Free Republic

I have always had problems with the government requiring a licenses in order to business. A government license requirement can have some common sense reasons, such building a nuclear power plant. My problem comes with a government license requirement giving the government enormous power to regulate your liberty and your pursuit of happiness. While I could surely find many cases of government abuse in this area, a reader from the Institute for Justice sent over one that will get under your skin! In Washington, D.C. tour guides are everywhere. By bus, car, foot and even Segways you can follow tour...

The 9th Circuit of Appeals has reaffirmed the right of software companies to circumvent the first-sale doctrine by “licensing” rather then “selling” its products. The significance of this ruling cannot be overstated—it could singlehandedly destroy the used software market. In 2005, one Timothy Vernor bought a sealed copy of AutoCAD Release 14 at a garage sale. In 2007, Vernor purchased four used copies of Release 14 from an authorized dealer, Cardwell/Thomas & Associates (CTA). He subsequently placed all but two copies on eBay, and in each instance, Autodesk appealed to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), alleging copyright infringement. In...

It looks like cash hungry local governments are getting awfully rapacious these days: Between her blog and infrequent contributions to ehow.com, over the last few years she says she’s made about $50. To [Marilyn] Bess, her website is a hobby. To the city of Philadelphia, it’s a potential moneymaker, and the city wants its cut. In May, the city sent Bess a letter demanding that she pay $300, the price of a business privilege license. (Snip) It would be one thing if Bess’ website were, well, an actual business,

*False Freedom is rebellion against the very laws of our being… Remember that true freedom, is liberation to be what we were made by our Creator to be in the first place. False freedom is actually rebellion against the Creator, therefore it often manifests itself as rejection of the God ordained uses. Picture an astronaut making a spacewalk, and really having an existential experience in the process. There is no North ,South .East, or West not even Up or Down! No weight, no boundaries, nothing but pure freedom! Ah, but wait a second, not quite absolute freedom…for the astronaut is...

Marlin fishing is a big-money business, from the multi-million dollar boats to the million-dollar-plus purse in tournaments like Morehead City’s Big Rock. Still, the deep-pocketed fishermen and hired hands aboard need the same $15 North Carolina recreational fishing license everyone else does. That lesson could cost one boat hundreds of thousands of dollars. A record-setting blue marlin that would have won almost $1 million in last week’s Big Rock was on the verge of disqualification today as tournament officials investigated whether one of the boat’s hired crewmen failed to purchase a license. Andy Thomasson, hauled in the record-setting 883-pound blue...

This is the first installment in what I hope becomes a weekly update about the sheer amount of ridiculous crap that comes out of California. Keep in mind, I grew up there (southern California, mind you) – I love the Golden State– it is beautiful, dynamic, and completely politically retarded. That being said… let’s get rolling. Electronic license plates that would flash advertisements? Yes, you read that right. According to the San Jose Mercury News (emphasis mine):

China’s Shenyang Aircraft Corporation created a copy of a Russian deck-based Su-33 fighter jet. The Chinese model of the aircraft was called J-15, Interfax reports with reference to the May issue of the Kanwa Asian Defence military publication. The Chinese fighter jet is based on the Soviet T10K training aircraft, which China received from Ukraine. Chinese engineers found it very difficult to solve the problem of folding wings of deck-based fighter jets. Now the problem has been solved. It is not clear yet, if the new plane has performed its first flight yet: the Chinese Air Force does not have...

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - A local lawmaker recently received what he calls his "highest honor." State Sen. Ron Alting (R-22nd district) received a bracelet today from the Frantz family in Lafayette. It was specially made in honor of their son, Matthew Frantz, who was killed in Iraq in January 2006. Matthew's mother, Marilyn Frantz, said the bracelet was the least they could do for Alting's efforts to establish Gold Star license plates in Indiana. The license plates are now available for the parents, spouses, siblings and children of anyone who died while serving in the military on active duty. Frantz...

A Michigan lawmaker wants to license reporters to ensure they’re credible and vet them for “good moral character.” Senator Bruce Patterson is introducing legislation that will regulate reporters much like the state does with hairdressers, auto mechanics and plumbers. Patterson, who also practices constitutional law, says that the general public is being overwhelmed by an increasing number of media outlets--traditional, online and citizen generated--and an even greater amount misinformation. “Legitimate media sources are critically important to our government,” he said. He told FoxNews.com that some reporters covering state politics don’t know what they’re talking about and they’re working for publications...

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. -- WFTV found out that a Lake County doctor, who posted signs telling people if they supported the president's health care plan they should to get treatment somewhere else, regularly leaves the country to perform a procedure not approved in the U.S. He claims the procedure cures prostate cancer. Now, a congressman is calling for his license to be revoked. The sign that started the controversy is still on the front door of his Mount Dora doctor’s office telling patients who voted for Obama to seek care elsewhere. Now, urologist Jack Cassell is under fire for taking...

Elderly drivers’ risk not clear-cut The debate about when to take the keys away from the elderly flared up again when 86-year-old driver struck three teenage Chicago cyclists on March 24 By Erika Slife and Bonnie Miller Rubin, Tribune reporters April 3, 2010 Alice Topping was in her convertible, soaking in one of fall's last nice days, when she came to a four-way stop in her Evanston neighborhood just as another car approached. Assuming the other driver would stop at the sign, she began to drive through the intersection when she felt a hard crash. "Look what you've done to...

A man with at least 19 driver's license suspensions has been arrested in connection with an October hit-and-run crash in Pompano Beach that killed one man and injured another, the Broward Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. Paul H. Paraison, 28, of Pompano Beach, was arrested Monday after a traffic stop along the 1200 block of North Federal Highway.

Many leaving state, advocates say The signs are popping up at Latino markets throughout Columbus. "Necesitas ride?" one asks in a mix of English and Spanish. "I'll take you wherever you want." For a fee, the impromptu taxi services offer transportation to undocumented immigrants who were forced to park their cars because they could not prove legal U.S. residency. Some are transferring "ownership" of their cars to family members or friends who are legal U.S. residents so that they can remain on the road in legally registered vehicles. Those without friends or family members here are turning to strangers, paying...

Dear xxxxx, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia is pleased to announce that our 'Trust Women, Respect Choice' license plate is now available for pre-order. The funds generated from the sale of these plates will go directly to Planned Parenthood affiliates across the state to provide critical prevention services. Absolutely no revenue will go towards abortion-related care. Instead, the money will be used to provide annual gynecological exams, sexually transmitted infection testing, and follow-up care for underinsured and uninsured patients. Click here to learn more about Planned Parenthood's services. When the Virginia General Assembly convenes on January 13, 2010, Planned Parenthood...

Cap and Trade: A License Required for your HomeFrank M. Carrio, CMI ESOP Committee Member 11/3/09, 12:29 AM We encourage you to read the provisions of the Cap and Trade Bill that has passed the House of Representatives and being considered by the Senate. We are ready to join the next march on Washington! This Congress and whoever on their staffs that write this junk are truly out to destroy the middle class of the USA.... A License Required for your house Thinking about selling your house - A look at H.R. 2454 (Cap and trade bill) This is unbelievable!...

Obama Administration advisor David Axelrod said his analysis of Fox News broadcasts confirms that “it is not really a news station and should not be treated as such. The President has requested that the Federal Communications Commission “review Fox’s broadcasts and determine whether its license should be revoked.” Two key charges against Fox are pending. One is that “its on-air personnel are insufficiently diversified.” “We feel fairly certain that the racial and ethnic composition of the on-air staff does not reflect a proportionate balance with the composition of the nation’s population,” Axelrod said. “This is a violation of the Equal...

Jefferson's law license suspendedUpdated: Oct 17, 2009 10:19 AM EDT NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A former Louisiana congressman convicted of taking bribes and racketeering has had his law license suspended. An order issued Wednesday by the Louisiana Supreme Court says William Jefferson is suspended from practicing law pending another order by the court. In August, a federal jury in Virginia convicted the New Orleans Democrat on 11 of 16 counts. Prosecutors said Jefferson received more than $500,000 in bribes and solicited millions more in exchange for using his influence to broker business deals in Africa. His sentencing is set for...

Those who rely on copyright like to do a neat little trick at times. When it's convenient, they like to claim that what they're offering is no different than a physical good. In such situations, if you make a copy, they claim that you "stole" it, and that it's "no different" that walking into a store and taking something off the shelf without paying for it. Yet, at other times, if you point out the sorts of restrictions that would lead to -- such as no control over the product post-sale -- suddenly they change their tune. You didn't buy...

State bureaucrats threaten to fine, jail a Michigan woman for watching her neighbors' kids. Lisa Snyder of Middleville says her neighborhood school bus stop is right in front of her home. It arrives after her neighbors need to be at work, so she watches three of their children for 15-40 minutes until the bus comes. The Department of Human Services received a complaint that Snyder was operating an illegal child care home. DHS contacted Snyder and told her to get licensed, stop watching her neighbors' kids, or face the consequences. "It's ridiculous." says Snyder. "We are friends helping friends!" She...

Today, we are constantly being told, the United States faces a health care crisis. Medical costs are too high, and health insurance is out of reach of the poor. The cause of this crisis is never made very clear, but the cure is obvious to nearly everybody: government must step in to solve the problem. Eighty years ago, Americans were also told that their nation was facing a health care crisis. Then, however, the complaint was that medical costs were too low, and that health insurance was too accessible. But in that era, too, government stepped forward to solve the...