Virginia Libertarian

No Belt-Tightening Here: House Members’ Office Spending Breaks Half Billion-Dollar Mark; 20% Jump in 4 Years

The top-ranked office spender, Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT), used all but $375 of his $1.3 million allowance. The lowest-ranked spender, Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA), did without $518,036 of his MRA (which came to $1.2 million). Had every Congressman been as frugal as Goode, House office spending would have fallen by $205.4 million that year. (emphasis mine)

We need to complement Rep. Goode on a job well done.  This is the kind of action we need to see in our Congressmen, not what Mr. Matheson was doing.  Now, Mr. Goode has done some other things we should not be quite so proud of, but we need to give positive reinforcement when it is due, as well as negative when that is appropriate, so thanks to Mr. Goode on his spending restraint in the office.

Democratic Presidential Debates, 2008

Republican Presidential Debates, 2008

Put some English on gun control efforts

As horrifying and sad as what happened in Blacksburg is, its the tip of the iceberg in gun violence. Nearly 30,000 Americans die because of guns every year in suicides, homicides and unintentional shootings, according to the Violence Policy Center.

Last week, gun rights advocates were all over the news media repeating the refrain that the problem isnt the weapons but the few people misusing them.o

This kind of rhetoric really ticks me off.  Every loss of life is a tragedy, but let’s put this one into a little perspective, and realize that the author has an agenda to push.   Deaths from automobile accidents in the U.S. have been reaching between 40,000 and 45,000 in the past several years, but do we hear anyone calling for automobile control?  Do you hear anyone calling for the regulation of automobiles, or for doing background checks on people purchasing automobiles?  No, you don’t have to have anything in order to purchase an automobile.  Lets push to save a few more lives, lets ban automobiles.

Republican Presidential Debate in South Carolina - New York Times

The following is a transcript of the Republican presidential primary debate at the University of South Carolina on May 15, 2007, as recorded by the Federal News Service:
Participants: Senator Sam Brownback; former Virginia Governor James Gilmore; former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani; Represenatative Duncan Hunter; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee; Senator John McCain (r-az); Representative Ron Paul; former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney; Represenatative Tom Tancredo; and former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson. Moderated by Fox News Channel’s Brit Hume and Chris Wallace.

(more…)

Gas station owner told to raise prices - Yahoo News

MERRILL, Wis. - A service station that offered discounted gas to senior citizens and people supporting youth sports has been ordered by the state to raise its prices.
Center City BP owner Raj Bhandari has been offering senior citizens a 2 cent per gallon price break and discount cards that let sports boosters pay 3 cents less per gallon.

But the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection says those deals violate Wisconsins Unfair Sales Act, which requires stations to sell gas for about 9.2 percent more than the wholesale price.

Bhandari said he received a letter from the state auditor last month saying the state would sue him if he did not raise his prices. The state could penalize him for each discounted gallon he sold, with the fine determined by a judge.

Bhandari, who bought the station a year ago, said he worries customers will think he stopped the discounts because he wants to make more money. About 10 percent of his customers had used the discount cards.

Dale Van Camp said he bought a $50 card to support the local youth hockey program. It would have saved him about $100 per year on gas, he said.

This is the kind of stuff that government has no business with interfering.  Who are they to tell this man what he can and can’t sell his gas for?  What business is it of theirs?  These are private transactions between the station owner and the individuals purchasing the gas.