BREAKING: The U.S. budget deficit surpassed $1 trillion in the first 11 months of the fiscal year through August, according to data from the Treasury Department https://t.co/cVndXhFyxh — Bloomberg (@business) September 12, 2019
Federal Government
Encryption, FBI, Federal Government, Liberty, Privacy, Private Property, Surveillance, Technology
Precedent
At least with our homes we have some reasonable ways to know whether or not a government agent has entered it. With our technology, however, they could enter our computers, phones, tablets, etc., take whatever they want, and we would never know unless they decided to tell us. And there have been too many instances of that happening for the American people to feel comfortable giving the government even more tools to access our technology.
Perhaps if the government had behaved more responsibly with our civil liberties to date, this wouldn’t be much of an issue.
Via Obama Makes Case for Government Access to Private Property @ Boots & Sabers.
Courts, Federal Government, Polls
Nomination Favored
In new @mulawpoll, 51% say Senate should act this year on Supreme Court nomination, 40% say wait til after prez election. #mulawpoll
— MULawPoll (@MULawPoll) February 25, 2016
Federal Government, Government Spending
Trillions
Link
Congress, Federal Government, Government Spending
BAU
This new budget bill is merely a continuation of what Washington has been doing for years…more spending money that we don’t have on things don’t need while promising that some future politicians will cut spending to “pay” for it. Further down the rabbit hole…
Link
Federal Government, Immigration, Local Government, Madison
Madison’s No Sanctuary
Environment, Federal Government, Regulations
Opposing New EPA Regs
Environment, Federal Government, Regulations
Favoring New EPA Regs
Culture, Federal Government
But the Treasury is displacing Hamilton?
“I’ve always found it a bit odd that we Americans choose to honor a man who hated the banking system, who sent thousands of Native Americans to their deaths by taking their land by force and who introduced the system of pork barrel spending and patronage to our political system with a spot on some…
Culture, Federal Government
Important to be important
I’ll save you the trouble of watching that clip. The reason is that women are “important” and it’s “important” for “women and men” to know that women are “important.” Now, just picture a smarmy smile on a bureaucrat and you’ve got it.
Via Jack Lew explains why the Treasury Department is putting a woman on the $10 bill @ Althouse.
Federal Government, Liberty, Patriot Act, Privacy, Surveillance
The extent of their work
“How much phone metadata does the government (and soon the phone companies) actually collect?… What other kinds of data does the government gather in bulk?… What are the costs of collecting all this data?…” Via “Three Big Questions About the N.S.A.’s Patriot Act Powers.” @ Althouse.
Ecology, Environment, Federal Government, Regulations, Wisconsin
Water
“The Obama administration is expected in the coming days to announce a major clean water regulation that would restore the federal government’s authority to limit pollution in the nation’s rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands. Environmentalists have praised the new rule, calling it an important step that would lead to significantly cleaner natural bodies of water…
Banking/Finance, Crime, Federal Government
Freddie Mac officials walk
Crime, Federal Government, Law, Misconduct
The Book on Prosecutorial Misconduct
U.S. Senator Orin Hatch (R-Utah) offered an unusual comment in last week’s confirmation hearings for the proposed new attorney general of the United States, Loretta Lynch. Hatch suggested the nominee read a book: Sidney Powell’s Licensed to Lie: Exposing Corruption in the Department of Justice (Brown Books Publishing Group, 2014). Hatch is right. Via US…
Federal Government, History, Local Government, State Government
One public standard for all
In this private transaction, Jefferson doesn’t deny that the hotelier has the right to refuse service to a farmer; Jefferson simply rejects the establishment’s class bias. (The hotel didn’t ask if a supposed, ordinary farmer could pay, but instead rejected a prospective guest for reasons other than an ability to pay.) Now consider a similar…
Banking/Finance, Federal Government, Government Spending
It’s the least they could do
Crime, Federal Government, Law, Torture
Call for federal prosecutions
Via “All who planned, all who implemented, all who carried out the torture should be criminally prosecuted. How else do we as a society express our outrage?” @ Althouse.
Federal Government, Government Spending, Militarized policing, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Cops Militarize
Madison police and 23 other law enforcement agencies across Wisconsin each received a mine-resistant armored vehicle from the program. Police in Sturgeon Bay got an outboard motor out of it, among other items.The Department of Defense has given Wisconsin police departments and sheriff’s offices $25.6 million worth of surplus military equipment since 1997, according to…
Federal Government, Local Government, Politics, State Government
Public officials and private citizens share a common, human nature
….This idea of government office as an especially noble calling is false: human nature does not change when a man or woman enters public office. People are self-interested by nature, and this nature does not change when one sits behind a government desk. Of public and private, one is neither better nor worse than the…
Federal Government
Eighth time’s the charm
The heading on the graphic was “Trust in Government?” And it had the following bullet points, which I’m displaying here as Todd read them (with all the items, but some extra words): Edward Snowden stealing NSA files The VA fakes wait times IRS losing emails Healthcare.gov doesn’t launch The president himself saying, “U.S. intelligence agencies…
Federal Government, Law, Liberty, Surveillance
Lawyer Doubts Sensenbrenner Knew About Patriot Act Abuses
Attorney General, Federal Government
Why?
Federal Government, Legislation
But they’d much rather stay
The bill, by U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), would impose an immediate hiring freeze at the ATF and require a plan be submitted within six months on how to move its activities to other agencies. The bill calls for eliminating the agency a year after the bill’s final passage, moving its functions into the FBI,…
Corruption Probe, Courts, Federal Government, Law
John Doe proceedings today in Chicago
Oral arguments of the Eric O’Keefe v. Francis Schmitz and Eric O’Keefe v. John Chisholm cases are available online at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit site. Via John Doe Oral Arguments Online at Seventh Circuit Site @ MAL Contends . . . Link to oral argument before 7th Circuit panel.
Federal Government, Misconduct
FBI Liar Still on The Job
The former chief of the FBI Milwaukee office — believed to have encouraged perjury and then lied to investigators — is worthless as a witness and dishonors an agency that places a premium on integrity, according to bureau veterans and law enforcement experts. But Teresa Carlson remains a high-ranking FBI official in Washington, D.C., and…
Federal Government, Misconduct
Lying former Milwaukee FBI head still employed with agency
The former head of the Milwaukee FBI office twice scolded subordinates for talking to investigators, and in one case urged an agent to commit perjury, a Department of Justice report finds. Staff from the Office of the Inspector General concluded that former Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Teresa Carlson most likely lied to them when…
Courts, Federal Government, Law, Liberty, Wisconsin
Marriage Equality Fares Well @ 7th Circuit Argument
Lawyers for Indiana and Wisconsin on Tuesday tried, with little success, to explain to three judges why their laws banning same-sex couples from marrying were constitutional. In the most lopsided arguments over marriage bans at a federal appeals court this year, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals judges clearly were ready to strike down the…
Corruption Probe, Courts, Federal Government, Gov. Walker
Documents: Walker encouraged donations to Wisconsin Club for Growth
Gov. Scott Walker encouraged outside groups and individuals to funnel millions of dollars into Wisconsin Club for Growth — a pro-Walker group directed by his campaign adviser — during the recall elections in 2011 and 2012, according to court documents unsealed on Friday. Documents online @ JSOnline.
Federal Government, Government Spending, Local Government, Public Services
Falsely blaming the Feds
The story, conveniently published almost two months after Democratic candidate for the 15th District State Senate, Austin Scieszinski, claimed the decision to approve the interstate expansion was done behind closed doors and resulted in a deal that washed up to $500 million away from local road repair and maintenance, confirms almost everything he said. That’s…