Wall Street Journal (subscription) | Westchester Beats Obama Wall Street Journal (subscription) Westchester County Chief Executive Rob Astorino spent seven years fighting Obama-era Department of Housing and Urban Development accusations that his county's zoning laws are racist. Now HUD has conceded that the suburban New Yorker was right ... |
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Westchester Beats Obama - Wall Street Journal (subscription)
Sen. Rand Paul said Sunday that savings from buying foreign-made goods "allows working-class people to have savings to get a television set, to go on vacation, to buy gas for their truck." | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said Sunday theres a reason why buying American-made goods is not always the best option: cost.
You know, I think all of us have this goal to buy American, but we have to think this thing through, Paul told Jake Tapper on CNNs "State of the Union."
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Tapper was pressing Paul on why President Donald Trump touted "Made in the USA" goods all week but still hires foreign workers at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida. Tapper also noted that Trump's company manufacturers a bevy of Trump-branded clothing products abroad.
The libertarian-leaning Paul said global trade, the same kind that candidate Trump slammed for ripping off the U.S., allows Americans to buy cheaper goods, stretching their dollars so they can then pay for things like a vacation or a new vehicle.
It used to be a shirt, just a regular button-up shirt, might be $20, $25, and still might be in places. And at Wal-Mart, it's $7," Paul said. "And so that savings, though, allows working-class people to have savings to get a television set, to go on vacation, to buy gas for their truck. So trade is really a good thing.
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As a candidate, Trump defended his decision to manufacture some of his own products abroad, especially apparel, characterizing himself as someone who was simply making smart business decisions based on the costs.
In response to Paul's answer, Tapper noted that the members of Mar-a-Lago, where "the membership fee is $200,000 a year," were not in the same situation as average American workers.
Paul, who ran against Trump for the GOP presidential nomination, did concede that using foreign workers at Mar-a-Lago was "different," but he did not elaborate.
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Rand Paul: Buying American isn't necessarily the right choice - Politico - Politico
Sen. Rand Paul said Sunday that President Trump likely has the power to pardon himself under the U.S. Constitution.
The Kentucky Republicans interpretation of the Constitution comes after the president tweeted about having the complete power to pardon on Saturday, and after The Washington Post reported that Mr. Trump discussed pardons with his advisers.
The question about whether Mr. Trump has the authority to pardon himself is being debated as the investigation into whether his campaign colluded with the Russian government during the 2016 election heats up, and it has legal scholars debating the issue.
I think in all likelihood he does, Mr. Paul said during an interview on CNNs State of the Union. I think that some of this hasnt been adjudicated.
Mr. Paul said he understands the president is frustrated with the constant allegations of collusion, but he cautioned him from thinking about pardoning family members or himself.
But Jay Sekulow, one of Mr. Trumps lawyers, said the issue would likely end up at the U.S. Supreme Court, and he told ABCs This Week anchor George Stephanopoulos that no one from the legal team is researching pardoning powers for the president.
The issue of pardons is not on the table. Theres nothing to pardon from, Mr. Sekulow said Sunday. Were not researching it, I havent researched it because its not an issue were concerned with or dealing with.
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Sen. Rand Paul says President Trump likely has authority to pardon himself - Washington Times
Manchester PD was one of 7 gangs to receive a share of $1,304,118
(pages 63 and 124) in grants to conduct sobriety checkpoints. One of the checkpoints was conducted this past Thursday, July 20th 10pm through July 21st 2:30am. The checkpoint was located on the westbound lane of Bridge St. Manchester PD records indicate that there were 3 stops on Bridge Street during those hours. There were no arrests, and no citations are listed. No DWI arrests occurred during those hours anywhere in Manchester, according to the gangs website.
As always, a group of libertarians showed up to warn drivers of the presence of the gang members. Though it seems that the MPD gang did not remove any unsafe activity from the roadways, the libertarians warned several drivers, both those who drove through the checkpoint and those who did not, that their headlights were off. One car was pulled over in the right turning lane turning onto Elm St. This was promptly filmed by several libertarians and the driver seemed to me to be let go without any further violations of their rights beyond the initial kidnapping/death threat.
A Utility Work Ahead sign was on the sidewalk next to the right turn lane turning onto Bridge St (towards the checkpoint). There was no visible utility work in the area. The sign was facing away from any traffic that would have seen it. Due to the design of the sign, it was easy to walk behind to walk down the sidewalk with a sign to warn drivers. (These drivers would have seen the blank metal back of the utility work sign.) The only drivers who this sign would realistically been visible to would be a driver driving east on the westbound side of Bridge St.
If you want to be warned of checkpoints in the geographical area occupied by New Hampshire before they happen, you can follow Checkpoint Free New Hampshire on Twitter,Facebook, orsend an SMS saying follow @NoCheckpointsNH to 40404 to get SMS alerts.
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Libertarian Activists Enforce Headlight Law - Free Keene
Jul 19, 2017 at 7:32 am | Print View
CEDAR RAPIDS The politics-as-usual approach to state government by Republicans and Democrats is unsustainable and hurting vulnerable Iowans, according to Jake Porter, a Libertarian who is joining the race for governor.
Were having this huge budget crisis, and I dont see other candidates proposing real changes, Porter said Tuesday.
Instead, Statehouse lawmakers and the governor are using the budget as a weapon, according to Porter, who will formally announce his candidacy on The Simon Conway Show on WHO Radio between 4 and 7 p.m. Thursday.
Theyve decided were having a budget crisis, so were going to cut the services people use most, whether its mental health services, sexual abuse hotlines, domestic abuse shelters (or) hearing aids for kids, Porter said.
Theyre not actually going after any of the waste that could easily be cut. Theyre going after the things that are going to hurt the most people, probably as an excuse to raise the sales tax next year.
Porter, 29, a Council Bluffs business consultant long active in the Libertarian Party, previously ran for secretary of state. He thinks his views and priorities are more closely aligned with voters than either the Democratic or Republican platform.
He wants to make medical cannabis available, restore voting rights for felons who have served their time, end corporate welfare, return Medicaid to its pre-privatization status and phase out the state sales tax.
He opposes corporate welfare on libertarian principles. Its wrong, Porter said, to ask Iowans to pay millions of dollars to financially sound corporations. He singled out the Research Activities Credit that refunds tax money to corporations even if they have no tax liability.
Theyve put the tax bill on the smallest Iowans and smallest companies, he said. I dont think the state should favor one business over another.
Porter believes Libertarians are more serious about cutting the size of government than Republicans.
Ive watched the budget grow from $6.2 billion from the end of the Culver administration to $7.3 billion under Gov. Terry Branstad, he said. So they cant claim theyve actually cut any government. Theyve grown it while giving large tax breaks to big financially sound corporations.
Porter called turning over Medicaid management to private companies an example of big government cronyism by former Gov. Terry Branstads administration. Porter would return management responsibility to the Department of Human Services and then make improvements.
The state has messed around for far too long while people who could benefit from medical cannabis have suffered, Porter said. While he would favor legalization of marijuana for recreational use, I dont think the Legislature is going to pass that.
Despite the changes the Legislature has made, current law makes it difficult, nearly impossible, for Iowans who need cannabidiol to get it, he said.
As a Libertarian, Porter said, he would have the advantage of being able to work with and around the major political parties by using the governors bully pulpit to open a dialogue with voters and pressure lawmakers to act on his priorities.
The only who dont agree are the big corporate interests or those in the Legislature, As governor, you can go around and talk about issues and you can pound the issues until (lawmakers) basically have to do something about it, he said.
Porter said his campaign website, jakeporter.org, will go live Thursday afternoon.
l Comments: (319) 398-8375; james.lynch@thegazette.com
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Libertarian Iowa gubernatorial candidate calls for 'real changes ... - The Gazette: Eastern Iowa Breaking News and Headlines