More Government Intrusion

The Norfolk tax assessor wants to look around my house for more things to tax.

"Beginning April 20, the Norfolk Real Estate Assessor's office will begin a five year field review program that will include a physical inspection of every residential and commercial property in the City of Norfolk.

"Field reviews will be conducted Monday thru Friday from 9:00 am - 5 pm. The neighborhood inspections will take place from April through July for the next five years. Prior to initiating the inspection of a particular property, the appraiser will make the appropriate introduction at the door. If the owner/occupant is not home, an exterior review will be conducted and a notice will be left informing the owner of the visit...."

Apparently, the city think it isn't get its fair share of the interior investment some of its citizens have made on their property. They already collect a yearly property tax on our vehicles and homes, but they won't be happy until they can further levy our granite countertops and hardwood floors.

We have decided that unless they arrive with a uniformed officer and a search warrant, they aren't coming in here. The whole situation is nicely tidied up by the columnist:

I asked the assessor if it was fair that those accommodating types with tidy houses and fresh paint might see their assessments raised, while their more slovenly neighbors might not.

Not going to happen, Bunn said. Her employees are looking for structural improvements.

Such as?

Mahogany trim or granite countertops.

Oh, I see. In Norfolk, it's not enough that you paid income taxes on the money you used to buy the granite. Or that you paid a sales tax on the stone itself. And the installation.

The city is now itching to slap you with a countertop tax.

They want to run your life

This is heinous. They want to tax beer. Because if you like it, they are all into controlling your behavior. Oh, you don't drink beer? No matter, the leftists have plenty of other "lifestyle choices" they are prepared to tax.

Taxes on wine and hard liquor would also go up.
And there might be a new tax on soda and other sugary drinks blamed for contributing to obesity. A tax of 3 cents per 12-ounce drink would raise about $50 billion over 10 years, according to congressional estimates. Diet drinks, however, wouldn't be taxed.
The idea behind the proposed increases is to tax lifestyle choices that contribute to rising medical costs. Obesity puts people at risk for diabetes and heart problems. Alcohol abuse is a risk factor in several types of cancer, liver disease and psychological problems.

Are they seriously proposing taxing lifestyle choices that contribute to rising medical costs??? Where will that concept end? Once the government has a financial interest in your health and activities, they have you by the short hairs. Coming to you soon will be a government surcharge on scuba diving, sky diving, motorcycle riding, rugby clubs, surfing, and any other activity that might result in injury and subsequent cost to the hallowed federal government. If there was ever a reason to oppose government healthcare, this one is tops.

Star Trek - Don't Boycott unless you're Romulan

The new Star Trek is more fun than owning your own replicator. Well maybe not...

Despite utilizing a tired but true Sci-Fi conceit, the movie is fun, and the actors are great (especially the new McCoy).

There is a nice balance of humor & action to keep old Trekkies happy and win a few new converts.

For the hardocore Trekkers there are even some long overdue depictions of Star Trek lore to keep fans of the original show and movies interested.

Scotty beam me up. Also the new Uhura - a Jersey girl...

From the American Thinker come these confessions of a recovering liberal:

In February of 2008, I saw a new client, a bright and sensitive young woman who came in looking like she just escaped a war zone. In some ways she had; she had innocently shared with others at her job that she voted for Hillary rather than Obama. Immediately she was being targeted for abuse that put her in fear for not only her job, but her life.

We both suddenly became aware that something had grown really dark in the Democratic Party. I started hearing about many other incidents where loyal Democrats were being physically and emotionally threatened for supporting Hillary. A woman in Berkeley had her front window broken because it displayed a poster of Hillary. Randi Rhodes, an Air America talk show leftist, called Hillary a f______ witch. (Rhodes was recently promoted to a national talk radio show, illustrating another disturbing trend: the deafening silence about what Rush Limbaugh has dubbed the new "thug-ocracy.)

An acquaintance had her car broken into, and the only item stolen was a NoObama bumper sticker. A South Park episode featured an episode where a nuclear weapon was being aimed at Hillary's genitals. My local greeting card store sold very flattering cards about Obama, insulting ones about Hillary, and a Hillary "nutcracker." When I complained, the young male manager literally laughed in my face.

Things went from bad to worse when Sarah Palin entered the scene. When Geraldine Ferraro ran for Vice President, there was no debasement of her character, no sexual threats. But with Palin, a full scale "wilding" ensued that chillingly reminded me of the random sexual attacks on women by gangs of men in New York. She was called every vile name in the book by both male and female liberals.

Actress Sarah Bernhardt hoped a gang of black males would rape her. When Palin's church was torched with children inside, the press was missing in action (somehow I imagine the press would have been all over this if Obama's church were torched). Not only was the misogyny disgusting, but the classism was abhorrent. The Democrats, by ridiculing Palin's voice and her education, were acting like arrogant snobs. The party had changed, I had changed, and the differences looked irreconcilable.

Gels nicely with the lovely note left on Laurel's blog recently. There is a mean, nasty, intolerant streak on the left, and don't you dare cross them.

Geek Alert

Brian Drake thinks we should all boycott the new Star Trek movie.

You won’t be at the opening if Brian Drake has his way. At petitiononline.com Mr. Drake and about five dozen supporters have been warning Paramount, which is releasing the film on Friday, that they plan to stay away unless the studio donates a portion of its opening weekend receipts for the exploration of outer space. (“Save the planet by leaving it!” suggests an associated Web site, spaceordie.org.)

“I’m 40, and I grew up watching ‘Star Trek,’ ” said Mr. Drake, who was laid off from his job as a machinist and now works at a Wal-Mart near his home in Gallatin, Tenn. “I’d kind of like to be with Captain Kirk by now.”

In related news, I'd kind of like to be with Yeoman Rand by now, but I live in the real world.