Group proposes new southern Adirondack wilderness

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Great. Exactly what we need, more wilderness.

NY already has way too many wilderness areas, and what's not wilderness is forest preserve, which is essentially locked up as wilderness, as the state constitution prohibits cutting any material amount of trees over 3" for any purpose.

It's hard to imagine they could build any new roads or snowmobile trails within existing forest preserve, except where relatively recent old woods road exists. Otherwise the tree cutting provision applies.

So I’m Out Fishing Today …

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So I’m out fishing today, on an old railroad bridge that crosses this creek. Most of the time today, I could barely get the darn worm into the water before fish were latching on to the hook. It was pretty crazy. I started out with a little trout hook, and ended up switching to a big bass hook, because they were biting at that on first.

Every time I dropped it in under this bridge, something got hooked quickly. Got a bunch of little brookies, several large-mouth bass, and bullfish. Ended up tossing most of it back in, because a lot of it was small, and even if it was legal to keep, it would be hardly worthwhile to take home and cook.

I ended up leaving after a few hours of fishing as I was getting sunburnt and tired of the hot sun, on the bridge. I left with 3 brookies, a 17 inch large mouth bass, and a bullfish. I probably could have taken more home, if I didn’t throw back the smaller bullfish and some smaller brookies.

So I go and tell folks, guess what, after dinner I’m going to finish off my trout limit or maybe catch another large mouth or bull fish or perch or something. If it was so easy earlier, I’m sure the fish still will be biting when I come back from dinner.

Granted, I didn’t catch much of anything after dinner, although I did get some bites. I did get a too-small to keep large mouth and a brookie, but neither was exactly what I wanted. Oh, well, that’s what you get when you get cockie.

Ken Ballew Raid – June 7, 1971

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The Ken Ballew Raid occurred on this day in 1971.

On June 7, 1971, acting on a tip from a teenage burglary suspect that there were “guns and grenades” at an apartment in Silver Spring, MD, ATF Special Agent Marcus J. Davis requested a search warrant for the apartment. Assistant US Attorney Charles Bernstein rejected Davis’ request, citing insufficient evidence for a search warrant. Davis rewrote the request giving Bernstein the suspect’s name and told him that there had been allegations of violent threats in the vicinity of Kenyon Ballew’s address. Bernstein then issued a knock-service daytime search warrant.

The raid was carried out by a task force of ATF and Montgomery County police. All the task force members were dressed in scruffy clothes to “blend in” with the neighborhood. They knocked on the back door and allegedly shouted “Federal officers with a warrant, open up.” Hearing some movement within the apartment, they took a battering ram to the door. It took them six attempts to break down the door. The two residents within, Ballew and his girlfriend, Saraluise McNeil, had both been in the shower when the attack began. He was naked and she was clad only in her underwear. Not having heard anything but the battering of his rear door, Ballew grabbed an 1847 blackpowder percussion Colt revolver while McNeil grabbed her own revolver.

The ATF agent, William H. Seals, seeing the naked man with the gun, yelled, “He’s got a gun” and fired a shot. The next officer behind Seals was County Police Officer Royce R. Hibbs who came through the door firing several shots. At that time Ballew had not fired a shot and none of the first two officers’ shots hit him.

It was only when Police Officer Louis Camillo came into the room and fired a shot at Ballew’s head that Ballew was hit. As Ballew fell, he dropped the Colt that discharged sending one bullet into the floor at an angle. Upon seeing Ballew bleeding on the floor, Saraluise McNeil became hysterical and surrendered to the police officers. This case, which was followed closely by the Washington Post, became a gunowner rallying point against the ATF during the 1970s. It was also one of the cases that Congressman John Dingell (D-MI) referred to when he called the ATF “jack-booted thugs.” This was the same Dingell who, as a member of the NRA board of directors, was later instrumental in the creation of the NRA’s lobbying arm, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA).

Today marks 43 years since the raid of Ken Ballew's house that went badly wrong, and lead in many ways to the modern gun-rights movement.

It's also where the term "jack-booted thugs" comes from after Congressman John Dingell (D-MI) used it to describe the ATF's actions during the raid.

Local Governments Rebuff Efforts to Turn Off Red Light Cameras

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Probably the biggest and most alarming threat to our country is the addiction to government spending. Nobody -- not even conservative republicans -- ever want to cut government due to their fear of cutting popular programs.

But the reality is, we as a country must come to a reckoning -- if we are going to create new programs and laws to deal with "new problems" -- we must cut old programs to pay for them.

We can't just keep on raising taxes, especially not on working folk. There is only so much money to go around in the economy

Albania to Require Smart Back tags of All Residents, Visitors

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Recognizing the danger of terrorism, street violence, illicit drugs, and child molesters, the Albania Common Council announced that they have passed a local law requiring all individuals prominently display “smart” back tags on their person at all times when within city limits. The measure goes in effect on July 1, 2014.

“For much too long, thugs and criminals have been endangering our children in the City of Albania,” said Common Council Speaker Margie Smiths. “Enough with the drugs, violence, and thugs.. We must draw a line in sand and say the citizens of Albania will no longer tolerate these crimes. By adopting these smart backtags, we can effectively monitor the activities of citizens to ensure we quickly punish those who would commit crime.”

Back tags have long been required of hunters outside of the Adirondack and Catskill Parks when perusing wild game. Recognizing the benefit of these back tags for law enforcement purposes on city streets, the Common Council has decided to adopt a common-sense measuring requiring them for all individuals when they are in public places.

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Smart backtags would prominently display a city-assigned number on one’s back, easily readable to the public to assist in the reporting of crimes to police. To further assist citizens in reporting violations of the backtag law, an anonymous crime hot-line, 1-877-ALB-BACK has been set up. For citizen convenience in reporting the crime, the number would also be printed on every backtag.

Calls to this number are free. Citizen Participation Specialists will staff the hotline 24-7, and will have the ability to immediately dispatch police upon any reported violations of the backtag law. Smart backtags would have the added benefit of providing GPS tracking of all individuals in the city by the Albania Police, to ensure they are fully aware of where all individuals are at all times.

In an effort to balance civil liberties concerns, the law includes tough penalties against misuse. If a case of “smart” backtag tracking abuse was reported to Albania Police Review board, they would be solely empowered to investigate such violations under this law. If such violations were substantiated beyond all reasonable doubt, a $25 fine would be assessed for the violation. These fines would prevent misuse of “smart” backtag tracking, noted Ms. Smiths.

Back tags would be sold to individuals who are legal residents of city for $100. Non-residents seeking to visit the city, could purchase a daily back tag for $20. Frequent visitors to the city, such as those who are employed in the city, could buy a back tag for $750. Back tags would be effective for one year, and would need to be purchased prior to July 1st of the year, or prior to visiting the city. The proposal is expected to raise up to $30 million to assist the city in providing essential services to its citizens such as paying police officer fringe benefits.

The law contains tough, new laws to ensure it’s fair and equitable enforcement. Failure to prominently display one’s own back tag on one’s back would be a Class “A” misdemeanor with a fine not less then $500. Depending on the circumstances of the failure to not wear a back tag, fines could be as high as $1,000 and include up to 1 year in jail.

Recognizing the need to protect our schools buildings and grounds, airports, public transit buses, and sensitive government buildings from criminals, there will be increased penalties for failure to wear one’s back tag in such locations – a Class “E” felony, with a maximum length of imprisonment up to 5 years and a $20,000 fine. Judges would be granted discretion in sentencing, especially in cases where it’s apparent that back tags accidentally fell off the backs of youth, noted Councilwomen Smiths.

“If we protect even one child from a sexual predator or save one life a terrorist trying to destroy our freedom, this tough new law will have worked,” said Ms. Smiths. “Thanks to this new law, our streets will be safer, our children protected, and our community a happier, healthier place to live.”

Measure to permit increased citizen reporting of crime, allow police agencies to responsibly track the public within citiy limits.