Undoctrination.org

As state and federal budgets bleed out, governments and agencies are taking an aggressive look at ways to increase their revenue stream. This will mean much more “proactive” (I really, really hate that word) enforcement of laws and regulations. That will mean we’ll be paying dearly for the irresponsible way local, state, and federal governments have pissed away their treasuries.

This is a complex topic that could fill pages with horror stories – I’ll touch on a few examples in the hopes that you can avoid helping your local, state, or federal government with their addiction to our money (don’t be an enabler for the government!)

1)      Some states are passing legislation that will penalize third and fourth offense drunken drivers at the level they now prosecute five-time offenders, making the offense a felony, and the fines much, much higher.

But there’s error in the logic: Penalizing third- and fourth-offense drunken drivers the way five-time offenders are now punished would cost a state $100 million or more a year, according budgetary experts.

Such a change would send nearly 3,000 additional offenders each year in the state where the law passed, to the state’s already overcrowded prison system, boosting the Department of Corrections’ costs anywhere from $99 million to $145 million a year, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. And about $4.6 million more also would be needed each year to pay for additional judges, prosecutors and public defenders.

So why don’t we just institute long term license revocation, jail time, and incredibly stiff fines on FIRST TIME offenders – but turn back the standard to the old .15 – .20 Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)? Unless you cause an accident and your BAC is at .08 or higher – then you get the same treatment as the .20 BAC offenders. Yeah, I know … that puts a great deal of “personal responsibility” on “we, the people.” But I dare say the ultimate savings on the local and state budgets would be significant.

Gotten a speeding ticket lately? Pricey, huh … a family member recently got a $200.00 ticket for going 60mph in a 45 – on an “ON RAMP.” Now, if I remember my driver’s education, it’s kind of important to get up to the speed of “the flow of traffic” when entering highways from an “on ramp.” But local and state cops are becoming much less lenient when doling out traffic tickets. It’s a significant resource of revenue for their bosses. I drive from one little Central Texas town to another periodically, and the Law Enforcement presence is growing steadily. I saw a state trooper on a county road with pickup pulled off for a ticket the other day. On my way back, the same trooper was in the process of pulling over another pickup – this one was a “state” pickup, no less. Speed limits are designed to keep us safer – I get it. But going a few miles above the limit never used to be an issue with most cops. So be advised to stay within the limits of the law when operating your vehicle or you’ll be helping offset the budget shortfalls of your city, county or state through traffic ticket finess.

2)      Many regulatory agencies have been schooled on imposing fines on the various contractors used by the governments – because the flat or reduced budgets of the agency no longer support their fat cat operations. Many of those agencies are targeting “non-union” contractors, too. Now, non-union contractors “may” be a bit less safe or have little less-safe equipment than a union shop (but doubtful),  but I’d put any non-union contractor up against a like-sized union shop any day of the week for quality of work, getting the job done on time, and total cost of the project.

As government entities search for new ways to  impose onerous regulations and ridiculous monetary penalties on “we, the people,” some of the laws they’ve passed decades ago are being dusted off or re-visited as a potential revenue stream, too.

3)      Starting a business is damned near impossible in some cities, because of the regulations the idiot city council that had no clue put into place. Licensing restrictions on certain trades are outlandish in some states. Because a barber, or a florist, or an interior designer (or whatever) gave a state legislator a nice contribution and told him how important it was to protect the integrity of their profession. PRESTO! A new licensing requirement is born! Licenses require fees. And with renewals, the state had a new revenue stream and the politician’s crony got his professional racket protected from undue competition. Used to be, if you had a talent or even a knack for a particular function, like floral arranging, or interior decorating, you could “hang a shingle” and become a small business entrepreneur. If enough people liked your prices and services, you could flourish and grow your business. If you weren’t any good, you’d go out of business. Simpler times, indeed.

Some cities do not allow “home – based” businesses. And some make the process so tough many don’t even bother jumping through the hoops (ranging from not being able to use your garage as an office or shop, not being able to ship from, or receive at, your home address, not being able to place a sign in your yard, etc.). So there are a number of “bootleg” home-based businesses operating today. Be careful out there – the fines for doing so are incredible if Big Brother catches you trying to eek out a living from your house. And Big Brother will be much more diligent as the need to feed on our money grows in the coming years.

4)      The IRS demands an entire article of it own. Be assured it will come in the not-too-distant future. It is perhaps one of the biggest perpetrators of abuse within the government because they know they can easily intimidate most citizens and businesses into compliance.

Our government entities are starting to act like crack cocaine addicts. They’ll lie, cheat and steal to get a fix – and if you’ve ever known a crack addict, you know you can’t trust them for a minute. They’ll screw you over in a heartbeat. Well, so will your governments as they try to find their next money fix.

So be safe out there. Brush up on your rights as citizen of the USA while you’re at it. Know what you HAVE to do – but also know what you do NOT have to do when pulled over by a cop, or want to profit from your talents.