Just some friction in The Machine

Saturday, June 28, 2003


Received my copy of The Law by Frederic Bastiat that I bought on Half.com. I saw the book on Dave Toney's blog. I read part of it online and decided I needed it for my library. I paid 75 cents plus $2 shipping so I could have it in hard copy. Now I'll finish it. Thanks for the link Dave. it's as timely in America today as it was in France in 1850. (And see where France is today. I hope to save my great-grandchildren from the kind of opportunity-killing socialism they have going. )


Friday, June 27, 2003


My buddy, Paul Choate, ( the poor sap who was arrested for carrying too wide a sign post during a protest ) sent me this picture of the signs he and Scott were carrying when they were arrested. One reads "End the World Trade Federation blockade of Naboo", the other reads "Down with (insert your trite anti-corporate slogan here)". For any non-Star Wars fans, sign one states the premise of the Star Wars movies and video game.


Doug is probably tired of hearing about copyright, but I'll throw in another two cents anyway. How can we complain about the IRS stealing from us (because they can) if we steal from someone else (because we can)? You're right, there is absolutely no way to stop piracy (or any other crime for that matter), that's why it is so important for us to preach and follow honorable principles. Remember, it's the honorable man who does what's right even when he knows nobody is watching. If you want to save a buck (who doesn't?) think about the royalties or copyright like it's attached to a physical distribution media. People think I'm nuts when I buy an old album (scratched or not) for a quarter at a garage sale, or the bargain bin at the record store. I will never play that album, I'll download the music onto CD, I just need to live with myself knowing that I've bought a license for it. I probably buy one new CD a month. Sure I could download the music, but my honor is worth more than 15 bucks.


Thursday, June 26, 2003


My boss was lightly teasing me today about this story on page B1 of the local monopoly daily newspaper. It seems the poor sap was arrested on Monday while he protested the protestors at the Ag Expo in Sacramento. My boss was commenting how at first he thought it might be me. As you might imagine, my boss was thoroughly entertained to find out that I was an usher in the poor sap's wedding last month. The other guy in the news story was his best man. I've been friends with Paul for almost 20 years, we had lunch together last week at Sal's Tacos in West Sacramento. I suspect Paul's about to become a little more active in the government watchdog movement.


(Just re-posting so this gets into Blogger.)

Wednesday, June 25, 2003
Posted 10:29 PM by Gerald
Blogger is being upgraded, so I'm doing this post directly in HTML. I'll have to copy it into blogger when it comes back online. I guess I could wait til tomorrow, but Doug is right that blogs should have a post every day if at all possible. At least let people know you're alive.

The other reason I have to post tonight is because I see that Doug and Allen Hacker are having a public debate on copyright infringement and I have to get my two cents in. Doug, you're wrong. Allen is right on the money on this one. It's hypocritical to defend the Bill of Rights and then feel perfectly justified in ignoring and violating copyright. Protecting copyright is one of the powers reserved to the federal government, and it is one of the main reasons this country is the beacon of opportunity for the industrious individuals of the world. Art, music and literature are as much fruits of labor as wages are. Artists, musicians and writers are entitled to the fruits of their labor as much as you and I are entitled to our FULL wages. Downloading all of your music for free is stealing. I hope you will rethink your position. I have to agree that downloading music is easy, convenient and fun. Luckily for me, I've paid for almost everything I've ever downloaded at one time or another. You and I are the same age, so I know you're old enough to have bought a bunch of LP's, cassettes, CD's, and you can admit it, 8-tracks. My favorite music is from the 80's. Most of the stuff I've bought two or three times already, it's just in the wrong format. I'd bet I bought Journey-Infinity 3 times, Fleetwood Mac - Rumors, Boston - Boston and Supertramp - Breakfast in America 4 times each. Foreigner - 4, AC/DC - Back in Black, Loverboy - Get Lucky at least twice, probably more. I feel OK about downloading that music, I've already paid for it, I've just worn out the tapes, or scratched the LP's, or left the CD on the dash on a Sacramento summer day. Now before I get hypocritical myself, I'm going to have to go buy Savage Garden now that Kazaa let me know who they are and that I like their sound.

On the more philosophical level, violation of copyright does to the arts what socialism does to the general economy, it removes the promise of return for effort. Those who are motivated altruistically will continue with their calling, but the fruits of their labor is spread indiscriminately among the populace thus removing the motivation and ability to personally gain from their efforts and talent.


Tuesday, June 24, 2003


Bob Schulz sent an e-mail today suggesting WTP members could submit an affidavit to the court in support of Dick Simkanin. It should be notarized and FAXed to Simkanin's office. I followed Bob's affidavit to come up with the following:

---snip---

AFFIDAVIT ATTESTING TO THE GOOD CHARACTER OF RICHARD M. SIMKANIN AND TO THE FACT THAT HE IS NOT A FLIGHT RISK

Gerald J. Klaas, being duly sworn deposes and says:

1. I make this affidavit to attest to the good character of Richard Simkanin (USA v Simkanin, Case No. 4-03CR-188-A), and to the fact that he is not a flight risk.

2. I reside at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Sacramento, CA.

3. I am over eighteen years of age.

4. I own my own business, Sacto.com, and am an adjunct faculty member at a community college in Sacramento, California.

5. I am very familiar with the facts leading up to the decision by Mr. Simkanin to stop withholding the income tax from the paychecks of his employees and the facts leading up to Mr. Simkanin's indictment.

6. Mr. Simkanin is a man of excellent moral and ethical character.

7. Mr. Simkanin is not a "flight risk". He is not a threat to society. There is no reason to keep Mr. Simkanin in jail pending a trial.

8. Mr. Simkanin has perfectly sound reasoning and logic in interpretting the law and IRS codes in the way he has. Although he has been indicted, I find no reason to believe he is guilty of any crime. Many people have been indicted of crimes only to be found innocent at trial. I believe this will be the case for Mr. Simkanin. Any further incarceration of him, I believe, will later be found to have been unjust treatment of an innocent man.

9. My vehicle is a 1988 BMW. It has a Kelley Blue Book value of about $5,000. I would be willing to pledge my BMW as collateral for a bail bond in that amount for Mr. Simkanin.

s/ Gerald J. Klaas June 24, 2003
notarized: commission #1365825


Monday, June 23, 2003


Gene Chapman has ended his Huntsville Death Fast. Praise God. Gene, I sincerely hope you are rested and rejuvenated soon, we need your dedication in the Tax Honesty movement. A special thank you to Joseph Almond who saw fit to travel to Texas to help distribute the remaining flyers, and end the fast.


In other news, Patrick Branighan has a posting saying that Simkanin is in the federal pen in Dallas. With any luck at all, he will be out on bail tomorrow.


And in Sacramento news, protestors of the Agricultural Exposition going on downtown have been making a mess of traffic in the city. The funniest story I heard today was that a bunch of them showed up across the street from the Governor's Mansion. If the dimwits did their homework, they would know that the place is a museum, there hasn't been a governor there for almost 40 years. You guys can take your hackey sacks, flutes and smoke belching VW vanagons and go back home now.......next time why don't you come back with some scientific evidence to back up your fear, uncertainty and dimwit comments about the oh so evil genetically engineered food that so far has improved yields and stands to save millions of people from starvation.


A link to the Simkanin story that doesn't require registration. (Thanks to Mark Odell.)


Sunday, June 22, 2003


Larken Rose has sent the following letter to the author of the Simkanin story at the NY Times.

---snip---
---------------------------------

Mr. Johnston,

First, I notice that in your story about Dick Simkanin (of Arrow Plastics)
being indicted, it seems they didn't indict for 7201 (tax evasion) or 7203
(failure to file income tax returns) against Mr. Simkanin, even though I
know they were TRYING for those charges as well. The indictments handed
down would seem to relate entirely to Subtitle C "withholding" matters, not
to Mr. Simkanin's own refusal to pay or file. (As your article states,
there were 12 counts were for failure to withhold, and 15 for filing false
claims for refund, presumable under Subtitle C since he couldn't have filed
15 claims for refund for his individual income taxes.) What happened to the
7201 and 7203 charges, and why didn't you mention that in your story?

Second, I notice that you continue to blatantly lie about my position.

> Larken Rose, a promoter whose views Mr. Simkanin
> supports, has said that Attorney General John
> Ashcroft is afraid to indict him because a trial
> would allow him to prove that taxes are voluntary.

I do NOT say that taxes are "voluntary": in fact, I go out of my way to say
they AREN'T. Those who have taxable income are REQUIRED to file and pay.
Are you really so careless that you never NOTICED that, or did you
intentionally choose to lie about my position? (That's par for the course
for a New York Times "reporter.")

My "readership" is puny compared to yours (for now), but I know at least
4,000 people who will now know that you lied about my position. Do you have
anything to say which would just your comment about me saying that taxes are
"voluntary"? (I'll forward it to my list.)

> I.R.S. agents, armed with a search warrant
> indicating an indictment would be sought, raided
> Mr. Rose's home in suburban Philadelphia on May 6.

You'll have to "spin" a little harder than that. ("Indicating an indictment
would be sought"?) But if they DON'T now indict me, will you mention that?
Probably not, because that wouldn't scare anyone into paying a "tax" they
don't owe.

Sincerely,


Larken Rose
larken@taxableincome.net
http://www.theft-by-deception.com


Link to the Simkanin story on the NY Times website. (Registration required)


The local monopoly daily newspaper, has an article reprinted from the New York Times about Richard Simkanin owner of Arrow Custom Plastics in Euless, Texas has been indicted for willful failure to withhold, collect and account for taxes, as well as 15 felony counts of filing false applications for refund. He bases his position on Larken Rose's section 861 argument.


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