Dear Friends,
>> As you probably know, PA is doing poorly in economic growth. One >> of the keys to economic growth is property rights with limited >>restrictions, lower taxes, and less government regulations. Please join >>us for an information session February 3, 10 a.m. at the Lamplighter >>Restaurant on property rights, land trusts, conservation easements, and a >>lesson on government help. I will also be showing a short video on how >>wealthy land owners in Allegheny county are able to use Clean and Green >>for reduced taxes on their estates. At the same time, the poor farmers >>are not being told the whole story when they sign up for "conservation >>easements." >>We will need to have reservations.
Call LaVerne Sober 724-837-2045 or >>Toni Ritchey 724 -853-9595
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Tax Fugitive Barricaded in House: 'Show Us the Law, and We'll Pay'
Friday, January 19, 2007
By Jackson Kuhl
AP
Jan. 17: Ed Brown stands barricaded in the doorway of his home, saying he is prepared for an armed standoff in Plainfield, N.H.
The New Hampshire man who is holed up with armed supporters in his fortress-like house after being convicted of tax evasion says he just wants everyone to pay attention and obey the law.
"I want people to realize that there is no such thing as an obligation to pay income tax," said Edward Brown. "It has nothing to do with the Constitution."
A jury ruled Thursday that Brown and his wife, Elaine, plotted to hide their income and avoid taxes on Elaine Brown's income of $1.9 million between 1996 and 2003. Over 10 years, they also used $215,890 of postal money orders broken into increments just below the reporting threshold to pay for their hilltop compound and for Elaine Brown's dental offices.
After the pair were convicted Thursday on 17 felony counts, Brown and a group of supporters sequestered themselves in his home in Plainfield, N.H.
They say there is no law stating that they must pay tax on Elaine Brown's income. "We told them, 'Show us the law and we'll pay immediately,'" Edward Brown said in an interview Friday.
Brown said the tax-evasion charges were retaliation for a suit he filed against Judge Steven McAuliffe, Assistant U.S. Attorney William Morse and others after authorities raided his wife's dental practice last year.
"They had snipers with state troopers, they had 20 armed officers," said Brown. "What did they need all of them for? Just to download a computer?
"They've ruined my life. My wife is a basket case."
On Thursday, Morse ordered Elaine Brown not to join her husband at their home as a condition of her release until sentencing. She is now living in Worcester, Mass., with her son. The couple has been married since 1985.
"Some people are drawn to the anti-tax movements and the false representation that there is no legal requirement to file and pay taxes. Today's verdict clearly reaffirms the repeated rejection of these arguments in the courts," IRS Special Agent Douglas Bricker said in a statement after Thursday's court ruling.
When asked how many people were with him, Brown declined to cite a number and replied he was with friends and family.
But he added that authorities cannot risk removing him forcibly because "there are so many people involved. I have little old grandmothers staying with me."
Brown described his property as "self-contained" with generators, food, water, and Internet access. He said that supporters are not fearful of coming or going from the premises.
He said Gary DiMartino, a negotiator for the U.S. Marshals, "has been a gentleman," and that neither he nor his supporters have been abused or threatened.
"DiMartino has been honorable and is a negotiator," Brown added. "He's just rather confused after 25 years of brainwashing," he said, referring to the legality of income taxes.
"I told him [DiMartino] you got to do your job. ..."I have been around police all my life. They're my brothers."
Brown said he feels it's his obligation to protect and defend the Constitution by resisting unjust laws.
"We do this for our nation," he said. "I'm a man of honor. I can never lie, cheat, or steal, ever."
Earlier, Brown was quoted by the Associated Press as saying he expected federal agents to swarm his property soon.
"Live free or die," he said, quoting New Hampshire's Revolutionary War hero Gen. John Stark and the state's motto. "What else can I say?"
Bernie Bastian, a Brown supporter who said he was carrying two guns, said he and about two-dozen supporters would stand with their friend.
"He's here at the house, and he's not leaving of his own free will," Bastian said.
By Jackson Kuhl
AP
Jan. 17: Ed Brown stands barricaded in the doorway of his home, saying he is prepared for an armed standoff in Plainfield, N.H.
The New Hampshire man who is holed up with armed supporters in his fortress-like house after being convicted of tax evasion says he just wants everyone to pay attention and obey the law.
"I want people to realize that there is no such thing as an obligation to pay income tax," said Edward Brown. "It has nothing to do with the Constitution."
A jury ruled Thursday that Brown and his wife, Elaine, plotted to hide their income and avoid taxes on Elaine Brown's income of $1.9 million between 1996 and 2003. Over 10 years, they also used $215,890 of postal money orders broken into increments just below the reporting threshold to pay for their hilltop compound and for Elaine Brown's dental offices.
After the pair were convicted Thursday on 17 felony counts, Brown and a group of supporters sequestered themselves in his home in Plainfield, N.H.
They say there is no law stating that they must pay tax on Elaine Brown's income. "We told them, 'Show us the law and we'll pay immediately,'" Edward Brown said in an interview Friday.
Brown said the tax-evasion charges were retaliation for a suit he filed against Judge Steven McAuliffe, Assistant U.S. Attorney William Morse and others after authorities raided his wife's dental practice last year.
"They had snipers with state troopers, they had 20 armed officers," said Brown. "What did they need all of them for? Just to download a computer?
"They've ruined my life. My wife is a basket case."
On Thursday, Morse ordered Elaine Brown not to join her husband at their home as a condition of her release until sentencing. She is now living in Worcester, Mass., with her son. The couple has been married since 1985.
"Some people are drawn to the anti-tax movements and the false representation that there is no legal requirement to file and pay taxes. Today's verdict clearly reaffirms the repeated rejection of these arguments in the courts," IRS Special Agent Douglas Bricker said in a statement after Thursday's court ruling.
When asked how many people were with him, Brown declined to cite a number and replied he was with friends and family.
But he added that authorities cannot risk removing him forcibly because "there are so many people involved. I have little old grandmothers staying with me."
Brown described his property as "self-contained" with generators, food, water, and Internet access. He said that supporters are not fearful of coming or going from the premises.
He said Gary DiMartino, a negotiator for the U.S. Marshals, "has been a gentleman," and that neither he nor his supporters have been abused or threatened.
"DiMartino has been honorable and is a negotiator," Brown added. "He's just rather confused after 25 years of brainwashing," he said, referring to the legality of income taxes.
"I told him [DiMartino] you got to do your job. ..."I have been around police all my life. They're my brothers."
Brown said he feels it's his obligation to protect and defend the Constitution by resisting unjust laws.
"We do this for our nation," he said. "I'm a man of honor. I can never lie, cheat, or steal, ever."
Earlier, Brown was quoted by the Associated Press as saying he expected federal agents to swarm his property soon.
"Live free or die," he said, quoting New Hampshire's Revolutionary War hero Gen. John Stark and the state's motto. "What else can I say?"
Bernie Bastian, a Brown supporter who said he was carrying two guns, said he and about two-dozen supporters would stand with their friend.
"He's here at the house, and he's not leaving of his own free will," Bastian said.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Smoking ban, insurance expansion proposals worry Pa. businesses
1/18/2007, 6:37 p.m. ET
By MARTHA RAFFAELE The Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's tavern owners are likely to oppose Gov. Ed Rendell's call to ban smoking in workplaces, restaurants and bars, while other business leaders are concerned about how the state will determine which employers will have to pay a special tax to help expand state-subsidized insurance for adults.
Rendell's broad "Prescription for Pennsylvania" proposal to reduce health care costs and make insurance more affordable to roughly 800,000 adults without coverage also includes a proposed statewide smoking ban, one of several measures aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles.
Lobbyists for restaurants and taverns had uniformly opposed efforts to ban smoking in those establishments, but have recently split over the issue. In June, the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association's board of directors voted to support a comprehensive statewide smoking ban, citing concerns about the effect of secondhand smoke on employees.
"By doing this, we hope to be part of the solution," Patrick Conway, the association's executive director, said Wednesday. "A statewide solution means you don't have a patchwork of different regulations that are unfair and confusing to workers and businesses."
Amy Christie, executive director of the Pennsylvania Tavern Association, said her group's board has not had an opportunity to discuss Rendell's proposal. She said the state's 1988 Clean Indoor Air Act, which requires designated nonsmoking areas in certain establishments, goes far enough.
"We are opposed to a smoking ban that is completely restrictive on bars and restaurants," Christie said.
States that already prohibit smoking in all private workplaces, restaurants and bars include Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Washington. Three others — Ohio, Arizona and Nevada — passed similar bans in the November election, although Nevada's exempts casino gaming floors and has been challenged in the courts.
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine and Vermont ban smoking in all restaurants and bars.
Rendell is also proposing to phase in a 3 percent payroll tax on businesses that do not offer health insurance, but exempt employers with fewer than 50 workers from paying it in the first year. The administration estimates that more than 100,000 businesses do not provide coverage.
Kevin Shivers, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, noted the cost insurance to employees can vary widely across different businesses, and some offer high-deductible insurance plans with health savings accounts as an alternative.
"Maybe you pay 100 percent of a basic plan," Shivers said. "The question then becomes, are you providing insurance?"
Rendell spokeswoman Kate Philips said the state would consider health savings accounts as acceptable coverage, provided that they are comparable to the state's insurance plan.
"If someone makes minimum wage, and has a $30,000 deductible, that's not comparable," Philips said. "We're not outright rejecting the idea of health savings accounts ... it depends on the structure of the account."
By MARTHA RAFFAELE The Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's tavern owners are likely to oppose Gov. Ed Rendell's call to ban smoking in workplaces, restaurants and bars, while other business leaders are concerned about how the state will determine which employers will have to pay a special tax to help expand state-subsidized insurance for adults.
Rendell's broad "Prescription for Pennsylvania" proposal to reduce health care costs and make insurance more affordable to roughly 800,000 adults without coverage also includes a proposed statewide smoking ban, one of several measures aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles.
Lobbyists for restaurants and taverns had uniformly opposed efforts to ban smoking in those establishments, but have recently split over the issue. In June, the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association's board of directors voted to support a comprehensive statewide smoking ban, citing concerns about the effect of secondhand smoke on employees.
"By doing this, we hope to be part of the solution," Patrick Conway, the association's executive director, said Wednesday. "A statewide solution means you don't have a patchwork of different regulations that are unfair and confusing to workers and businesses."
Amy Christie, executive director of the Pennsylvania Tavern Association, said her group's board has not had an opportunity to discuss Rendell's proposal. She said the state's 1988 Clean Indoor Air Act, which requires designated nonsmoking areas in certain establishments, goes far enough.
"We are opposed to a smoking ban that is completely restrictive on bars and restaurants," Christie said.
States that already prohibit smoking in all private workplaces, restaurants and bars include Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Washington. Three others — Ohio, Arizona and Nevada — passed similar bans in the November election, although Nevada's exempts casino gaming floors and has been challenged in the courts.
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine and Vermont ban smoking in all restaurants and bars.
Rendell is also proposing to phase in a 3 percent payroll tax on businesses that do not offer health insurance, but exempt employers with fewer than 50 workers from paying it in the first year. The administration estimates that more than 100,000 businesses do not provide coverage.
Kevin Shivers, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, noted the cost insurance to employees can vary widely across different businesses, and some offer high-deductible insurance plans with health savings accounts as an alternative.
"Maybe you pay 100 percent of a basic plan," Shivers said. "The question then becomes, are you providing insurance?"
Rendell spokeswoman Kate Philips said the state would consider health savings accounts as acceptable coverage, provided that they are comparable to the state's insurance plan.
"If someone makes minimum wage, and has a $30,000 deductible, that's not comparable," Philips said. "We're not outright rejecting the idea of health savings accounts ... it depends on the structure of the account."
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
The Police State Meets You May 2008
The Police State Meets You May 2008 – Unless We Work To Stop It NOW!!! You may be aware of The Real ID Act – H.R. 418, which is scheduled to go into effect by May, 2008. This act creates and unfunded mandate that the States comply with federal (centralized) standards for a National ID with “machine readable technology.” With almost absolute certainty, this “machine readable technology” will involve some sort of non-contact technology, which means you’re information can be read or downloaded from a distance by anyone with the ability to read the contents of your ID. This intrusive violation of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution for the United States probably will be merged with the driver’s license unless we use the available time to resist its implementation here in the State of Pennsylvania. ***The State of Pennsylvania can refuse to participate in this program!!!*** We are having great success in talking with our Representatives--Democrat, Republican, or Otherwise. So far, without exception, the legislators we have talked with have seen the horrendous danger that this National ID is to our freedoms. ***Please meet with your State Representatives or any State Representative that will talk with you to make them aware of this problem!*** We are asking that PA refuse the National ID altogether! Forming a coalition between Democrats and Republicans should be very easy on this issue. Let’s talk with our Representatives, do our duty and do our part to get this tyranny stopped before it’s too late. It’s also a great opportunity to ask your legislator to fix the ballot access problem for third parties.
By Sam Granata
Constitution Party chairman of Westmoreland County
By Sam Granata
Constitution Party chairman of Westmoreland County
PA state chairman to hold classes in Delmont
On Friday night, Jan.19th at 6:oo p.m. at the Holiday inn on rt. 22Delmont, I will begin a series of classes on how to protect yourself from the unlawful Courts and PUBLIC OFFICIALS who have usurped the Delegated Powers in the Constitution and assumed for themselves powers not granted, thereby tyrannizing and extorting property from the people.Licensing as before stated on my last post explains my premise. I encourage you to come learn and lets take back America. I ask for a small donation to help pay for expenses and papers. All are welcome.
Hagan Smith
PA state chairman
Hagan Smith
PA state chairman
Monday, January 15, 2007
INDIVIDUAL LIBERTIES?
The Post Gazette staff seems to feel that individual liberties are not as important as "public safety". They show that motorcycle related deaths are up from 158 a year ago to 205 this past year. Also noted by the staff is that many of these deaths were needless. Am I to assume that some of these deaths are needed?
Also stated for reasons to give up individual liberties is because it translates into a large public cost to treat these injuries. So the PG staff goes to the bastion of individual liberties, the Philadelphia suburbs where state senator Connie Williams wants to require a minimum level of medical insurance.
These sound like grand socialist ideas, why not require us all to wear seat belts, or register our vehicle with the state, or ask permission to drive on public roads(drivers license). Oh thats right the STATE already requires it.
Let me ask you, how long before we are "required" to seek permission to marry who we want(license), to do with our property what we want (zoning laws, property tax) or elect who we want(ballot access laws)? WE are already there, and if we do not fight the state every step of the way we will soon be SLAVES to the state with no individual freedoms. Whether it affects you or not, stand up for everyone's liberties or prepare to lose yours, in the name of the common good of course.
Also stated for reasons to give up individual liberties is because it translates into a large public cost to treat these injuries. So the PG staff goes to the bastion of individual liberties, the Philadelphia suburbs where state senator Connie Williams wants to require a minimum level of medical insurance.
These sound like grand socialist ideas, why not require us all to wear seat belts, or register our vehicle with the state, or ask permission to drive on public roads(drivers license). Oh thats right the STATE already requires it.
Let me ask you, how long before we are "required" to seek permission to marry who we want(license), to do with our property what we want (zoning laws, property tax) or elect who we want(ballot access laws)? WE are already there, and if we do not fight the state every step of the way we will soon be SLAVES to the state with no individual freedoms. Whether it affects you or not, stand up for everyone's liberties or prepare to lose yours, in the name of the common good of course.
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