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February 28, 2006

State Affiliate Update: Illinois

The national Libertarian Party headquarters will provide occasional updates on what our state affiliates have been doing. This State Affiliate Update takes a look at the Libertarian Party of Illinois.

The Illinois Vice Chair for Campaigns, Don Stover, proposed a new state party initiative, dubbed "Goal 102", at the January meeting of the State Organizing Committee (SOC). The purpose of the Goal 102 initiative is to organize local party chapters in all of Illinois's 102 counties. By achieving this goal, the intitiative will lay the foundation for establishing precinct organizations, running candidates, and ultimately, getting more Libertarians elected in Illinois, according to Stover.

The Executive Director of the Illinois Libertarian Party, Jan Stover, will be the featured guest on Vandalia, Illinois-based WPMB 1500 AM on Tuesday, February 28th. Jan Stover, along with her mother Hazel Jones, will be interviewed by radio host Dan Michel during WPMB's Morning Show from 8am to 9am. The scheduled topics will be libertarian issues with a focus on women's involvement in the Libertarian Party of Illinois.

In candidate news, Rev. Anthony Williams has decided to run as a Libertarian against incumbent Democrat Jesse Jackson Jr. in Illinois's 2nd Congressional district, which includes the South Side of Chicago. Rev. Williams is currently the pastor at St. Stephens Lutheran Church in Chicago. His campaign was featured in an article in January 14th issue of the Chicago Crusader, a prominent black community newspaper.

Posted by at 05:16 PM | Comments (35)

February 22, 2006

Hawaii May Abandon Gas Price Controls

The state of Hawaii is slowly coming to the realization that price controls do not work. Last fall, Hawaii imposed price controls on the wholesale price of gasoline. The law was passed to bring the state's gas prices more in line with the mainland. Rather than lower gas prices, the price controls made gasoline sold in Hawaii even more expensive than mainland prices.

As of February 19th, the national average for a gallon of gas was $2.24, while prices in Hawaii have gone up to $3.39 a gallon.

Every week the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission sets the wholesale price for gasoline by taking the average wholesale price in New York, Los Angeles and the Gulf Coast, then adds a 4-cent "location adjustment" fee, an 18-cent "market margin" fee, plus a few more cents for transportation costs.

WorldNet Daily reported that before the price control law was put in place, Hawaii paid an average of 44 cents more per gallon than the rest of the country, but since the law has been in effect, the differential has gone to more than 50 cents per gallon.

Despite this evidence, the main advocate for the gas price controls, State Rep. Marcus Oshiro, is not convinced that the law may be doing more harm than good. He argues that prices would have been even higher without price controls, saving Hawaiians $33 million.

The Hawaii state legislature is considering repealing the gas price controls, but some legislators are having trouble admitting it was a misguided decision. State Senate Consumer Protection Chairman Ron Menor, stated, "I cannot support a repeal because I think that would really be caving in to the oil industry that doesn't want to be regulated."

Instead of repealing the law, Menor is considering strengthening it. "Instead of talking about a repeal or suspension, legislators ought to be seriously considering strengthening and improving the law so we can provide even greater savings to consumers," Menor commented.

The WorldNet Daily reported that three state legislative committees last week have approved suspending the gas price controls as of July 1st and have the Public Utilities Commission look closely at how oil companies conduct business in Hawaii.

Conservative Musings has commentary on the story.

Posted by at 04:26 PM | Comments (38)

Houston Police Chief Wants Surveillance Cameras in Private Homes

Last Wednesday, Houston police chief Harold Hurtt proposed putting surveillance cameras in apartment complexes, downtown streets, and even private homes, according to an Associated Press report.

Apparently the police are no longer satisfied with using surveillance cameras to just catch speeders and traffic violators.

The Houston police chief's excuse for suggesting surveillance cameras on private property is the severe shortage of police officers the city is now facing. The shortage has been caused by too many retirements and too few recruits, coupled with a large population increase as a result of Houston absorbing 150,000 hurricane refugees.

Chief Hurtt defended his comments to reporters by stating, "I know a lot of people are concerned about Big Brother, but my response to that is, if you are not doing anything wrong, why should you worry about it?"

The Houston police chief said under his proposal he would require malls and large apartment complexes to install surveillance cameras when they apply for a building permit. If city police have to repeatedly respond to calls from the same residence, Hurtt says it is reasonable to require surveillance cameras be installed on the property.

Scott Henson, director of the ACLU's Police Accountability Project in Texas, told the Associated Press that he finds the Houston police chief's building permit proposal "radical and extreme" and believes it may violate the Fourth Amendment's protections against unreasonable search and seizure.

Matt Asher, in response to Hurtt's Big Brother comments, has created a website where he offers $1000 of his own money, dubbed The Hurtt Prize, "for the first person who can provide definitive videotaped evidence of Houston police chief Harold Hurtt committing a crime, any crime." The reward currently stands at $1415, a result of additional pledges from citizens across the country.

Homeland Stupidity, Hammer of Truth, and A Stitch In Haste provide commentary on the story.

Posted by at 01:26 PM | Comments (71)

February 17, 2006

State Affiliate Update: Georgia

In anticipation for the 2006 elections, the LP national headquarters plans to provide occasional updates on the LP blog on what our state affiliates have been doing. In this update, we will first look at the Libertarian Party of Georgia.

Georgia Libertarians in Clayton County are petitioning to get three candidates for Georgia State House and two candidates for the Clayton County Commission on the ballot.

Libertarian Party activists in the Atlanta area are petitioning to get two party candidates on the ballot: one for the state house and one for a Newton County Commission seat.

Libertarian Party member Jeff Edgens, who was sworn in as an Irwinton City Councilman in January, has already made an impact in the city government.

The city of Irwinton had a landfill fee, paid in full by city taxpayers. Since August, there has been no tipping fee for use of the landfill, but the city council did not take any action to remove the tax. According to LPGA, some members of the city council wanted to add the landfill fee to the garbage fee so that they could continue to receive the tax revenue without the expense.

At a recent city council meeting, Jeff Edgens moved that the landfill fee be eliminated. His motion passed unanimously.

Posted by at 03:40 PM | Comments (92)

Patriot Act Goes After 80 Year-Old Nuns

The Patriot Act may have questionable success in catching actual terrorists, but it has had great success in stopping a group of nuns from using their monastery's main account at Wachovia Bank.

Nuns from the Holy Name Monastery in St. Leo, Florida found their primary bank account frozen without any prior warning from the bank. According to the Tampa Tribune, the nuns were told that the Patriot Act was the cause.

The nuns did not realize something was wrong until their checks started bouncing and the account would not accept deposits. The monastery's business manager, Sister Jean Abbott said their account was frozen for a week, where they rang up $399.56 in fees, which were later reimbursed by the bank. Sister Abbott said the whole mess took them almost three months to straighten out.

Sister Abbott said the entire mishap began when one of the nuns who is a signatory on the account didn't have her Social Security number and photo ID on file. The reason why the bank does not have the information is because, according to Sister Abbott, "No one's ever asked."

Buried in the Patriot Act are banking provisions designed to help law enforcement agents track potential terrorists and money launders, the Tampa Bay Tribune reported. Banks are responsible for reporting suspicious patterns of activity, but the definition is vague.

Some experts believe the bank may have taken the Patriot Act rules too far by freezing the monastery's bank account. Chris Hansen, a staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, stated, "The Patriot Act does not require that nuns' bank accounts be frozen." He further explained, "The Patriot Act has a lot of problems, but that's not one of them."

Posted by at 03:39 PM | Comments (167)

February 16, 2006

Kentucky's Medicaid Program Becoming More Consumer-Driven

Kentucky is reforming their Medicaid program, making it more consumer-driven, while reducing costs. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) granted Kentucky's request for a Medicaid 1115 waiver, which gives the state the flexibility to significantly alter its Medicaid program.

The new plan, called Kentucky Health Choices, divides beneficiaries into four groups: the general population, children, the elderly and the disabled, and the mentally retarded. Each patient group will have a plan that is suited to their specific needs, the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer reported. This plan feature of dividing beneficiaries into groups moves away from the rigid, one-size-fits-all approach and towards one that is more patient-centered.

The Kentucky Health Choices program puts emphasis on preventative care and places limits on radiology services and physical, speech and occupational therapy, although the limits can be exceeded if medically necessary, according to kaisernetwork.org. The plan is expected to save $120 million in its first year and $1 billion over its full seven years, United Press Intl. reported.

Kentucky is following the lead of other states who have implemented Medicaid reforms. Florida was one of the first states to be granted an 1115 waiver and started the Consumer Direct Care program. It gives Medicaid recipients the freedom to purchase the services they need and puts in proper incentives for beneficiaries to spend wisely on their routine care, according to a Heritage Foundation study.

Posted by at 02:48 PM | Comments (45)

February 15, 2006

More Conservatives Are Turning Against Bush

There is growing discontent in the Republican Party that has been building for months now. Many conservatives are getting fed up with President George W. Bush's spending policies, while others have become concerned about the erosion of civil liberties. When first elected in 2000, President Bush likened himself as an ideological heir of Ronald Reagan, but now in some parts of the conservative movement he has become the heir of Lyndon Johnson and Jimmy Carter.

Conservatives feel President Bush has betrayed their trust and are much less likely to go along with the president's proposals. Meanwhile, the Republican Party is trying to downplay the growing riff within its ranks. Right after the State of the Union speech, White House aides held a conference call with the president's top conservative allies to provide them with talking points and rally them to the president's side. Richard Viguerie, who worked on Reagan's 1980 campaign, listened in on the call and was not buying the White House spin.

Viguerie felt long ago that Bush betrayed the core values of Goldwater and Reagan. "It seems to me that early on Bush and Rove decided on a one-word strategy to govern and for re-election in 2004. That one-word strategy was bribery". He explained Bush's and Rove's mentality, "You got the votes, we got the money. Let's talk."

One conservative lost his job working at a think-tank for writing a book that was very critical of the Bush administration. Bruce Bartlett, author of Imposter: Why George W. Bush Bankrupted America And Betrayed the Reagan Legacy, accuses the president of being a "pretend conservative". He also criticizes the White House for having "an anti-intellectual distrust of facts and analysis. Bartlett told the New York Times he was fired from his job at the National Center for Policy Analysis because his highly critical tone in his writings was hurting the ability of the think-tank to raise money from Republican donors.

David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, described the feeling among grassroots conservatives concerning the Bush administration, as "a sort of universal disquiet" and thinks they are more unsettled than at any point since 1998.

RedState.org has commentary on the Bartlett firing.

Posted by at 03:19 PM | Comments (135)

February 14, 2006

Washington State Libertarian Appointed to Pierce County Board

Washington State Libertarian, Mark B. San Souci, has been appointed to a two-year term on the Pierce County Performance Audit Committee. San Souci fills one of the two at-large positions on the seven-member committee. He is an active member of the Libertarian Party of Washington State, where he serves as Chair of the Nominating Committee.

San Souci is a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel. During his Air Force career, he worked in the Defense Department as a Navy/Marine Corps regional quality of life liaison and worked on a quality management program at McChord Air Force Base. The retired lieutenant colonel say that his experience conducting government performance audits made him realize the importance of audits in reforming government.

San Souci explained, "I can see that their role is to provide valuable information and help the elected officials make decisions. Audits can help in the process but not cure all the problems in government. But any cost effective process that improves the efficiency of government can only be a positive step."

The Pierce County Performance Audit Committee decides what should be audited, plans specific audits, acquires audit contractors through a screening process, hears audit reports, and makes recommendations for action to the County Council.

Pierce County is located in the central part of Washington State where it borders Puget Sound. It has slightly over 755,000 residents with Takoma as its principal city.

Posted by at 12:37 PM | Comments (70)

February 13, 2006

Vice President Dick Cheney Not a Straight Shooter

Vice President Dick Cheney has demonstrated again that he is not a straight shooter. While he was quail hunting on a friend's Texas ranch, Cheney accidentally shot and wounded 78-year old Harry Whittington, a member of the vice president's hunting party.

Whittington is a prominent Austin lawyer who gave a total of $3,000 to President Bush's 2000 and 2004 campaigns. The accident happened when, according to witnesses' accounts, Whittington was in the process of rejoining the hunting party after he retrieved a quail he had just shot.

Cheney was unaware that Whittington was approaching and had entered the line of fire just as the vice president was about to shoot. Whittington was struck on the face and chest with pellets from a 28-gauge shotgun. Whittington was standing about 30 yards away from Cheney, according to the Washington Post.

The Sheriff of Kenedy County, Texas, Ramon Salinas, investigated the shooting and declared it "accidental." The Secret Service notified the sheriff of the incident on Saturday. However, the press was not notified of the shooting accident until Sunday, when a local paper carried the story.

The White House did not confirm the shooting until almost 20 hours after it had occurred. The incident has raised speculation in the blogging community that Cheney was trying to cover up the shooting accident.

Frank James wrote on Sunday on the Chicago Tribune's 'The Swamp' blog, "How is it that Vice President Cheney can shoot a man, albeit accidentally, on Saturday during a hunting trip and the American public not be informed of it until today?"

Michelle Malkin tries to create sympathy for the vice president on her blog. She states, "The Dems will exploit this accident to smear Cheney as incapable of being trusted, weak of mind, etc. The resignation rumors will fly again. And the biography of a man who has served this country so well and so honorably for so many years will be overshadowed by a single, ill-fated hunting mishap."

While Republicans are busy shooting their donors, the Libertarian Party still needs your help. Please consider making a donation by clicking here.

Posted by at 04:24 PM | Comments (44)

February 10, 2006

Scooter Libby Testifies He Was Instructed To Leak Classified Intelligence

Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, Scooter Libby, testified during a grand jury hearing that he was instructed by "his superiors" to leak classified information to the press to bolster the case for going to war in Iraq. The National Journal reported that it was Vice President Dick Cheney and other White House officials who were the superiors Libby mentioned.

Libby met with Judith Miller on July 8, 2003, who at the time was a reporter for the New York Times. During the meeting, Libby provided Miller with information from the National Intelligence Estimate that evaluated Iraq's weapons capability. Parts of the report were declassified ten days after Libby's meeting with Miller on July 18, 2003, according to CNN.

Following the release of evidence to the public this week that strongly suggests Vice President Cheney authorized the leaking of classified information, his public condemnation of the leaking of the classified NSA domestic spying program seems hypocritical. At a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference this week, Cheney stated that anyone who disclosed the existence of the domestic spying program gave notice to our enemies and endangered national security; thereby "putting our citizens at risk."

ThinkProgress provides commentary on the story.

Posted by at 02:13 PM | Comments (58)

February 09, 2006

Congress Mulls Net Neutrality Over

The Senate Commerce Committee is taking up a controversial issue that could change the direction in how the Internet develops in the future. The issue is net neutrality, the principle that Internet service providers should not discriminate or place restrictions on certain Web sites or Web applications.

On one side of the debate is telephone and cable companies who want the freedom to "recoup their investments" without the interference from the federal government. Even though they state they would never block or restrict Web content, service providers claim companies like Google are freeloading on their networks. High-level officials from AT&T Inc. and BellSouth Corp. say popular Web sites such as Yahoo Inc. and Google should pay fees in return for guaranteeing their customers get reliable access to their pages, CBS MarketWatch reported. The telephone and cable industry argue for the use of fees due to their networks becoming increasingly congested and need to generate more revenue to pay for upgrades.

Companies such as American Online, Google, and Amazon want to preserve the open nature of the Internet. They support passing a law that would maintain net neutrality, which would prohibit Internet service providers from giving preferential treatment to one website over another. Internet expert, Vint Cerf said that by not having net neutrality principles legally enshrined, broadband companies could assume the unprecedented role of "gatekeepers" and effectively shut out Internet start-ups. Cerf further added, "We risk losing the Internet as a catalyst for consumer choice, for economic growth, for technological innovation and for global competitiveness."

Some senators believe it is best to stay out of the net neutrality issue for now and let the marketplace evolve. Senator John Ensign (R-Nevada) is wary of passing net neutrality legislation because it could stifle innovation.

Many experts believe net neutrality is a growing issue that will draw more attention in the months and years ahead.

The Jeff Pulver Blog has coverage of the Senate Commerce Committee hearing.

Posted by at 05:14 PM | Comments (31)

February 08, 2006

Another George W. Bush Crony Resigns From Post

Another Bush administration appointee has resigned amid controversy. George C. Deutsch resigned from his job as writer and editor in NASA's public affairs office. Deutsch resigned on the same day where it was confirmed that he did not receive a journalism degree from Texas A&M University as he previously stated on his resume. Texas A&M confirmed that Deutsch did attend classes but never complete the degree requirements, the New York Times reported.

Its seems the qualification that Deutsch did actually possess that was instrumental in receiving his presidential appointment was his experience working on President Bush's 2004 reelection campaign and inaugural committee.

Deutsch's resignation comes immediately following reports that NASA's public affairs office was trying to censor its scientists. At the time of the resignation, NASA Administrator, Michael D. Griffin ordered a review on its policies for communicating science to the public, according to the New York Times.

Anonymous NASA scientists and public affairs officials complained to the New York Times that political pressure was applied to limit discussions of topics uncomfortable to the Bush administration, particularly global warming. For example, Deutsch instructed public affairs employees to limit reporters' access to a highly regarded climate scientist and made a web designer to add the word "theory" at every mention of the Big Bang, according to the New York Times.

Dr. James E. Hansen, a NASA climate scientist said reporters' access to him for interviews was restricted by the public affairs office. Dr. Hansen stated he was less concerned about Deutsch's credentials than the more important issue of political control of scientific information.

Posted by at 05:31 PM | Comments (82)

February 07, 2006

High Taxes Hurt Rhode Island's Competitiveness

A newly released economic competitiveness study found that Rhode Island's high taxes hurt the state's economic growth and overall quality of life. Rhode Island ranked 41st in the nation in an annual study that measures the economic competitiveness of each state, the Boston Globe reported.

Along with high taxes, the Beacon Hill Institute study found overly generous unemployment benefits, high electricity and housing prices, and a comparatively high minimum wage also had adverse effects on Rhode Island's economic competitiveness.

Because of Rhode Island's stifling economic climate, more state residents are looking to live or do business in Massachusetts, Rhode Island's more competitive neighbor.

David Tuerck, the study's author and an economics professor at Suffolk University said Rhode Island needs to lower its taxes, improve the public school system, and recruit more high-tech companies to come to the state.

Michael McMahon, the Rhode Island governor's executive counselor on economic growth and community development, noted how Massachusetts has a flat income tax rate of 5.3 percent, while Rhode Island charges a higher rate for wealthy residents. McMahon commented, "The facts are that people who make a lot of money create jobs that pay a lot of money. We have half the number of high income earners in Rhode Island, as compared to Massachusetts."

Massachusetts faces pressure to keep its sales and income tax rates under control because of its competition with New Hampshire, which has no sales or income tax.

The Democratic Rhode Island Assembly is considering some tax reforms but still does not quite understand the benefit of having a lower and more simplified state income tax. Democratic lawmakers argue that the Massachusetts flat income tax benefits the wealthy at the expense of middle-class and working families.

RedState.org provides commentary on the story.

Posted by at 05:05 PM | Comments (12)

Fight Between Property Rights and Gun Rights in Florida

The Florida legislature is considering a bill that would make it a third-degree felony to ban guns on company premises, according to MSNBC. This bill is being framed as a fight between property rights and gun rights. The right of a citizen to bear arms is conflicting with the right of a company to have control over its own property.

Companies are legally obligated to provide a safe work environment under federal workplace regulations. If HB 129 passes, some legal experts believe it would make it more difficult to comply. Some companies have prohibited guns on its premises because they are concerned about disgruntled former employees having quick access to firearms.

Theresa M. Gallion, managing partner at a Tampa-based law firm, stated, "Easy access to a weapon may facilitate a bad decision on the part of an emotionally distraught person. I can imagine a significant increase in litigation seeking to hold the employer accountable if this unwise legislation passes."

The Jacksonville Business Journal reported that HB 129 has been added to the Florida House Judiciary Committee's agenda for February 8.

Liberty Zone provides commentary on the story.

Posted by at 02:00 PM | Comments (40)

February 06, 2006

President Bush's 2007 Budget Does Little to Slow Federal Spending

Even though President George W. Bush in his 2007 proposed budget has target 141 programs for significant reductions or elimination, the federal budget deficit for fiscal year 2007 will reach an all-time high of $423 billion.

The president's ambitious 2007 budget seeks to make his tax cuts from his first term permanent while still reducing the deficit by 50 percent by 2009.

Despite President Bush's recent announcements that he was going to rein in federal spending, he proposes modest reductions in Medicare spending, $35.9 billion over five years. The reductions come mostly in the form of lowering inflation adjustments for hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices.

The military will receive the biggest spending increase, a 6.9 percent rise to $439.3 billion for 2007. This does not include the costs of fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, MSNBC reported. The White House stated last week that it would request an additional $120 billion from Congress to fund troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also the Bush administration will ask for another $18 billion for hurricane relief this year.

Critics say Bush has not gone far enough in controlling federal spending. Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota states that the president is trying to hide the true amount of federal spending. He commented on the President Bush's financial plan, "It explodes deficits, but then conceals them by providing only five years of numbers and leaving out large costs. The result will be more debt passed on to our children."

Lone Star Times and RedState.org provide commentary on the story.

Posted by at 05:51 PM | Comments (24)

February 03, 2006

Congress Forced to End Cotton Subsidies

Congress ended subsidies for cotton growers as part of a spending reduction bill that was passed on Wednesday. It was forced to end subsidies for cotton growers in order to be complaint with a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling. The international trade organization ruled that the cotton subsidies were illegal and ruled in favor of Brazil. The South American country brought the case to the WTO because it claimed the American government's help to its cotton farmers distorted the global market, BBC News reported.

The Bush administration already agreed to comply with the 2004 ruling and end the cotton subsides, but needed congressional approval. The ending of subsidies has the powerful cotton farmers lobby howling in protest. American exporters and manufacturers will no longer receive an incentive for buying cotton from domestic farmers, according to BBC News.

Some economists argue that the elimination of American cotton subsidies will help out producers in less developed countries. International aid agencies said West African cotton producers were unable to get a fair price for their crops with the U.S. government subsidizing domestic cotton farmers.

Poliblog and Outside the Beltway also comment on this story.

Posted by at 12:02 PM | Comments (81)

February 02, 2006

Louisiana Man Accuses Apple of Causing Hearing Loss

Frivolous lawsuits are not just confined to the food and gun industries, they have moved on to the electronics industry. John Kiel Patterson of Louisiana recently filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming that the company was negligent in selling its popular music player, the iPod, without warning consumers about the potential hearing loss that can come with the device's use.

Patterson hopes to have his lawsuit certified as a class-action suit and seeks unspecified damages for compensation, the Washington Post reported. Patterson also hopes his legal action against Apple will force the company to make improvements to the iPod that will make it safer.

Patterson claims to have purchased an iPod last year, but is unsure if the portable music player actually caused him a loss of hearing. Steve W. Berman, Patterson's attorney, said it doesn't matter if the iPod his client purchased actually caused hearing loss. Instead, he argues that the issue is the potential for the device to cause hearing loss. Berman stated, "He's paying for a product that's defective, and the law is pretty clear that if someone sold you a defective product they have a duty to repair it."

The iPod has the same ability to cause permanent hearing loss as other portable music devices, the Washington Post reported. Apple stated that with every iPod there is a warning that cautions "permanent hearing loss may occur if earphones or headphones are used at high volume."

Patterson seems to be unaware that every iPod is equipped with a volume control. Deanna Meinke, an audiology professor at the University of Northern Colorado explained, "We have numerous products in the marketplace that have the potential to damage hearing. The risk is there but the risk lies with the user and where they set the volume."

Modell Report and HolyCoast.com provide their own commentary on this story.

Posted by at 03:47 PM | Comments (39)

February 01, 2006

Chicago Mayor to Mandate City Businesses Install Security Cameras

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley is touting an unprecedented plan to require every licensed business in the city to install security cameras. The new rule would apply to businesses that are open for more than 12 hours per day and include outside and inside cameras, but exclude washrooms and changing areas, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Businesses are not pleased with the proposed plan and vowed to fight its implementation. They said it will create an expensive burden, stating it could add anywhere from $5000 to $20,000 to their costs, not including monitoring expenses. The Chicago Chamber of Commerce President Jerry Roper said there are approximately 12,000 businesses that would be covered by the new initiative, including 7,000 restaurants and more than 100 hotels.

Roper predicts if the plan is put into effect it will result in city businesses being open fewer hours and cost employees wages. Roper explained, "Some places will take a look at the cost and say, 'We'll only be open for one shift or a shift and a half. They'll take a look at their last two hours and say, 'I'm not making that much anyway, I'll just close earlier.' Employees will lose that money."

The proposed security cameras are only a small segment of Mayor Daley's Orwellian future. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the city has finalized a contract for Operation Virtual Shield, a plan to link 1,000 miles of "sometimes stand-alone fiber" into a unified "homeland security grid" that will be routed into an emergency response center. Mayor Daley thinks the ability of surveillance cameras knows no bounds. He explained, "Cameras really prevent much crime. Cameras also solve a lot of crime." The mayor further added, "The terrorist attacks in London were solved by cameras. The whole incident was solved by cameras."

The Liberty Zone and Capital Freedom also provide their commentary on this story.

Posted by at 04:54 PM | Comments (25)