Government

NPR

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Florida Adopts Nation’s Toughest Restrictions On Protests : NPR

The law increases penalties for protesters who block roadways or deface public monuments. It creates a new crime, "mob intimidation." And it requires that anyone arrested at a protest be denied bail until their first court appearance, likely making for overnight jail stays. The law makes local officials in Florida liable to lawsuits from injured parties if they are found to have not done enough to respond to control violent protests. And it reacts to the "defund police" movement, allowing officials to appeal to the governor and his cabinet any decision by local officials to reduce funding to law enforcement.

NPR

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Police Hold ‘Extraordinary’ Power In Traffic Stops, Law Professor Says : NPR

Attorney Benjamin Crump, who represents the Wright family, said in a separate interview earlier this week that Daunte Wright "was doing, like most marginalized minorities, trying to run away and get away from the police because Black men in particular are afraid when the police interacts with them because it normally ends up in bad results."

Butler, who is Black, says he too is constantly afraid of being confronted by police.

"Any Black person who is aware of the news, who knows history, has to be anxious around the police," Butler says. "I'm older. I'm a professional. I'm law-abiding. Whenever I see a cop car behind me, my heart starts beating faster. I don't go to places late at night where I'd have to drive and be on a lonely road where I might be pulled over. I don't want to take the risk."

He argues, "if you don't immediately stop ... in addition to whatever traffic infraction, you're committing contempt of cop. And bad officers will make you pay for that. ... It's so arbitrary and so that police officers who are racist or biased, they have so much power."

Here’s a Revenue Raising Idea – Tax Other Layers of Government

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Here’s an idea of where the government can make more revenue: tax other layers of government.

Dreamy waters

Right now, state and local government enjoys paying zero taxes on property and buildings it owns, on energy it consumes, on facilities it operates. City halls, government buildings, prisons, parks, even enormous the beautiful buildings owned by the police and owned the Pentagon are currently untaxed. There is an enormous amount of government property that should be taxed, but currently isn’t — because of antiquated laws that prohibit government from taxing other layers of government.

Imagine for a minute if the State of New York was required to pay both local and federal taxes on the Empire State Plaza. For one thing, such a lavish building complex would have never been built. But even if was built, they would have used much cheaper materials, to avoid paying so much in local and federal taxes. Likewise, imagine if the City of Albany had to pay state and federal taxes on City Hall — it would have been long ago sold off to private developers — who would turn this beautiful old building into a hotel, conference center or dinning hall. Government would move to an efficient, non-descript building in a lower-cost part of the city.

Likewise, imagine if the City of Albany had to pay state and federal income tax on fines, property tax payments, other forms of revenue. The City of Albany would likely find it necessary to cut services, and find economies — as they would be making less money on each dollar they brought in. Yes, local property taxes and fines might increase to cover some of the cost of paying taxes to other levels of government — but also local government would shrink. Correspondingly, the state and federal governments could cut their taxes, because the federal and state governments would be collecting income tax on the city’s fines, taxes, and other sources of revenue.

Taxes are a proven method of reducing spending. At first it might seem silly for government to tax each other layer of government, but taxes on government spending will discourage more government spending, leading to a smaller, more efficient government. No more lavish government buildings, no more lavish spending on politicians or bureaucrats, just a government that is a lean servant of the people. The more you think about it, taxing government could not only lead to more revenue, but also less government.

From World War II & Beyond

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Quonset Hut History: From World War II & Beyond

The George Fuller construction company is credited with being the first company to manufacture Quonset huts on behalf of the US Navy in 1941. The exact inventor or designer isn’t known, but the design is based on the Nissen Hut design that originated from World War I.?

In World War II, the U.S. Navy needed buildings that could be quickly assembled and disassembled but could withstand the rigors of the military and the Quonset hut was created. In essence, the Quonset hut wasn’t necessarily invented but was a vast improvement of the Nissen Hut.?

NPR

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Betting Big On Electric Vehicles, Biden Faces Fraught Decision On Ga. Battery Plant : NPR

The South Korean corporation SK Innovation has built a large battery factory about 70 miles northeast of Atlanta, in the city of Commerce, population 7,000. Another factory alongside it is under construction, and a third is in the works. All told, they are expected to represent 2 million square feet of manufacturing space.

Yet earlier this year, SK said its Georgia operation may shut down because of a ruling against the company by the U.S. International Trade Commission in a dispute with LG Chem, a competitor also based in South Korea.