Throw Down That Box
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, Our Rights, Society & Culture
For those who watched the Cosby Show, I’m sure you remember Bill getting excited over his favorite cowboy hero Colt Kirby. The Wild, Wild West was a time when you could walk around with your gun on your hip and challenge anyone who offended you to a duel at high noon. Times have changed, but the discussion around the right to carry a gun around in public has not.
I was listening to a local talk radio show and they were discussing the issue of allowing Texans to open carry in public places. This means people, other than police officers, would be able to walk around town with a gun on their hip in plain sight. Their argument was that it would be a deterrent of crime and would allow them to protect themselves if the need arose. One such proponent of open carry policy are the folks at opencarry.org. They are making a big push here in Texas (and around the country) to get the governor and legislature to allow open carry in public. I’m interested in seeing how it goes.
While I do believe every American citizen has the right to bear arms, I have some reservations about open carry. While it might make criminals think twice, it will in my opinion just force them to work a little harder in getting what they want. And imagine me and five of my boys walking around the Galleria (an upscale mall) open carrying our legally acquired handguns. If you think people are already on edge, this will just make things worse. Sure the local hoodlum will not think twice about harming you, but there are other things we can do to curb crime. I like the element of surprise. Concealed handguns allow you to keep that.
What do you think? If you live in a state where open carry is legal, how many people actually participate in their right to do so? Would we be making law enforcement’s job harder?
Driving Without Insurance in Dallas Will Get You Towed
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, Entertainment & Sports, General, Our Rights
In a 10-5 vote, Dallas City Council decided that uninsured motorists who are stopped for traffic violations will have their vehicles towed and sent to the city tow yard. There’s been a lot of debate over the issue because a lot of people feel the black and hispanic communities will be affected the most. There’s also concern that the poor will be forced to choose among food, shelter and auto insurance.
I have mixed feelings on the ordinance. In my younger days, I had to get a hardship license and there were times when I drove around without insurance. I was very careful and knew the consequences if I got pulled over, but we were placed in a financial place where insurance wasn’t the priority and the money was needed elsewhere. While I don’t think the city council is targeting blacks and hispanics, I can definitely see how their communities will be affected the most.
On the other hand, I’ve had a car totaled by an uninsured motorist. As I staggered out of the car the person said “no insurance” and drove away (I was able to get a license number). It sucked because the car totaled was paid for and we ended up having to purchase another one, which added an unexpected expense to our budget. We had insurance, but only received enough from them to put a down payment for the other car. You can bet I was pissed about the whole situation, so part of me agrees with the council on their position.
Just note the uninsured motorist ordinance won’t go into effect until Jan. 1, 2009, so if you’re driving dirty you have time to get insured. Also note that while formal towing guidelines are being developed, the officer will have limited discretion on whether or not towing is necessary.
What the President Has Signed Into Law – February 2008
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, Our Rights, Politics
The purpose for this post is to inform you of the new laws and acts enacted by President Bush. It’s good to know what’s going on because some of them may benefit us as a people. It’s important for us to watch every step our government takes. We elect them, so we need to make sure they are doing their job. The laws I list are posted at whitehouse.gov. For a more unbiased version, I’d recommend doing additional research at govtrack.us. As always feel free to leave any additional comments.
On Tuesday, February 5, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 3432, the “Commission on the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Act,” which establishes a commission to plan activities appropriate to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.
On Wednesday, February 6, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 2110, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service in Taft, California, as the Larry S. Pierce Post Office.
On Monday, February 11, 2008, the President signed:
President Bush Signs 2008 Economic Report
On Wednesday, February 13, 2008, the President signed:
H.R. 5140, the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008
Here’s the Fact Sheet
On Thursday, February 14, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 4253, the “Military Reservist and Veteran Small Business Reauthorization and Opportunity Act of 2008,” which requires an interagency task force to coordinate efforts to improve opportunities for small businesses owned by veterans; permanently reauthorizes the SBA Advisory Committee on Veterans Business Affairs; and expands small business development and loan programs for veterans and reservists.
On Thursday, February 28, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 1216, the “Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act of 2007 or the K.T. Safety Act of 2007,” which requires the Department of Transportation to issue regulations related to power window safety, rearward visibility, and rollaway prevention intended to reduce the incidence of child injury and death occurring inside and near motor vehicles;
H.R. 5270, the “Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2008,” which extends authorities: to collect taxes that fund the Airport and Airway Trust Fund through June 30, 2008; to make expenditures from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund through June 30, 2008; to make grants to airports under the Airport Improvement Program through June 30, 2008; and to provide Essential Air Service subsidies to three small communities through September 30, 2008.
On Friday, February 29, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 5264, the “Andean Trade Preference Extension Act of 2008,” which extends the Andean Trade Preference Act through 12/31/08.
H.R. 5478, which provides for the continued minting and issuance of certain $1 coins in 2008.
What the President Has Signed Into Law – January 2008
Filed under: Community, Our Rights, Politics, Society & Culture
The purpose for this post is to inform you of the new laws and acts enacted by President Bush. It’s good to know what’s going on because some of them may benefit us as a people. It’s important for us to watch every step our government takes. We elect them, so we need to make sure they are doing their job. The laws I list are posted at whitehouse.gov. For a more unbiased version, I’d recommend doing additional research at govtrack.us. As always feel free to leave any additional comments.
On Friday, January 4, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 2436, which establishes a designated date for the commencement of the five-year term of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue.
On Monday, January 7, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 660, the “Court Security Improvement Act of 2007,” which bars possession of dangerous weapons, in addition to guns, in Federal courts; provides for other protections for Federal judges and other Federal officials; authorizes grants for programs to increase court security; and increases penalties for various violent crimes against the immediate families of Federal officials;
H.R. 3690, the “U.S. Capitol Police and Library of Congress Police Merger Implementation Act of 2007,” which, by October 2009, transfers employees of the Library of Congress Police to the U.S. Capitol Police and expands the jurisdiction of the U.S. Capitol Police to include the grounds and building of the Library of Congress; and
S. 863, the “Emergency and Disaster Assistance Fraud Penalty Enhancement Act of 2007,” which establishes a crime of fraud in connection with benefits related to Federally-declared major disasters or emergencies; and increases criminal penalties for engaging in mail or wire fraud in relation to such benefits.
On Tuesday, January 8, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 2640, the “NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007,” which requires accurate information on individuals prohibited from possessing firearms to be transmitted by State and local government and Federal agencies to the Justice Department-administered National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS); and provides incentives for facilitating electronic transmission of such information to NICS.
On Monday, January 28, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 4986, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 which authorizes funding for the defense of the United States and its interests abroad, for military construction, and for national security-related energy programs.
On Tuesday, January 29, 2008, the President signed into law:
Executive Order Protecting American Taxpayers from Government Spending on Wasteful Earmarks
Fact sheet for more information
On Thursday, January 31, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 5104, the “Protect America Act Extension,” which extends the Protect America Act through February 16, 2008.
What the President Has Signed Into Law – December 2007
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, Our Rights, Politics
This year is going to be an amazing year in politics. There’s a lot going on with the elections and the candidates, but let’s not lose focus of what’s currently going on. The purpose for this post is to inform you of the new laws and acts enacted by President Bush. It’s good to know what’s going on because some of them may benefit us as a people. It’s important for us to watch every step our government takes. We elect them, so we need to make sure they are doing their job. The laws I list are posted at whitehouse.gov. For a more unbiased version, I’d recommend doing additional research at govtrack.us. As always feel free to leave any additional comments.
On Thursday, December 6, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.R. 50, the “Multinational Species Conservation Funds Reauthorization Act of 2007,” which reauthorizes the African Elephant Conservation Act and the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994 through fiscal year 2012; and
H.R. 465, the “Asian Elephant Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2007,” which reauthorizes the Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997 through fiscal year 2012.
On Wednesday, December 12, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.R. 1429, the “Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007,” which reauthorizes the Head Start program for 5 years. This is a bill to reauthorize Head Start. Over the past 40 years, Head Start has provided comprehensive child-development services to more than 20 million low-income children and their families to promote school readiness. Because of the National Reporting System, we know that more Head Start programs are helping children gain early reading and math skills. But we must take steps to improve Head Start to ensure that low-income children arrive at school ready to learn.
On Friday, December 14, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.J.Res. 69, which makes further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 2008; and
H.R. 4252, which extends the authorizations of certain Small Business Administration programs until May 23, 2008.
President Bush and President Garcia of Peru Sign H.R. 3688, the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act
On Tuesday, December 18, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.R. 3315, which designates the great hall of the Capitol Visitor Center as Emancipation Hall.
On Wednesday, December 19, 2007, the President signed:
H.R. 6, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Here’s a link to the fact sheet for more information.
H.R. 4118, the Prevent Taxation of Payments to Virginia Tech Victims and Families Act
On Thursday, December 20, 2007, the President signed:
H.R. 3648, The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007. This act will help homeowners who are struggling with rising mortgage payments. The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 will protect families from higher taxes when they refinance their homes. It will help hardworking Americans take steps to avoid foreclosure during a period of uncertainty in the housing market.
On Wednesday, December 26, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.R. 2764, legislation that will fund the Federal Government within the reasonable and responsible spending levels without raising taxes and without the most objectionable policy changes considered by the Congress. This law provides a down payment for the resources our troops need, without arbitrary timelines for withdrawal.
On Saturday, December 29, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.R. 4839, the “Tax Technical Corrections Act of 2007,” which makes technical corrections to various provisions of tax law.
S. 2499, the “Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007,” which Provides a 0.5 percent Medicare payment increase for physicians for 6 months; (2) extends SCHIP through March 31, 2009; and (3) extends the Medicaid Qualifying Individual provision, Title V Abstinence Education grant program, and Transitional Medical Assistance eligibility for Medicaid beneficiaries for 6 months.
On Monday, December 31, 2007, the President signed into law:
S. 2488, the “Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National Government Act of 2007,” which amends the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by: (1) establishing a definition of “a representative of the news media;” (2) directing that required attorney fees be paid from an agency’s own appropriation rather than from the Judgment Fund; (3) prohibiting an agency from assessing certain fees if it fails to comply with FOIA deadlines; and (4) establishing an Office of Government Information Services in the National Archives and Records Administration to review agency compliance with FOIA.
What the President Has Signed Into Law – November 2007
The purpose for this post is to inform you of the new laws enacted by President Bush. It’s good to know what’s going on because some of them may benefit us as a people. It’s important for us to watch every step our government takes. We elect them, so we need to make sure they are doing their job. The laws I list are posted at whitehouse.gov. For a more unbiased version, I’d recommend doing additional research at govtrack.us. As always feel free to leave any additional comments on the enacted laws.
On Monday, November 5, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.R. 327, the “Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act,” which requires VA to develop and implement a comprehensive program to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans; and
H.R. 1284, the “Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2007,” which provides a cost-of-living increase for the beneficiaries of veterans’ disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation.
On Thursday, November 8, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.R. 1808, which designates the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia, as the Charlie Norwood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center; and
S. 2106, the “Procedural Fairness for September 11 Victims Act of 2007,” which provides for nationwide service of subpoenaes in litigation arising out of the hijacking and subsequent crashes of the terrorist-related flights of September 11, 2001.
On Tuesday, November 13, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.R. 2779, which recognizes the Navy UDT-SEAL Museum, located in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the official national museum of Navy SEALs and their predecessors; and
H.R. 3222, which provides FY 2008 appropriations for the Department of Defense (DOD) military programs; and provides FY 2008 appropriations for continuing projects and activities of the Federal Government through Friday, December 14, 2007.
On Thursday, November 15, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.R. 2546, which designates the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Asheville, North Carolina, as the “Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.”
On Friday, November 16, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.R. 2602, which designates the Department of Veterans medical facility in Iron Mountain, Michigan, as the Oscar G. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility; and
S.J.Res. 7, which reappoints Roger W. Sant as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.
On Monday, November 19, 2007, the President signed into law:
S. 2206, which extends until December 1, 2009, the deadline for the congressional Joint Committee on the Library to enter into an agreement to obtain a statue of Rosa Parks to be placed in the U.S. Capitol in National Statuary Hall; and allows the Joint Committee to authorize the Architect of the Capitol to enter into the agreement on its behalf.
What the President Has Signed Into Law – October 2007
The purpose for this post is to inform you of the new laws enacted by President Bush. It’s good to know what’s going on because some of them may benefit us as a people. It’s important for us to watch every step our government takes. We elect them, so we need to make sure they are doing their job. The laws I list are posted at whitehouse.gov. For a more unbiased version, I’d recommend doing additional research at govtrack.us. As always feel free to leave any additional comments on the enacted laws.
On Tuesday, October 9, 2007, the President signed into law:
S. 1983, the “Pesticide Registration Improvement Renewal Act,” which reauthorizes and amends the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act.
On Saturday, October 20, 2007, the President signed:
President Bush Signs Executive Order to Protect Striped Bass and Red Drum Fish Populations
On Monday, October 22, 2007, the President signed:
President Bush and President Enkhbayar of Mongolia Sign the Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact
On Wednesday, October 24, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.R. 1124, which reauthorizes for 5 years, through FY 2012, two programs that provide tuition assistance for District of Columbia students to attend institutions of higher education outside the District; and requires that any student receiving such assistance be from a family with a taxable annual income of less than $1 million;
H.R. 2467, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service in Jersey City, New Jersey, as the Frank J. Guarini Post Office Building;
H.R. 2587, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located in Memphis, Tennessee, as the Kenneth T. Whalum, Sr. Post Office Building;
H.R. 2654, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located in Woonsocket, South Dakota, as the Eleanor McGovern Post Office Building;
H.R. 2765, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located in Hughesville, Pennsylvania, as the Master Sergeant Sean Michael Thomas Post Office;
H.R. 2778, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located in New Rochelle, New York, as the Robert Merrill Postal Station;
H.R. 2825, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located in Princeton, Illinois, as the Owen Lovejoy Princeton Post Office Building;
H.R. 3052, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located in Cambridge, Ohio, as the John Herschel Glenn, Jr. Post Office Building; and
H.R. 3106, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located in Ferdinand, Indiana, as the Staff Sergeant David L. Nord Post Office.
On October 25, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.R. 995, which extends the authority for establishing a memorial in the District of Columbia or its environs to honor veterans who became disabled while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States.
On Friday, October 26, 2007 the President signed into law:
H.R. 3233, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located in Piney Woods, Mississippi, as the Laurence C. and Grace M. Jones Post Office Building.
On Wednesday, October 31, 2007 the President signed into law:
H.R. 3678, the “Internet Tax Freedom Act Amendments Act of 2007,” which extends the moratorium on State and local government Internet access taxes and multiple and discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce for seven years, through Novemeber 1, 2014; and
S. 2258, the “Third Higher Education Extension Act of 2007,” which extends programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965 through March 31, 2008, and expands eligibility for certain not-for-profit lenders to receive special allowance payment subsidies.
What the President Has Signed Into Law – September 2007
Once again, I’m a little late, but here it is. The purpose for this post is to inform you of the new laws enacted by President Bush. It’s good to know what’s going on because some of them may benefit us as a people. It’s important for us to watch every step our government takes. We elect them, so we need to make sure they are doing their job. The laws I list are posted at whitehouse.gov. For a more unbiased version, I’d recommend doing additional research at govtrack.us.
On September 14, 2007, the President signed into law:
President Bush Signs Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007
On Thursday, September 20, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.R. 2358, the “Native Americans $1 Coin Act,” which requires the Treasury, beginning in 2009, to mint and issue dollar coins in commemoration of Native Americans; and
S. 377, the “United States-Poland Parliamentary Youth Exchange Program Act of 2007,” which authorizes an educational exchange program for secondary school students between the United States and Poland.
On Thursday, September 27, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.R. 3528, which establishes a Treasury fund for the Peace Corps to provide separation pay for host country resident personal services contractors.
College Cost Reduction and Access Act
On Thursday, September 27, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.R. 2669, the “College Cost Reduction and Access Act,” which makes changes to Federal student grant and loan programs, and creates new grant programs for higher education students and institutions; and
H.R. 3580, the “Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007,” which reauthorizes a number of Food and Drug Administration programs including the Prescription Drug User Fee Act and Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act; extends and modifies authorities related to pediatric uses of drugs and medical devices; and expands current authority related to post marketing surveillance of drugs.
On Friday, September 28, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.R. 954, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service in New York, New York, as the Percy Sutton Post Office Building;
H.R. 3218, which designates a certain portion of Interstate Route 395 located in Baltimore, Maryland, as “Cal Ripken Way”; and
H.R. 3375, which extends the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program until December 31, 2007.
On Saturday, September 29, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.J.Res. 43, which increases the statutory limit on the public debt limit;
H.J.Res. 52, making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2008; and
H.R. 3668, the “TMA, Abstinence Education, and QI Programs Extension Act of 2007,” which extends the Transitional Medical Assistance, Abstinence Education, and Qualifying Individuals programs, and modifies other Medicare and Medicaid programs.
What the President Has Signed Into Law – August 2007
Filed under: Blog Entries, Our Rights, Politics, Society & Culture
I had plans to do this at the end of every month, but August got away from me. But I promised to stay on it, so I will. The purpose for this post is to inform you of the new laws enacted by President Bush. It’s good to know what’s going on because some of them may benefit us as a people. It’s important for us to watch every step our government takes. We elect them, so we need to make sure they are doing their job. The laws I list are posted at whitehouse.gov. For a more unbiased version, I’d recommend doing additional research at govtrack.us.
On Monday, August 13, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.R. 2863, which authorizes the Coquille Indian Tribe of Oregon to convey land and interests in land owned by the Tribe.
H.R. 2952, which authorizes the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Michigan to convey land and interests in land owned by the Tribe.
H.R. 3006, which modifies the State of Idaho’s authority to use the proceeds from its agricultural college land grants.
S. 375, which directs the Department of the Interior to issue a new quitclaim deed to two Native American tribes in Oregon.
S. 975, which provides congressional approval of a fire protection compact among specified Great Plains States.
S. 1716, which removes a statutory requirement that forage producers carry crop insurance in order to be eligible for crop disaster and livestock assistance for certain crop years.
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What the President Has Signed Into Law – July 2007
Filed under: Blog Entries, Our Rights, Politics, Society & Culture
I’ve always felt informed people are happy people (in most cases). In building this blog, this is something I’ve always wanted to achieve. I’d like to introduce to you a new segment on the site that I hope to keep up with on a monthly basis called “What the President Has Signed Into Law”. In my visits to whitehouse.gov, I thought it would be interesting to find out what new laws are being passed to see what G.W. and our elected officials are doing in DC. I’ve learned a lot in the process and thought I’d share with you. Let me know your thoughts on what’s going on and feel free to research the new laws in more detail.
On Friday, June 29, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.R. 57, relating to real property taxation in the Virgin Islands;
H.R. 692, the Army Specialist Joseph P. Micks Federal Flag Code Amendment Act of 2007.
On Saturday, June 30, 2007, the President signed into law:
H.R. 1830, An Act that Extends the Andean Trade Preference Act through February 29, 2008.
On Tuesday, July 03, 2007, the President signed into law:
S. 1704, the “First Higher Education Extension Act of 2007,” which extends programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965 through July 31, 2007.
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