position, opened yesterday.

Department:	Department Of Veterans Affairs
Agency:	Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
Open Period:	10/10/2013 to 10/31/2013
Who May Apply:	United States Citizens
Location(s):	Iowa City, Iowa

Yes, the VA hospital needs cooks. My point is to bring out the notion that this "shutdown" of non-essential government services is an intentional attempt to inconvenience and annoy the population and then to blame the other party.

This crap I blame on the administration and the bureaucrats that hold these fed positions. Don't expect sympathy from this taxpayer when these little "dirty tricks" are pulled. Back in 95/96 employees received back pay for their furlough and I expect this time, they will again.

As a warning to democrats, my liberal friends and co-workers agree with me. The president is losing this argument by pulling websites down or putting barricades around monuments that had been open 24/7 prior to the shutdown.

Branstad's got gas

Gas tax, that is.

It seems that he's now in favor of hiking the gasoline tax, if the conditions are right.

After previously resisting talk of a gas tax increase, Branstad indicated during a meeting with The Gazette Editorial Board that he could see himself supporting “maybe a two-step process” to raise the gas tax for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century.

That’s exactly what the chairmen of House and Senate transportation committees, Rep. David Tjepkes, R-Gowrie, and Sen. Tom Rielly, D-Oskaloosa, respectively, have proposed. Their plan calls for an 8-cent motor fuel tax increase to be phased in over two years beginning in 2013. That would raise about $180 million a year when fully implemented. They also would increase vehicle registration from 5 percent to 6 percent, the same as the sales tax charged on other purchases.

Maybe the DOT shouldn't have spent money on a big-ass clock.

Or provide free Wifi.

Or they can save money by not applying salt or plowing the highways, just like yesterday morning. I guess with the mild winter, they forgot how to use a plow and returned the salt and sand.

I'd be a little more accommodating to pay higher taxes if I got better service out of them.

400% rise in gun permits cause "Blood in the Streets!"

No?

I'm sure the good sheriff of Johnson County wishes it so, or at least it appears as though he's disappointed with the law.

I'm a little confused about who he defines as law-abiding.

"What I have a problem with is how they define a 'law-abiding citizen,'" he said last week. "There are many, many, many people that are not law-abiding citizens that are eligible and applying for and getting permits."

Wouldn't his jails be filled with permit-holders if they weren't law-abiding? Or my county jail since we get Johnson County overflow (and make a good deal of money in the mean time.)

He even admits, it's not an issue. Permits to carry increased four-fold over the previous year and not a single person was shot, no random wild-west shootouts between angry drivers, not even an accidental shooting of a toe by a permit holder.

Despite his concerns over the law, Pulkrabek said there were few issues during the first year.

Just a couple of folks that had a few drinks and unwisely got behind the wheel of a vehicle. Wait, how does that fit with bad behavior of a permit holder in relationship to a firearm?

Here's one:

Coralville Police Chief Barry Bedford said he can recall one incident in which an intoxicated man was showing off his weapon to a companion and spooked a passerby.

Did the guy spend the night in jail and lose his permit after a fellow citizen wet themselves in fear because a firearm was close by? The article doesn't go into detail regarding the incident. Okay, one incident in the county of stupid actions of a permit holder with their firearm. One. And who was killed or injured in the process? Unless you count crapping one's pants as an injury, then no one.

Sheriff Pulkrabek is worried about this years legislative session:

"I think the lawmakers will be under pressure to make it even more open," he said, adding that the state legislature could eliminate the permit application process altogether.

Then even more imaginary blood will be flowing in the streets of Iowa.

The War on Agriculture, part two

Reflecting on my previous post on the child labor regulations from the Department of Labor and their impact on the "traditional" family farms, I remember my experiences of hard work, long hours and the trials and tribulations growing up.

My first chore was at age 5 when I was tasked to gather eggs. I didn't wear a mask digging around in the straw and battling possessive hens. And at age 8, my job was to feed and water the feeder calves. I bet I didn't weigh 60 lbs when I lugged the corn and milo mix while fighting the calves to get to the feed bunk.

At 14 my dad put me in charge of 20 acres. What and when to plant and we cultivated back then, too. I paid enough attention that I knew about crop rotation and Dad agreed with my decisions. I didn't run the combine in the fall, but everything else was up to me, including the expenses. And a profit was made that year that was shared with Dad because the real world worked that way.

I later came to realize that I benefited greatly from my work experiences as a young-un. These new rules, while exempting "family farms" (for now) would have prevented that type of work, if those rules had been in place then.

Lauren Ritchie shared her experiences growing up as she explains in her commentary. One thing I didn't think of:

Theoretically, kids could continue to do whatever they want on farms owned by their parents. Some 1.3 million young people under 20 live on farms in the United States.

But nearly all "family farms" are incorporated today, just as most small businesses are, which would put them back under these proposed rules.

Exactly. These rules will hit almost every farm in the US, maybe not at first, but selective enforcement would compel everyone else to fall in line.

She continues:

A press release stated: "The Department is committed to helping youth enjoy positive and challenging work experiences — both in agricultural and nonagricultural employment — that are so important to their development and transition to adulthood."

One safety advocate called the proposal "timid." My word would be "clueless."

This is not a case of banning thoughtless 13-year-olds from racing Jet Skis on public waterways packed with partygoers on the Fourth of July. That's called common sense. Rather, these rules would apply to what legal activities parents choose to allow their children to participate in while on private property. There is no risk to the general public.

For some reason the Labor Department and a whole lot of nanny-state interventionists, would rather a kid waste their time playing video games than learning about responsibility, resourcefulness, and a damn fine work ethic.

Wipe that smile off your face, kid. Don't you know you're being exploited?

Regarding the regulations, Rep. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma City:

"Some of these things are downright silly."

Under the federal definition, "employment" doesn't necessarily include cash compensation, Lankford said.

"It varies greatly. For instance, if a grandfather owned a farm and his grandchildren came to work there, they wouldn't be exempted under the rule. Their own kids on their own family farm would be exempted, but their grandkids would not," he said.

Leaving wide open the interpretation of the regulations up to some bureaucrat has worked out so well for every other federal and state agency, hasn't it?

Two things that angered me on this:

One - the feds thinking they have the authority to do this under the Interstate Commerce clause.

Two - I'm angry at myself for not knowing about this ahead of time. According to the last link, only 4000 comments were taken. There should have been 100 times that many but no one knew about this. Or at the very least, they thought this will only apply to the Big Ag operations and not them.

It might but I'm not going to bet on it.

Remember, we are all Kulaks now.

The government, the planners, the leaders who directed the robbery, even the government employees themselves "knew better than the peasants how they should live, and what they should sow and when they should plough."

Page 168, "Death by Gun Control", Zelman and Stevens

The War on Agriculture

Growing up on a small farm introduced me to several hazardous situations and my puny 98 lbs wasn't much against a 1200 lb steer. When I drove the Allis Chalmers C at age 5 while my dad threw hay to the calves, I had to jump off the seat to push in the clutch and brake pedals. Probably not the safest task given to me, but I did okay and didn't drive through a gate or ran over anyone. But new proposed rules regarding child labor in agriculture may change the landscape of farming. (Comments ended Dec 1st) While these rules would not apply to non-paid labor on the family farm (at least not now) they do apply if a kid hires out to work for a neighbor or family member. I baled hay for neighbors in junior high and I still have all my limbs intact.

The Labor Department can only regulate employer-employee relationships, so the proposed rules shouldn't affect 4-H, FFA or other educational programs, said Michael Hancock, assistant administrator for policy at the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division. And, they may not keep children from helping on their grandparents' or uncle's farms if they aren't paid. (emphasis mine) Proposed child labor laws would limit hazardous work by minors on farms

"Shouldn't" and "May not" are clues to what is really intended. Busybodies like Barbara Marlenga, a described "research scientist" but looks like her only function is to publish studies like: "North American guidelines for children's agricultural tasks: five-year assessment and priorities for the future." is quoted: "Youths who work in other industries — the child labor laws are much stricter," Marlenga said. "Why would we have unequal protection?" Sounds like someone my dad would have run off the homestead. Point is given that farming is a dangerous enterprise and I've seen the results of carelessness, but no one is advocating sweat shop like labor for kids. Even my dad wasn't that bad. But proposing safety rails if a 16 year-old is 6 feet in the air? That's maybe four bales of hay and don't even think about working in the loft. According to the article, child agriculture accidents fell by more than half from 1998 to 2009, so what's the problem? After looking at a letter signed by "more than 25 public-health and workplace safety experts" sent to a governmental busybody who oversees new rules in the Department of Labor, one name stood out: Michael J. Wright of the United Steel Workers. If fewer young people are employed in agriculture, the end result would be that adults would have to be hired. You can't organize children into labor unions. Little Johnny has no interest in Big Labor, he's trying to earn money for a car. The rest of the letter signers look to be academics who I would bet have never set foot on a farm operation, let alone operate any machinery. These guys make it sound as though children fresh out of diapers are running a sickle mower for 10 hours a day. This link http://humantrafficking.change.org/blog/view/report_child_labor_on_american_farms makes it sound like farmers are involved in nefarious human trafficking. Human Rights Watch interviewed 58 under-18 workers (out of a few hundred thousand possible) and came up the the cute-sounding "Fields of Peril" report. At a 102 pages I'm still sifting through it, but with subject titles of: "Work with Dangerous Machinery, Equipment, and Tools", "Pressure to Work Fast, Sick, and Injured", and "Extreme Temperatures: Heat and Cold" makes me think that these namby girls don't know what hard work is. Through my short reading, many of the issues they cite are regarding large ag operations and migrant workers, those that are already regulated. The desire to throw down more regulations when the current regulations are violated, seems asinine to me. Those of us who know would say that farming is a 24-7 life. If you have a cow suffering through a breach-birth, your head cold doesn't mean squat when you risk losing a source of your income. At 20 below you better make sure those animals are watered and fed before you are. At least it was when I grew up. And like many others, I suffered through the heat in summer and freezing my toes and ears in winter. And I hated that at the time. But I'm glad I did it because it taught me what work is and gave me a set of skills that has benefited me and my family ever since. The problem I see is that these adults wish for a utopian life for youth and don't understand the benefits that physical labor brings to a child's life. No one is advocating slave-labor with children in chains in the hot sun, but I never knew anyone who died cutting corn from a soybean field in July. So after wading through this post, here is the interpretation: under-18 agriculture laborers are slaves and farm operations are trafficking in slave labor, big operations are violating current regulations and therefore more regulations that apply to all are needed and finally, bed-wetting academics and labor advocates know more about the welfare of youth than the parents. If these people had their way when I was a kid, my life would have been filled with gumdrops and sunshine while riding unicorns across bubble wrap fields where no one ever suffered a skinned knee or bruised elbow. Right. Just because these idiots are wimps they mean to scrape a whole segment of youth out of a lifestyle and out of employment.

ATF agent threatens to sic a private investigator on Grassley

To dig up some dirt apparently.

For all of my disagreements with the Senator, I would never think he had any dirt on him. (Harkin, on the other hand...) I believe Senator Grassley to be an honorable man despite his occupation as a US Senator.

Gun dealer Andre Howard recorded conversations with ATF agent Hope McAllister and they reveal the extend the ATF agent would go if she had the means to do so.

EXCERPT 3

Agent: That's kind of what my suggestion but nobody thought that was funny like if I were a P.I. I'd put him on Grassley, I'm sure there's a lot would go away. Actually my one suggestion was just tell him in a registered Republican. I'm sure if he knew that everything would be fine, they didn't like that either.

Grassley may have some skeletons in the closet like this photo:


But I highly doubt he has anything that would rival the Clintons or any of the Kennedys. I don't they fully know many of the members of the Senate, although they pegged Leahy pretty well.

They have a good understanding of the situation in the Senate. Since the Republicans are in the minority, Grassley is powerless to do any real investigations. He can't call for hearings and is limited on any subpena power.

Simon Conway of WHO radio interviewed Senator Grassley last week on this very subject. (Start at 9:09) I apologize but the embed doesn't want to work for me.

It would seem that Chuck isn't going to let "Fast and Furious"\"Gunwalker" go away.

ATF is in the gun smuggling business??

And here I thought they were supposed to be preventing crime or something like that. Mike Vanderboegh reports:

Official ATF documents and sources in both Arizona and Washington D.C. confirm that in at least two instances in 2010, agents of the United States government purchased Kalashnikov-pattern semi-automatic pistols directly from licensed federal firearms dealers with taxpayer money and delivered those weapons directly into the hands of cartel smugglers.

I guess I was wrong.

So there is evidence that those in our government facilitated the smuggling of guns into a criminal gang and now what are they going to do about it?

My guess is continue to circle the wagons.

Because these mayors are so helpful

They want to make sure we get to the bottom of the whole "Fast and Furious/Gunwalker" fiasco.

The group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, is pushing Obama to lift a rider known as the Tiahrt Amendment from the fiscal year 2012 budget proposal. By removing the rider, lawmakers would gain access to records of guns sold through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ operation "Fast and Furious," which oversaw the sale of weapons to known and suspected straw purchasers for Mexican drug cartels.

And more helpful advice:

“It is time to put it into effect to help ATF and other law enforcement identify individuals who may be buying guns like AK-47s and AR-15s by the carload and driving them south for sale to the violent drug gangs who are murdering thousands of people and destabilizing the entire border region,” they wrote.

Weren't the ATF involved with getting the guns to Mexico? If so, wouldn't they already know who was involved with the straw-purchasing? Considering they assured gun dealers to go through with the purchases anyway, it's a safe bet the answer is yes.

Mayors call on Obama to strengthen enforcement of country’s gun laws

I just trust them. (The proofreader missed his mark and may soon be fired - ed.)

Obama established a "Rural Council"

3 Years After Bitter-People-Clinging-to-Guns Speech, Obama Creates ‘Rural Council’

Chaired by our former Governor Vilsack.

“Strong rural communities are key to a stronger America,” Obama said in releasing the order. “That’s why I’ve established the White House Rural Council to make sure we’re working across government to strengthen rural communities and promote economic growth.”

"Raw honey should be outlawed."
Tom "Silly Old Bear" Vilsack, Secretary of Big Agriculture

More control over rural America, a growing War On Farmers and now a sorry excuse of an governor gets another chance to ruin whats left in Iowa. As the current Ag Secretary who wouldn't know the difference between a cultivator and clevis, old Tom will sure spew out new rules for every farmer in the country.

As any cabinet secretary knows, it's good to rule with an iron fist.

"You mere peasants can't possibly know more about agriculture than a lawyer-turned-governor of that state that grows plants of corn with the smelly swine."
King Thomas from the Mount of Pleasant

At least he dresses the part.

It took me a while to find a picture of Vilsack on an actual farm (albeit an organic one):

It looks like he's been enjoying a little too much of American produced food products. You know, produced by real American farmers, of which he's never been one. But it's okay, he lived in Iowa for a while.

And this is why a real farmer wouldn't wear Birkenstocks while on the farm:

"Yo, Tom. Look what you just stepped in." - Obama
"That's $500 bucks down the drain." - Tom "Shit from Shinola" Vilsack

Neither of these two guys are paying attention to what the farmer is trying to say.

Should we expect anything better this time around? Because the link above to an entry by Sec Vilsack is about economic development in rural America. From over a year ago.

And now we have a Rural Council.

Central Planning worked for the Kulaks, didn't it?

Another sheriff complaining criminals get permits to carry

Since most misdemeanor convictions isn't a hurdle for passing a background check, some people who have been guilty of a minor crime in the view of the court system are allowed a carry permit in Iowa.

Some sheriffs don't like the idea that these citizens are able to get a permit.

Scott County Sheriff Dennis Conard says short of a felony, Iowa's new gun law allows nearly anyone with a misdemeanor record to get a gun permit.

"Most of the sheriffs in Iowa were not fans of the new law," said Conard.

I guess we can add the Scott County sheriff to the group with Linn and Johnson County sheriffs, who don't like the loss of power over the permit process.

And he's repeating the 20% line.

I doubt that if he doesn't appreciate the income generated to the county:

The cost of the new gun permits are more expensive than in the past. The new permits have generated $150,000 in revenue. $120,000 of that stays in Scott County.

County sheriff still unhappy with carry law

Johnson County Sheriff, Lonny Pulkrabek made the claim that 20% of permit holders have criminal records.

“My biggest beef is they took all the discretion away from the sheriffs under the premise of wanting more law-abiding citizens to get permits, but what they’ve done is allowed more people who are criminal, non-law-abiding citizen to carry guns,” Pulkrabek said.

If most of the sheriffs in Iowa hadn't acted like little tyrants regarding the permits, then they would still have their discretion. Which, by the way, they still have the power but the appeals process can overturn their decision.

Since the law went into effect on January 1st, how many of these "criminals" have broken the law? If they had, I'm certain the good sheriff would have made hay in the media over it.

I have not heard of one (and that doesn't mean that it hasn't happened). If any of my (still) loyal readers have heard of one incident, please let me know. We need to expose these miscreants of society so that their permits would be revoked.

Johnson County issued 1,295 permits in the first four months of 2011 compared to 552 in all of 2010.

That says all we need to know about the Johnson County Sheriff and his desire for a return to autocratic power.

"Gas for Guns" in Waterloo

Local residents will have a chance to put some gas in their tanks by turning in their guns.

The Waterloo Police Department, in cooperation with Jim Lind Shell Service Station, is hosting its first "Gas for Guns" event on June 11.

Jim Lind Shell. I guess this is a place I will never set foot in.

I suppose I could take a couple of single shots that I've purchased cheap a while back and double my money.

But that would support their crazy-assed project and give credence to what they're doing.

I've got a better idea, maybe firing a few rounds downrange from a firearm that I won't trade for gas money.

June 11th, hmmm? Maybe so, maybe so...

More permits with new law, and more "standards"

Who would have thought that?

Contributing to a few little falsehoods, like:

The fact that people can receive a permit without being required to have previous training or experience is one reason there have been so many applications, [Webster County Sheriff] Mickelson said.

New law requires NRA training or previous military experience. I guess that doesn't count.

Even though there hasn't been a problem with citizens mishandling firearms in his county, Sheriff Mickelson is wanting a change to fix something that isn't an issue:

Though there hasn't been an increase in gun related incidents, Mickelson said, his biggest concern is that not everyone applying for a permit has adequate weapon-handling experience.

"I think a new person that's never handled a gun before should be able to fire it and know how to handle it, but you don't have to do that," he said.

And he has the in-depth knowledge of everyone's firearm experience? I don't go out shooting with anyone in our sheriffs department. How would they know what kind of experience (or lack of ) unless they shadow each applicant.

And how about this bit:

Previously, the state Legislature had required that people applying for a gun permit had to have some prior weapons experience.

Actually it was up to the sheriffs where each county had a different standard. Some counties basically followed the current state law, others (if they would even allow permits) had a tougher standard.

Mickelson's solution to the non-problem problem?

His proposed solution? Standardized training throughout the state, as well as standardized ID cards.

"There's no standard they have to go by in the state of Iowa. That's what really needs to be done," he said. "It's just a little scary when they only have to take a written test. In fact, some of them aren't taking the test."

Make it even tougher to exercise one of your rights. Added hoplophobia bonus points for throwing in the "scary" adjective.

You can read all of the good sheriff's comments over at: Sheriff’s departments deal with more gun permit requests

Anti-freedom sheriff wants more gun control

This anti-freedom petty tyrant wants to regulate your freedoms. Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner:

“The Sheriff’s office in the state of Iowa do nothing to regulate the purchase of long guns,” said Gardner, “We only regulate the purchase of handguns.”

Is he implying that he wants to regulate all guns?

Seems that way to me.

Ah, the important things in life

ASM826 explains recent events and finds what someone in a position of power spends his time on. (Besides golf, that is)

Defending yourself is asking for trouble

"Individual in their home or in their car or a public street would have, under this bill, the right to use deadly force with limited liability of a lawsuit," said Scott County Sheriff Dennis Conard.

But Scott County Attorney Mike Walton said that's asking for trouble.

Self-defense laws could change in Iowa

House File: HF7

Western states standing up to Feds on wolf population

Bawb explains: WHO'S AFRAID OF THE FEDERAL WOLF? NOT WY, ID, or MT

Condescending police chief thinks people are too stupid to own guns

Just because you have a gun doesn't mean you know how to use it. Or one can imply that from the words of Marion Police Chief Daugherty.

“They have a right to their opinion, but my way of thinking is a little different. The more guns you have out in the streets, the more chances of an accident happening. It’s just common sense. They’re getting handled by more people, so the percentage of accidents have to go up. They just can’t go down.”

“All these people are getting these weapons and they may not know how to load them,” he said.

The clairvoyant chief believes that a sticker at your place of business will magically prevent someone from bringing a firearm in. Businesses could expect to never have an armed robbery.

The arrogant top cop at Marion is out asking businesses to place magic stickers at their entrances; spending department money (confiscated through forfeiture laws) on a letter campaign and creation of these magic stickers:


Sean McClanahan has more and a copy of the letter.

KFXA FOX 28 :: Top Stories - Gun Ban Stickers Popping Up on Marion Businesses

The Iowa Conservative Union is accusing the chief of "...taking a political position on Iowa’s gun permit policy—and using public money to do it."

Conklin [of Iowa Conservative Union] said his group will urge 2nd amendment supporters to avoid any Marion business posting the “gun ban” notices sent out by the chief. At least one business owner said the idea of making some customers unhappy might give her pause and keep her from using the stickers.