Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Segami
Segami's Journal
Segami's Journal
August 31, 2013
War-mongers out in coordinated force.....
It didn’t take long for America’s two most reliable war-mongers to respond to the President’s turning Syria over to a Congressional vote. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) urged Congress to act as soon as possible, and then claimed that isolated military strikes aren’t enough. Read it and remind yourself what cowboy interventionism looks like (hint: It’s not what you saw at the White House today):
Meanwhile, Congressman Peter King (R-NY) has jumped the Republican bitter ship and accused Obama of not using enough presidential power, “Obama is abdicating his responsibility as commander-in-chief and undermining the authority of future presidents.” He continued, “The president doesn’t need 535 Members of Congress to enforce his own redline.”
Yes, in Republican world, the President is the decider. Constitution? Meh.
King is just upset since he’s eying a run for the White House and he doesn’t want to have to explain why he’s not doing the constitutional thing that his party blamed Obama for not doing until he did it. If you’re confused, just ask yourself what Obama did today and then realize that Republicans are always against it, no matter what. So, Obama is not enough of a dictator and he also needs to wage full on war in Syria but he is also a tyrant because of ObamaCare.
http://www.politicususa.com/2013/08/31/gop-cowboys-mccain-graham-real-war-king-obama-gave-power.html
'THE LYIN' KINGS': GOP Cowboys McCain And Graham Want a REAL WAR
War-mongers out in coordinated force.....
GOP Cowboys: McCain and Graham Want a Real War,
King Says Obama Gave Up Too Much Power
King Says Obama Gave Up Too Much Power
It didn’t take long for America’s two most reliable war-mongers to respond to the President’s turning Syria over to a Congressional vote. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) urged Congress to act as soon as possible, and then claimed that isolated military strikes aren’t enough. Read it and remind yourself what cowboy interventionism looks like (hint: It’s not what you saw at the White House today):
“We believe President Obama is correct that the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons requires a military response by the United States and our friends and allies. Since the President is now seeking Congressional support for this action, the Congress must act as soon as possible.
“However, we cannot in good conscience support isolated military strikes in Syria that are not part of an overall strategy that can change the momentum on the battlefield, achieve the President’s stated goal of Assad’s removal from power, and bring an end to this conflict, which is a growing threat to our national security interests. Anything short of this would be an inadequate response to the crimes against humanity that Assad and his forces are committing. And it would send the wrong signal to America’s friends and allies, the Syrian opposition, the Assad regime, Iran, and the world – all of whom are watching closely what actions America will take.”
“However, we cannot in good conscience support isolated military strikes in Syria that are not part of an overall strategy that can change the momentum on the battlefield, achieve the President’s stated goal of Assad’s removal from power, and bring an end to this conflict, which is a growing threat to our national security interests. Anything short of this would be an inadequate response to the crimes against humanity that Assad and his forces are committing. And it would send the wrong signal to America’s friends and allies, the Syrian opposition, the Assad regime, Iran, and the world – all of whom are watching closely what actions America will take.”
Meanwhile, Congressman Peter King (R-NY) has jumped the Republican bitter ship and accused Obama of not using enough presidential power, “Obama is abdicating his responsibility as commander-in-chief and undermining the authority of future presidents.” He continued, “The president doesn’t need 535 Members of Congress to enforce his own redline.”
Yes, in Republican world, the President is the decider. Constitution? Meh.
King is just upset since he’s eying a run for the White House and he doesn’t want to have to explain why he’s not doing the constitutional thing that his party blamed Obama for not doing until he did it. If you’re confused, just ask yourself what Obama did today and then realize that Republicans are always against it, no matter what. So, Obama is not enough of a dictator and he also needs to wage full on war in Syria but he is also a tyrant because of ObamaCare.
http://www.politicususa.com/2013/08/31/gop-cowboys-mccain-graham-real-war-king-obama-gave-power.html
August 31, 2013
Border Check Point Officer vs Young Woman in Car 'IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS'
"You're holding up traffic! Not me. Am I being detained?"
"My name is none of your business." Shut up and go to secondary.
"My name is none of your business." Shut up and go to secondary.
August 31, 2013
Wyoming Senate hopeful Liz Cheney said bluntly on Friday that she is “not pro-gay marriage.” Cheney, who is mounting a Republican primary challenge to Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), made the remark in a statement, which is posted on her website. Her sister, Mary Cheney, is openly gay.
The statement cited reports that Cheney was the subject of a “push poll” in which people were asked, “Are you aware that Liz Cheney supports abortion and aggressively promotes gay marriage?” “I call on Senator Enzi to denounce this poll and to tell the National Republican Senatorial Committee, or anyone else promoting untruths on his behalf, to stop,” she said. A spokesman for Enzi took exception to that statement.
“Neither Mike Enzi’s campaign, nor anyone affiliated with his campaign, has conducted any polls in Wyoming,” spokesman Coy Knobel said in an email. “He would never support a push-poll, or tolerate anyone working for him who conducted one. For Liz Cheney to assert otherwise, without any proof whatsoever, shows more about her campaign than Mike Enzi’s.” The NRSC is also not polling in Wyoming, a spokesman said. ”With all due respect, it looks like Liz Cheney is fishing without a license again,” NRSC spokesman Brad Dayspring said.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/liz-cheney-gay-marriage-96099.html
Liz Cheney: ‘I AM NOT PRO-GAY MARRIAGE’
Wyoming Senate hopeful Liz Cheney said bluntly on Friday that she is “not pro-gay marriage.” Cheney, who is mounting a Republican primary challenge to Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), made the remark in a statement, which is posted on her website. Her sister, Mary Cheney, is openly gay.
“I am strongly pro-life and I am not pro-gay marriage,” she said in the statement. “I believe the issue of marriage must be decided by the states, and by the people in the states, not by judges and not even by legislators, but by the people themselves.”
The statement cited reports that Cheney was the subject of a “push poll” in which people were asked, “Are you aware that Liz Cheney supports abortion and aggressively promotes gay marriage?” “I call on Senator Enzi to denounce this poll and to tell the National Republican Senatorial Committee, or anyone else promoting untruths on his behalf, to stop,” she said. A spokesman for Enzi took exception to that statement.
“Neither Mike Enzi’s campaign, nor anyone affiliated with his campaign, has conducted any polls in Wyoming,” spokesman Coy Knobel said in an email. “He would never support a push-poll, or tolerate anyone working for him who conducted one. For Liz Cheney to assert otherwise, without any proof whatsoever, shows more about her campaign than Mike Enzi’s.” The NRSC is also not polling in Wyoming, a spokesman said. ”With all due respect, it looks like Liz Cheney is fishing without a license again,” NRSC spokesman Brad Dayspring said.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/liz-cheney-gay-marriage-96099.html
August 30, 2013
After 75 years of federal prohibition, new legislation allows states the right to decide whether citizens may use, grow, sell, and buy marijuana. Last fall, Washington and Colorado voted to legalize the drug, and now, the Justice Department has given states the power to oversee both medical and recreational industries, along with adoption of regulatory plans. But in a memo to all U.S. attorney offices, Deputy Attorney General James Cole warned that policy must safeguard public health and safety, saying, "If state enforcement efforts are not sufficiently robust...the federal government may seek to challenge the regulatory structure itself."
"In a memo to all 94 U.S. attorneys' offices around the country, Deputy Attorney General James Cole said the federal government expects that states and local governments authorizing "marijuana-related conduct" will implement strong and effective regulatory and enforcement systems that address the threat those state laws could pose to public health and safety.
"If state enforcement efforts are not sufficiently robust ... the federal government may seek to challenge the regulatory structure itself," the memo stated. States must ensure "that they do not undermine federal enforcement priorities," it added.
The U.S. attorney in Colorado, John Walsh, said he will continue to focus on whether Colorado's system has the resources and tools necessary to protect key federal public safety interests.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said the state is working to improve education and prevention efforts directed at young people and on enforcement tools to prevent access to marijuana by those under age 21. Colorado also is determined to keep marijuana businesses from being fronts for criminal enterprises or other illegal activity, he said, and the state is committed to preventing the export of marijuana while also enhancing efforts to keep state roads safe from impaired drivers.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee also laid out guidelines for marijuana entrepreneurs.
"If you don't sell this product to children, if you keep violent crime away from your business, if you pay your taxes and you don't use this as a front for illicit activity, we're going to be able to move forward," Inslee said.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/feds-sue-stop-marijuana-states-20108459
A Pew Research Center poll in March found that 60 percent of Americans think the federal government shouldn't enforce federal anti-marijuana laws in states where its use has been approved. Younger people, who tend to vote more Democratic, are especially prone to that view. But opponents are worried these moves will lead to more use by young people. Colorado and Washington were states that helped re-elect Obama. "Today's announcement demonstrates the sort of political vision and foresight from the White House we've been seeking for a long time," said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, a New York-based group. "The White House is basically saying to Washington and Colorado: Proceed with caution."
The Department of Justice left the door open to reverse course, however, by reserving its right to file a preemption lawsuit in the future, since marijuana remains illegal federally under the Controlled Substances Act.
cont'
http://occupyamerica.crooksandliars.com/diane-sweet/eric-holder-states-decide-pot-use
Department of Justice: STATES DECIDE ON POT USE
Seattle's KING 5 News reports that states can now let people use marijuana, license people to grow it and even allow adults to stroll into stores and buy it — as long as the weed is kept away from kids, the black market and federal property.
After 75 years of federal prohibition, new legislation allows states the right to decide whether citizens may use, grow, sell, and buy marijuana. Last fall, Washington and Colorado voted to legalize the drug, and now, the Justice Department has given states the power to oversee both medical and recreational industries, along with adoption of regulatory plans. But in a memo to all U.S. attorney offices, Deputy Attorney General James Cole warned that policy must safeguard public health and safety, saying, "If state enforcement efforts are not sufficiently robust...the federal government may seek to challenge the regulatory structure itself."
"In a memo to all 94 U.S. attorneys' offices around the country, Deputy Attorney General James Cole said the federal government expects that states and local governments authorizing "marijuana-related conduct" will implement strong and effective regulatory and enforcement systems that address the threat those state laws could pose to public health and safety.
"If state enforcement efforts are not sufficiently robust ... the federal government may seek to challenge the regulatory structure itself," the memo stated. States must ensure "that they do not undermine federal enforcement priorities," it added.
The U.S. attorney in Colorado, John Walsh, said he will continue to focus on whether Colorado's system has the resources and tools necessary to protect key federal public safety interests.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said the state is working to improve education and prevention efforts directed at young people and on enforcement tools to prevent access to marijuana by those under age 21. Colorado also is determined to keep marijuana businesses from being fronts for criminal enterprises or other illegal activity, he said, and the state is committed to preventing the export of marijuana while also enhancing efforts to keep state roads safe from impaired drivers.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee also laid out guidelines for marijuana entrepreneurs.
"If you don't sell this product to children, if you keep violent crime away from your business, if you pay your taxes and you don't use this as a front for illicit activity, we're going to be able to move forward," Inslee said.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/feds-sue-stop-marijuana-states-20108459
A Pew Research Center poll in March found that 60 percent of Americans think the federal government shouldn't enforce federal anti-marijuana laws in states where its use has been approved. Younger people, who tend to vote more Democratic, are especially prone to that view. But opponents are worried these moves will lead to more use by young people. Colorado and Washington were states that helped re-elect Obama. "Today's announcement demonstrates the sort of political vision and foresight from the White House we've been seeking for a long time," said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, a New York-based group. "The White House is basically saying to Washington and Colorado: Proceed with caution."
The Department of Justice left the door open to reverse course, however, by reserving its right to file a preemption lawsuit in the future, since marijuana remains illegal federally under the Controlled Substances Act.
cont'
http://occupyamerica.crooksandliars.com/diane-sweet/eric-holder-states-decide-pot-use
August 30, 2013
Not all is well for Prime Minister Stephen Harper…
A recent Canadian pot poll which demonstrated over 75% of ‘The Great White North’s’ residence look forward to the day when marijuana is decriminalized/ legalized for adults over 21 to consume. This most recent poll indicates Canada’s push for marijuana legalization has cultivated strong roots, growing by over 4% from the last time this chronic question was posed to the Canadian public in November 2012.
Deaf to public sentiment, blind to the political dead-end of marijuana prohibition – Stephen Harper may soon find himself out of a cushy gig. Representing the right wing political position of the conservative party Harper has adopted an incomprehensible position on recreational marijuana. First elected as Canada’s Prime Minister in 2006, Harper now finds himself implementing harsh punishments for a substance that over 69% of his constituents believe should either be decriminalized… Or outright legalized.
As a means of providing further insight into the sticky topic of marijuana legalization, the form research poll broke down there results by socioeconomic groupings: the pro-pot poll discovered the highest support for the removing of criminal penalties for marijuana consumption existed amongst those making more than $60,000 a year – while the lowest support for marijuana legalization was noticed by those making under $20,000 a year, with the poorest in strong support of increasing criminal penalties for marijuana possession.
Support for decriminalization/legalization is highest among the youngest (75%) and the Boomers (55 to 64 – 72%), among the wealthier ($60K to $100K – 74%) and in BC (77%).
Thanks to PM Stephen Harper’s crackdown on cannabis, a simple possession of less than 30 g can cost you $1000 and six months in jail.
O CANNABIS!! New Poll: Canada’s Wealthiest SUPPORT Marijuana Legalization By 74%
Not all is well for Prime Minister Stephen Harper…
A recent Canadian pot poll which demonstrated over 75% of ‘The Great White North’s’ residence look forward to the day when marijuana is decriminalized/ legalized for adults over 21 to consume. This most recent poll indicates Canada’s push for marijuana legalization has cultivated strong roots, growing by over 4% from the last time this chronic question was posed to the Canadian public in November 2012.
Deaf to public sentiment, blind to the political dead-end of marijuana prohibition – Stephen Harper may soon find himself out of a cushy gig. Representing the right wing political position of the conservative party Harper has adopted an incomprehensible position on recreational marijuana. First elected as Canada’s Prime Minister in 2006, Harper now finds himself implementing harsh punishments for a substance that over 69% of his constituents believe should either be decriminalized… Or outright legalized.
The form research Inc. poll uncovered strong support, as 2/3 or 69% of those polled supported the decriminalization for small amounts of pot. While 34% of the polled Canadians believed that the outright legalization and taxation of marijuana was a proper course.
http://www.forumresearch.com/forms/News%20Archives/News%20Releases/50140_Federal_Trudeau_-_Marijuana_%2824082013%29_Forum_Research.pdf
http://www.forumresearch.com/forms/News%20Archives/News%20Releases/50140_Federal_Trudeau_-_Marijuana_%2824082013%29_Forum_Research.pdf
As a means of providing further insight into the sticky topic of marijuana legalization, the form research poll broke down there results by socioeconomic groupings: the pro-pot poll discovered the highest support for the removing of criminal penalties for marijuana consumption existed amongst those making more than $60,000 a year – while the lowest support for marijuana legalization was noticed by those making under $20,000 a year, with the poorest in strong support of increasing criminal penalties for marijuana possession.
Support for decriminalization/legalization is highest among the youngest (75%) and the Boomers (55 to 64 – 72%), among the wealthier ($60K to $100K – 74%) and in BC (77%).
Thanks to PM Stephen Harper’s crackdown on cannabis, a simple possession of less than 30 g can cost you $1000 and six months in jail.
August 30, 2013
Thursday night on “The Rachel Maddow Show,” host Rachel Maddow marveled at the changes in federal policy on same sex marriage and toward states that are legalizing marijuana. She said that the new laws are so significantly different from the norm that the situation is like “cats chasing dogs, like pigs flying.” Maddow began by discussing the incredible strides made in this country by advocates for same sex marriage. On Thursday, the U.S. Treasury announced that legally married same sex couples can now jointly file their taxes. This is a sea change from just nine years ago when George W. Bush’s re-election team used the issue of stopping same sex marriage to drive conservative voters to the polls.
“Democrats were terrible on the issue as well,” Maddow said, pointing to Bill Clinton’s two major anti-LGBT legacies, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).“Thanks for nothing, Bill Clinton,” she said, adding that it seems almost inconceivable in hindsight that things would change so quickly.
She moved on to Thursday’s historic change in marijuana laws. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the federal government will not be taking action for now against Colorado and Washington for legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational use. The Department of Justice sent a memo to U.S. Attorneys with new guidelines on marijuana prosecution, urging them not to prosecute low level users. Maddow pointed out that this comes after decades and decades of federal action against marijuana users and suppliers, that these policy reversals constitute a seismic shift in U.S. drug policy.
“This is a big deal in one day’s news,” she said, “but in the context of a lifetime’s worth of the futile, ever-more-aggressive war on drugs, what the administration just did today feels unimaginable. It feels like cats chasing dogs. It feels like pigs flying. It feels like the Harlem Globetrotters losing. It happened. It’s done. Adjust your expectations for what is within the realm of the possible in our country.”
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/30/maddow-on-lgbt-rights-thanks-for-nothing-bill-clinton/
Maddow On LGBT Rights: ‘THANKS FOR NOTHING, Bill Clinton’
Thursday night on “The Rachel Maddow Show,” host Rachel Maddow marveled at the changes in federal policy on same sex marriage and toward states that are legalizing marijuana. She said that the new laws are so significantly different from the norm that the situation is like “cats chasing dogs, like pigs flying.” Maddow began by discussing the incredible strides made in this country by advocates for same sex marriage. On Thursday, the U.S. Treasury announced that legally married same sex couples can now jointly file their taxes. This is a sea change from just nine years ago when George W. Bush’s re-election team used the issue of stopping same sex marriage to drive conservative voters to the polls.
“Democrats were terrible on the issue as well,” Maddow said, pointing to Bill Clinton’s two major anti-LGBT legacies, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).“Thanks for nothing, Bill Clinton,” she said, adding that it seems almost inconceivable in hindsight that things would change so quickly.
She moved on to Thursday’s historic change in marijuana laws. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the federal government will not be taking action for now against Colorado and Washington for legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational use. The Department of Justice sent a memo to U.S. Attorneys with new guidelines on marijuana prosecution, urging them not to prosecute low level users. Maddow pointed out that this comes after decades and decades of federal action against marijuana users and suppliers, that these policy reversals constitute a seismic shift in U.S. drug policy.
“This is a big deal in one day’s news,” she said, “but in the context of a lifetime’s worth of the futile, ever-more-aggressive war on drugs, what the administration just did today feels unimaginable. It feels like cats chasing dogs. It feels like pigs flying. It feels like the Harlem Globetrotters losing. It happened. It’s done. Adjust your expectations for what is within the realm of the possible in our country.”
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/30/maddow-on-lgbt-rights-thanks-for-nothing-bill-clinton/
August 30, 2013
The Obama administration views Israel as one of the top spying threats facing its intelligence services, leaked documents reveal. A secret budget request obtained by The Washington Post from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden lumps Israel alongside U.S. foes Iran and Cuba as “key targets” for U.S. counterintelligence efforts. The document suggests Israel does not believe U.S. assurances that its interests are aligned with Israel's on crucial issues such as Iran and peace talks with the Palestinians.
The White House and the Israeli Embassy did not respond to requests for comment. The revelations come as no surprise to Georgetown University's Paul Pillar, who retired as the national intelligence officer for the Near East in 1995 after a 28-year career in U.S. intelligence. Israeli spying, he said, has remained a major threat since U.S. citizen Jonathan Pollard received a life sentence in 1987 in a massive spying case that gravely strained relations between the two countries.
The issues of continued Israeli settlement construction and Obama's strong interest in reaching a negotiated settlement to avoid a confrontation with Iran over its nuclear program, Pillar said, are two issues where U.S. and Israeli interests “certainly diverge,” he said. Spying, he said, could give Israel “warning indicators” before any public decisions, and enable the country to put its “political machine in action” and get the United States to reconsider. “If I were in [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's shoes and had his perspective,” Pillar said, “I would spare no effort to try to collect every bit of intelligence I could, in secret as well as openly.” He said the public revelations won't impact U.S.-Israeli relations.
cont'
http://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/middle-east-north-africa/319513-leaked-documents-reveal-us-sees-israel-as-a-major-spying-threat
LEAKED Documents Reveal US Sees Israel As A SPYING THREAT
The Obama administration views Israel as one of the top spying threats facing its intelligence services, leaked documents reveal. A secret budget request obtained by The Washington Post from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden lumps Israel alongside U.S. foes Iran and Cuba as “key targets” for U.S. counterintelligence efforts. The document suggests Israel does not believe U.S. assurances that its interests are aligned with Israel's on crucial issues such as Iran and peace talks with the Palestinians.
“To further safeguard our classified networks, we continue to strengthen insider threat detection capabilities across the Community,” reads the FY 2013 congressional budget justification for intelligence programs. “In addition, we are investing in target surveillance and offensive CI [counterintelligence] against key targets, such as China, Russia, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and Cuba.”
The White House and the Israeli Embassy did not respond to requests for comment. The revelations come as no surprise to Georgetown University's Paul Pillar, who retired as the national intelligence officer for the Near East in 1995 after a 28-year career in U.S. intelligence. Israeli spying, he said, has remained a major threat since U.S. citizen Jonathan Pollard received a life sentence in 1987 in a massive spying case that gravely strained relations between the two countries.
“Israel should be assumed to continue to have an aggressive intelligence collection operations against the United States,” Pillar said. While much information is collected through traditional political contacts, “I would personally have no doubt that that is supplemented by whatever means they can use to find out as much as they can about what we're doing, thinking, deciding on anything of interest to Israel, which would include just about any Middle Eastern topic.”
The issues of continued Israeli settlement construction and Obama's strong interest in reaching a negotiated settlement to avoid a confrontation with Iran over its nuclear program, Pillar said, are two issues where U.S. and Israeli interests “certainly diverge,” he said. Spying, he said, could give Israel “warning indicators” before any public decisions, and enable the country to put its “political machine in action” and get the United States to reconsider. “If I were in [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's shoes and had his perspective,” Pillar said, “I would spare no effort to try to collect every bit of intelligence I could, in secret as well as openly.” He said the public revelations won't impact U.S.-Israeli relations.
cont'
http://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/middle-east-north-africa/319513-leaked-documents-reveal-us-sees-israel-as-a-major-spying-threat
August 30, 2013
Smart Meters are a financial coup for Big Energy. This is why we are witnessing - and now catching on film - criminal acts of vandalism, breaking & entering and trespass by energy firms trying to install their next-generation 'cash machines' in the homes of customers. When companies are prepared to treat the properties of their customers with this much contempt, the extent to which sensitive personal data will be cared for is in little doubt.
A one year study in Toronto, by Toronto Hydro, showed that 80% of people's bills INCREASE after Smart Meters are installed. "Dozens and dozens of customers...are reporting some huge billing spikes, in one case more than 1,000 percent" reported CTV's Consumer Affairs Reporter, Lynda Steele.
Big Energy firms are publicly-listed, for-profit enterprises answerable to their shareholders. If you are left with any uncertainty about whose agenda Smart Meters are designed to serve, we encourage you to watch Josh del Sol's critical investigation of the Smart Metering and Smart Grid phenomenon, Take Back Your Power.
Take Back Your Power - premiering 5 September 2013
Pre-order now: http://stopsmartmeters.org.uk/film/
Help distribute: http://www.ykr.be/1vfwdqlqxr
.
Energy Firm CAUGHT Breaking Down Door to INSTALL Smart Meter!
Smart Meters are a financial coup for Big Energy. This is why we are witnessing - and now catching on film - criminal acts of vandalism, breaking & entering and trespass by energy firms trying to install their next-generation 'cash machines' in the homes of customers. When companies are prepared to treat the properties of their customers with this much contempt, the extent to which sensitive personal data will be cared for is in little doubt.
A one year study in Toronto, by Toronto Hydro, showed that 80% of people's bills INCREASE after Smart Meters are installed. "Dozens and dozens of customers...are reporting some huge billing spikes, in one case more than 1,000 percent" reported CTV's Consumer Affairs Reporter, Lynda Steele.
Big Energy firms are publicly-listed, for-profit enterprises answerable to their shareholders. If you are left with any uncertainty about whose agenda Smart Meters are designed to serve, we encourage you to watch Josh del Sol's critical investigation of the Smart Metering and Smart Grid phenomenon, Take Back Your Power.
Take Back Your Power - premiering 5 September 2013
Pre-order now: http://stopsmartmeters.org.uk/film/
Help distribute: http://www.ykr.be/1vfwdqlqxr
.
August 29, 2013
Therrrrre we go..........
Mary Jane made a new friend today: an old bearded hippie named Uncle Sam. In a memo released this afternoon, the Department of Justice signaled that it will not meddle with state efforts to legalize and regulate the consumption and sale of pot. "Basically what it says is that the federal government is waving a white flag," says Dan Riffle, the director of federal policies for the Marijuana Policy Project. "Today's announcement is a major historic step toward ending marijuana prohibition." The federal government typically hasn't prosecuted individual pot smokers, but the memo breaks new ground by applying a similarly permissive approach to marijuana dispensaries, which have often been the targets of federal raids. Under the new policy, the DOJ will leave recreational and medical pot dispensaries alone in states that it believes are regulating them adequately.
Prosecutors "should continue to review marijuana cases on a case-by-case basis," the memo says, "and weigh all available information and evidence, including, but not limited to, whether the operation is demonstrably in compliance with a strong and effective state regulatory system." The DOJ signaled that it will allow Colorado and Washington to proceed with legalizing and regulating the sale and recreational consumption of marijuana so long as they can prevent:
Cannabis from being sold to minors
Pot revenue from going to criminal enterprises
Legally purchased marijuana from being diverted to states where it's illegal
State-authorized pot businesses from being used as legal cover for drug trafficking
Violence related to drug cultivation
Stoned driving
The cultivation of marijuana on public lands
Marijuana possession on federal property
"Those are all reasons we've cited for why we should tax and regulate marijuana," the MPP's Riffle points out. But other pro-marijuana activists are concerned that the memo gives federal prosecutors too much leeway. In particular, it's not clear whether the feds will stop prosecuting pot dispensaries in California. Unlike Colorado and Washington, California provides little state-level oversight of its medical pot industry, relying instead on a patchwork of local laws. "I certainly hope that it applies to us and I certainly think it should, but we will need to wait and see," says Steve D'Angelo, founder of Harborside Health Center, a large and respected pot dispensary in Oakland that has been the target of federal raids. Last year, the DOJ filed a civil suit against Harborside's landlords, seeking to seize buildings it rents in Oakland and San Jose. The case prompted the City of Oakland to countersue the DOJ on Harborside's behalf; the matter is now before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
It's also not clear how the memo will influence other federal agencies that have targeted California dispensaries. The Internal Revenue Service has prosecuted the dispensaries under a clause of the tax code that prevents drug traffickers from deducting business expenses such as rent and payroll. The Treasury Department has told credit card processors they can't work with the pot shops. And the Drug Enforcement Administration recently told armored car companies that they can't carry cash from medical marijuana sales. "While we're hopeful that the Justice Department will adhere to these policies" in the memo, Steph Sherer, the executive director of a group called Americans for Safe Access, said in a press release, "our experience with the Obama administration so far has been lots of double-talk."
cont'
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/08/justice-department-memo-obama-medical-marijuana-dispensaries
MEMO: Justice Department WON'T MEDDLE With States that LEGALIZE Marijuana
Therrrrre we go..........
Mary Jane made a new friend today: an old bearded hippie named Uncle Sam. In a memo released this afternoon, the Department of Justice signaled that it will not meddle with state efforts to legalize and regulate the consumption and sale of pot. "Basically what it says is that the federal government is waving a white flag," says Dan Riffle, the director of federal policies for the Marijuana Policy Project. "Today's announcement is a major historic step toward ending marijuana prohibition." The federal government typically hasn't prosecuted individual pot smokers, but the memo breaks new ground by applying a similarly permissive approach to marijuana dispensaries, which have often been the targets of federal raids. Under the new policy, the DOJ will leave recreational and medical pot dispensaries alone in states that it believes are regulating them adequately.
Prosecutors "should continue to review marijuana cases on a case-by-case basis," the memo says, "and weigh all available information and evidence, including, but not limited to, whether the operation is demonstrably in compliance with a strong and effective state regulatory system." The DOJ signaled that it will allow Colorado and Washington to proceed with legalizing and regulating the sale and recreational consumption of marijuana so long as they can prevent:
Cannabis from being sold to minors
Pot revenue from going to criminal enterprises
Legally purchased marijuana from being diverted to states where it's illegal
State-authorized pot businesses from being used as legal cover for drug trafficking
Violence related to drug cultivation
Stoned driving
The cultivation of marijuana on public lands
Marijuana possession on federal property
"Those are all reasons we've cited for why we should tax and regulate marijuana," the MPP's Riffle points out. But other pro-marijuana activists are concerned that the memo gives federal prosecutors too much leeway. In particular, it's not clear whether the feds will stop prosecuting pot dispensaries in California. Unlike Colorado and Washington, California provides little state-level oversight of its medical pot industry, relying instead on a patchwork of local laws. "I certainly hope that it applies to us and I certainly think it should, but we will need to wait and see," says Steve D'Angelo, founder of Harborside Health Center, a large and respected pot dispensary in Oakland that has been the target of federal raids. Last year, the DOJ filed a civil suit against Harborside's landlords, seeking to seize buildings it rents in Oakland and San Jose. The case prompted the City of Oakland to countersue the DOJ on Harborside's behalf; the matter is now before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
It's also not clear how the memo will influence other federal agencies that have targeted California dispensaries. The Internal Revenue Service has prosecuted the dispensaries under a clause of the tax code that prevents drug traffickers from deducting business expenses such as rent and payroll. The Treasury Department has told credit card processors they can't work with the pot shops. And the Drug Enforcement Administration recently told armored car companies that they can't carry cash from medical marijuana sales. "While we're hopeful that the Justice Department will adhere to these policies" in the memo, Steph Sherer, the executive director of a group called Americans for Safe Access, said in a press release, "our experience with the Obama administration so far has been lots of double-talk."
cont'
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/08/justice-department-memo-obama-medical-marijuana-dispensaries
Profile Information
Member since: Tue May 13, 2008, 03:07 AMNumber of posts: 14,923
