Wiretapping laws examined…

The Washington Examiner looks at a video by the Cato Institute regarding the legality of private citizens recording video of police during arrests and the high value of such recordings.

via Drudge

Reardon Metal on Allocation

Where have I read this before?

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County is suing a local farmer for growing too many vegetables, but he said he will fight the charges in the ongoing battle neighbors call “Cabbagegate.”Fig trees, broccoli and cabbages are among the many greens that line the soil on Steve Miller’s more than two acres in Clarkston, who said he has spent fifteen years growing crops to give away and sell at local farmers market.

Obviously this man was paid a visit from enforcers of the Equalization of Opportunity bill.

It’s a way of life, like it’s something in my blood,” said Miller.In January, Dekalb County code enforcement officers began ticketing him for growing too many crops for the zoning and having unpermitted employees on site.Miller stopped growing vegetables this summer and the charges were put on hold as he got the property rezoned.

Two weeks after approval, however, his attorney said the county began prosecuting the old charges, saying he was technically in violation before the rezoning.“It should go away. I think it borders on harassment,” said Miller’s attorney Doug Dillard.Miller faces nearly $5,000 in fines, but he said he plans to fight those citations in recorders court later this month.A county spokesperson said officials can’t discuss the matter while it is in court, but neighbors were quick to come to his defense.“When he moved here and I found out what he was doing I said, ‘Steve, you’re the best thing that ever happened to Cimarron Drive. And I still say that,” said neighbor Britt Fayssoux.

Maybe he should just burn his little farm to the ground, put a sign on the fencepost, and disappear.

Oh well, who is John Galt?

Saw this one coming…

Caught this over at Hot Air…

Should the FDA ban menthol cigarettes?

Reason TV takes a look at a new effort by the FDA to bar menthol cigarettes in the US. It follows an already-imposed ban on flavored cigarettes, including clove, chocolate, and other flavors used in some brands. No one doubts that cigarette smoking is not a healthy pastime and can be terribly addictive, but do menthols represent a larger danger than regular cigarettes? Are they really a “gateway smoke” to hook teens, or just a consumer choice that carries the same risks that have always been present? Reason argues that this is just another tactic in a larger plan to impose a Prohibition on tobacco use altogether:

You have to go there to get the rest of the post and the cool old-timey advert.

As a person who makes his living with tobacco being a large part of my industry, I can say that I and others like me saw this coming a few years ago. A certain tobacco company signed their souls over to the devil in a pact with the FDA that allowed them to help write the new tobacco legislation in a bid to kill the competitive edge that a certain other company had due to the constant innovation of flavors and a steady bite being taken out of the market share. If this menthol ban goes through, at least four different styles/flavors will be removed from the market share of this direct competitor.

The certain tobacco company also assisted in the massively increased tax rates on tobacco products across the board, thereby cutting off their own nose to spite their face.

If you can’t join ‘em…