Favorite topics

Boy, I wish these were not favorite topics.

One: Rolling out ACA.

Symbolic of the failure of so many government initiatives, some quite unknown to most citizens like the continuing restrictions on SBA activities that have gone on almost continuously since about an hour after he was inaugurated the first time. Not a legislative move, simply the bureaucrats doing what the bureaucrats will do when left to rule their kingdoms. This was, unfortunately, at a time when government help for the economy could have really been effective, but it went the other way.

Government has never been the most effective, efficient way to get things done. That is why so many of us support private enterprise (yes, we understand, private enterprise must be monitored and regulated, it is a balance). Reasonable people will have disagreements when determining what should be done by private enterprise and what should be done by government, but the most egregious violations need to be exposed.

I found it to be amusing that testimony by the witnesses at the Congressional hearing were from a number of contractors, but the head of CGI Federal blamed another subsidiary for the testing woes. Seems a bit evasive, since both subsidiaries are under the prime contractor, CGI Group, Inc., a Canadian company headquartered in Montreal. Didn't we hear a lot from Obama during the debates about exporting jobs?

Two: Businessman faces two years in jail for...well, it is hard to say.

Mark Witaschek, a successful District of Columbia businessman and avid hunter, was arrested in something that looks a lot like a home invasion. His house was "tossed" causing an estimated $10,000 damage, and they found a 12-gauge shotgun shell that had misfired, a brass casing, a pistol holster and an antique Colt pistol used as a paperweight. Oh, and bullets used for muzzleloaders. He keeps his guns at his sister's house in Virginia...and she was "visited" as well. Exactly a month earlier, the police had visited and, after an extensive search without a warrant because he thought he had nothing to hide, they found a box of 40-caliber ammunition, which is illegal in DC. They confiscated the antique Colt pistol even though it is legal to own that antique in DC.

No guns, no modern, viable ammunition in the raid.

You have to read the article, the streets were shut down, about 30 officers in riot gear entered the home, broke down the bathroom door and drug his 16-year old son out of the shower naked, locked the four children in a room while they handcuffed the man and his girlfriend.

All this based on a complaint by his ex-wife. She was denied a restraining order when it became apparent that her version of the details (threatening her with a gun) were not correct.

Take a look:  http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/23/miller-dc-businessman-faces-two-years-jail-unregis/

This abuse may just be typical of the way the DC police operate. Remembering that a good portion of the population of the District are minorities, primarily black, makes me wonder how many times the rights of those ordinary citizens are being trampled on. But when you are a black, regular working guy, you don't have the visibility or the resources of a successful businessman.

Makes ya wonder! Just two of the examples of the government out of control, stepping way over lines.