Free New York Blog

I’m always searching for signs of intelligent life in the blogosphere.

Here’s a thread at Buffalo Rising where I successfully baited the local liberals who accused me of being a denier on the issue of racism.

It’s a hoot.

We’re averaging almost 400 unique visitors a day for the last eight days.

If you are interested in becoming a plaintiff in a lawsuit against illegal state spending, please contact me:

Lee J. Bordeleau

271 East Ave.

Lockport NY 14094

716 433 0574

1 866 7591219

It’s time to stop complaining and do something.

by James Bovard

Americans are taught to expect their elected leaders to be relatively honest. But it wasn’t always like that. In the mid 1800s, people joked about political candidates who claimed to have been born in a log cabin that they built with their own hands. This jibe was spurred by William Henry Harrison’s false claim of a log-cabin birth in the 1840 presidential campaign.

Americans were less naïve about dishonest politicians in the first century after this nation’s founding. But that still did not deter presidents from conjuring up wars. Presidential deceits on foreign policy have filled cemeteries across the land. George W. Bush’s deceits on the road to war with Iraq fit a long pattern of brazen charades.

In 1846, James K. Polk took Americans to war after falsely proclaiming that the Mexican army had crossed the U.S. border and attacked a U.S. army outpost – “shedding the blood of our citizens on our own soil.” Though Polk refused to provide any details of where the attack occurred, the accusation swayed enough members of Congress to declare war against Mexico. Congressman Abraham Lincoln vigorously attacked Polk for his deceits. But Lincoln may have studied Polk’s methods, since they helped him whip up war fever 15 years later.

In 1917, Woodrow Wilson took the nation to war in a speech to Congress that contained one howler after another. He proclaimed that “self-governed nations do not fill their neighbor states with spies” – despite the role of the British secret service and propaganda operations in the prior years to breed war fever in the United States. Wilson hailed Russia as a nation that had always been “democratic at heart” – less than a month after the fall of the tsar and not long before the Bolshevik Revolution. He proclaimed that the government would show its friendship and affection for German-Americans at home – but his administration was soon spearheading loyalty drives that spread terror in many communities across the land.

In 1940, in one of his final speeches of the presidential campaign, Franklin Roosevelt assured voters, “Your president says this country is not going to war.” At the time, he was violating the Neutrality Act by providing massive military assistance to Britain and was searching high and low for a way to take the United States into war against Hitler.

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In its probable goal, nominating Obama (easier to beat than Hillary).

Cancel My Subscription

by Jeremy Parfitt

Dear Reason:

I have been a nearly continuous subscriber to Reason magazine for over twenty years. There was a time when, for a few days early in each month, I would arrive at home hoping that there was a “Reason” to check my mail box. You see, Reason magazine was a very important part of my life. I read every article, in every issue I received. In addition, I bought many gift subscriptions over the years, hoping to influence my family and my friends. I archived copies for future reference, and as a useful tool for debate and persuasion. Sadly, those times are gone. I am no longer excited by Reason, because Reason no longer presents an exciting and principled defense of “free minds and free markets”.

I believe that Reason has become overly obsessed with its conception of itself as “the most influential libertarian publication in America”. This has led the editors at Reason to grant prominent and respectful space to authors promoting overtly statist and anti-libertarian viewpoints. At the same time, many writers at Reason act as if they are the sole arbiters of acceptable libertarian viewpoints. Consider the fact that Matt Welch chose to attack Ron Paul, Lew Rockwell and Murray Rothbard in his first editorial as editor in chief at Reason. This decision, coupled with his willingness to misrepresent the views of Paul, Rockwell and Rothbard suggest that he is more interested in maintaining acceptable liberal credentials than in promoting a principled defense of libertarianism.

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Jeff Tucker:

The Reaganites had as a core doctrine of U.S. policy that Islam constituted a valiant ally in the struggle against communism.

2544 page loads yesterday!

Why did Obama win the night? Racial voting patterns by blacks, 91% voted for Obama. Hard to overcome that math. Selective color blindness I guess.

It’s no surprise to me that democracy exacerbates racial divisions. It’s all explained here.

I’m rooting for Amazon in this fight.

Attorneys for Amazon filed the lawsuit in New York City on April 25 challenging the constitutionality of the law, which was enacted as part of the 2008-2009 state budget. The state estimates the tax will generate $50 million this fiscal year and $73 million in 2009-2010.

Any online company with a physical presence in the state that had at least $10,000 in sales during the past year must comply with the law and begin collecting sales taxes June 1.

New York State, being desperate for money, due to the politicians spending our money like a kid in a candy store, has come up with an extremely tortuous definition of what constitutes a physical presence.  Albany has no shame when it comes to finding ways to take our money.

Amazon, based in Seattle, Wash., sells merchandise exclusively online but the state contends it meets the criteria for sales tax collection because of its "associates" program. Associates receive up to 10 percent in referral fees from Amazon by creating links on their blogs or Web sites that enable people to click-through and purchase products.

Next, the State will be taxing companies that advertise solely on out-of-state Web sites, claiming that the Web sites are being read by residents of NYS.

Amazon will fight NY sales tax law - Business First of Buffalo:

To propose elimination of the state gas tax.

Channel Four was there live on the noon news. WNED and WBFO radio and WNYPolitics were there as well.

Here’s the Buffalo News blurb:

Free New York sees ‘no need’ for state gas tax

The group Free New York is calling for eliminating the state tax on gasoline sales to relieve economic hardship throughout the state.

“For too long, New Yorkers have paid among the highest gas taxes in the nation,” James Ostrowski, president of Free New York, stated before a late-morning press conference. “There is no need for that. In fact, there’s no need for any state gas tax.”

The state gas tax adds about 32 cents to the price of a gallon of gas and generates $2 billion in annual revenue.

Ostrowski said the tax cut can be “paid for” by abolishing what he called corporate welfare — $1.6 billion — and reducing the $1.75 billion increase for public schools by $400 million.

Free New York describes itself as a not-for-profit nonpartisan public policy research corporation based in Buffalo and serving the “long-suffering taxpayers” of the state.

Here’s a funny discussion thread involving business troubles for the KFC on Elmwood at Buffalo Rising Online. Bedenko gets some good shots in as well as some other commenters. Enjoy the fun!

Well, at his press conference this week, President Bush blasted Congress for not allowing oil exploration in the Alaskan Wildlife Reserve. Democrats said it wouldn’t do any good, because it wouldn’t produce oil for ten years. You know, the same thing they said 10 years ago.

— Jay Leno, The Tonight Show

The tax revolt, which the slime balls in the political class wish had never happened, is alive and well.

Tomorrow, at 11am, there is a Free NY press conference to call for the permanent elimination of the state gas tax, about 32 cents a gallon.

Tuesday at 11am at 1264 Main St. at Northamption, Buffalo.

Please stop by for half an hour to show your support.

At 6-8pm tomorrow, Lee Bordeleau is having a dinner meeting to discuss his proposed class action lawsuit to stop illegal state spending on corporate welfare and member items.

The meeting is open to those interested in joining the lawsuit or getting further information.

Tuesday, the 6th at 6-8pm downstairs back room at

JP Bullfeathers
1010 Elmwood Ave
Buffalo, New York 14222
Phone: (716) 886-1010