Free Republic

We definitely live in dark times. Increasingly, Catholic dogma is coming under attack even within the Church. Just recently, Bill Tammeus, a Presbyterian elder and former columnist for The Kansas City Star, writng for the National Catholic Reporter online, complained that, "Ultimately, truth in Christianity is not a doctrine, not a dogma, not a creed, not a papal bull, not what's said in a sermon, not even the words in the Bible. Rather, truth in Christianity is a person, Christ Jesus." Yes, it is true that faith is primarily in God and not in a set of truths. But because...

There are many amendments that have been proposed whose sponsors claim will abolish corporate personhood and/or declare that money is not free speech. Here is a discussion of the problems with the four types that have been introduced in Congress and of two that are being promoted by various groups and individuals to address these problems. EDWARDS-STYLE AMENDMENTS TO GIVE CONGRESS THE POWER TO REGULATE CORPORATE “FREE SPEECH” The Donna Edwards amendment is the prototype of a group of amendments that would if passed give Congress the power to regulate corporate money in campaigns. Others falling into this group include...

Rejecting the recommendations of a recent state report, federal officials said Wednesday they cannot postpone the deadline to start construction of California's $43-billion bullet train project or allow the state to move the first leg of the proposed system out of the Central Valley. U.S. Department of Transportation officials said the 2012 deadline is required by federal legislation that provided about $3.1 billion in funding for the project's initial leg, which, they added, was placed in the state's agricultural heartland after considerable study. "This shows that we are on the same page as the feds," said Jeffrey Barker, a spokesman...

As a rule I oppose most constitutional amendments, believing that most of our problems stem not from the way the Constitution was written and stands, but from ignoring it. That said, the Founders themselves allowed for amendment, so one can't dismiss the value of the flexibility. What would it take to start the ball rolling for a constitutional amendment that states, in essence: "The House of Representatives shall initiate no bill that does not spectify from its outset the exact Article and Section of the United States Constitution which enumerates and authorizes the proposed legislation as a legitimate constitutional function...

Proposed Constitutional Amendment

Two of four submissions have now been unveiled by the companies wishing to produce the next generation of IndyCar open-wheel racers, and the most recent one is one of the most fascinating looking racecars we've ever seen. The DeltaWing submission is a radical departure from traditional open-wheeler design - in fact, the only thing you could really compare it to is the bizarre lovechild of a drag racer and a Batmobile. With its comically narrow rocketship front end, broad rear end and narrow tyres, the DeltaWing aims to outperform the current crop of IndyCars for significantly less money, while delivering...

WASHINGTON (AP) - The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday urged the government to impose stricter controls on emergency helicopter operators, including requiring the use of autopilots, night-vision systems and flight data recorders in an industry that suffered a record number of fatalities last year. The NTSB recommendations for training and safety equipment to the Federal Aviation Administration are in addition to others made in 2006, such as requiring installation of terrain awareness monitoring to help pilots navigate when weather conditions are poor. The safety board, which cannot require such changes, also wants the Health and Human Services Department to...

ATLANTA – Georgia would require that new drivers take a written license test in English under a bill being considered by state lawmakers, and the proposal has some employers and immigrant advocates worried it would keep people unfamiliar with the language from being able to work. The measure is the latest in a series of English-only legislation around the country, but Georgia is believed to be the only state that would have a law requiring that drivers take the written test in English without a translator or other aid. Versions of the bill have passed both chambers of the Legislature,...

SACRAMENTO - Senate leaders on Tuesday bottled up a package of flood-protection bills for the year, claiming Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was seeking last-minute amendments they said would weaken the measures. Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata said the Legislature will wait until next year to address flood policy, saying the governor had sought to derail bills aimed at increasing flood protection from Redding to Bakersfield. "If we're going to do this, we're going to do this correctly," the Oakland Democrat said. The Senate's decision angered Assembly Democrats, who said plenty of time remained in this year's session to negotiate a...

A group that wants Phoenix to enforce federal immigration policies has submitted its last batch of petitions in hopes of getting the proposed measure before voters as early as November. Randy Pullen, chairman of Protect Our City, said he dropped off petitions with 1,246 signatures at the Phoenix City Clerk's Office on Friday. The group initially submitted 21,797 signatures, but only 14,160 of those were valid. The requirement is 14,844 to qualify for the ballot. Protect Our City got a second shot at making up the difference because laws allow proponents an extra 10 days to do so. If the...

SACRAMENTO – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed a powerful, centralized authority under his direct control that would be charged with implementing one of the nation's most far-reaching initiatives to curb global warming. In a key overture to wary industries, Schwarzenegger's hand-picked Climate Action Board also would have the authority to delay a proposed deadline for reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions if state regulations prove too onerous for businesses. Schwarzenegger has submitted his plan to various interests negotiating legislation that would map California's route toward a gradual rollback of greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2020, a potential 25 percent reduction. “It's...

Truck, ship and cargo-handling equipment pollutants would be reduced 50 percent in five years under a clear air proposal for the Long Beach and Los Angeles harbors. Cleaner vehicles and shore-side electrical outlets so vessels can shut down diesel engines while dockside are key elements of the plan unveiled Wednesday. "This is an action plan, this is not a study. The days of yakkin' are coming to a screeching halt," harbor commission president S. David Freeman said. Proposals also include retrofitting and replacing cargo-handling equipment and locomotives. The plan, which now enters a 30-day public review period before approval by...

PREAMBLE As Libertarians, we seek a world of liberty; a world in which all individuals are free to determine their own peaceable ways of living, and in which no government, organization or individual has the right to intrude upon the rights and freedoms of any law-abiding individual. We believe that respect for individual rights is the essential precondition for a free and prosperous world, and that only through freedom can peace and prosperity be realized. The world we seek to build is one where individuals are free to follow their own dreams in their own ways, without interference from government...

A new study shows that a release of liquefied natural gas from one of four proposed terminals off the Southern California coast could spread a fireball over several miles, but pose no threat on land because the facility would be more than a dozen miles offshore. A sudden release of up to 200,000 cubic meters of fuel from two of three tanks of liquefied natural gas at a terminal moored between Malibu and Port Hueneme would result in an airborne vapor eruption spanning up to 6.3 miles - four times farther than originally thought, according to a revised draft environmental...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Hamas presented a proposed government Sunday, giving itself key ministries after failing to persuade more moderate parties to join in a coalition that could have softened its hard-line image and prevented likely economic sanctions. Incoming Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh presented Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas with a 24-member Cabinet made up of Hamas activists and professionals, including one woman and one Christian. Fellow Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar would be the new foreign minister. Earlier Sunday, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators reached a tentative agreement on opening at least one crossing into Gaza to get aid into the...

As debate over a contested immigration bill grinds slowly through a Senate committee, observers said it grows more likely that the only provisions remaining when the final vote arrives will be ones already enacted by previous legislation. The Senate Judiciary Committee has spent weeks considering a border-security bill approved in December by the House. That legislation included stringent enforcement provisions such as stiffer fines for migrant smugglers and making it a crime to assist an illegal immigrant in any way. The Senate is widely expected to adopt a softer version of the House's hard-edged bill. The committee has largely accepted...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers would have to give up one of the perks of office -- free trips -- for the rest of the year under a proposed ethics overhaul prompted by a lobbying scandal that has roiled the Republican-led Congress. Drafted largely in response to the wide-ranging investigation involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the proposed ban drew quick fire on Wednesday both on and off Capitol Hill. A public watchdog group accused Republican leaders of merely seeking to get past the November election without any more reports of congressional junkets arranged by lobbyists seeking to influence legislation and paid...

WASHINGTON - A consortium of utilities narrowed the potential locations for what could be the first nuclear power plant built in the United States in more than three decades. The group chose sites of existing nuclear power plants in Mississippi and Alabama. The consortium emphasized that no decision had yet been made on whether to seek a license for a new plant from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The group is developing an application for advanced approval of the two sites, which would allow for quicker completion of the project if a go ahead is given. The group decided the new...

More babies, young kids going hungry in US Sat Jun 11, 11:00 PM ET An American butcher. Increasing numbers of young American children are showing signs of serious malnourishment, fueled by a greater prevalence of hunger in the United States, while, paradoxically, two-thirds of the US population is either overweight or obese(AFP/File/Stan Honda) BALTIMORE, United States (AFP) - Increasing numbers of young American children are showing signs of serious malnourishment, fueled by a greater prevalence of hunger in the United States, while, paradoxically, two-thirds of the US population is either overweight or obese. In 2003, 11.2 percent of families in...

SACRAMENTO - California has put a lot of expenses on plastic lately and may add billions more next year. In March 2004, voters approved $27 billion worth of borrowing, including a $15 billion bond to refinance state debt. Last fall, they passed a $3 billion bond to pay for research into stem-cell technology, along with $750 million for seismic improvements at children's hospitals. Since then, legislation to place almost $30 billion in new borrowing on next year's fall ballot has passed initial committee tests. The bonds -- which could pay for projects ranging from a new courthouse in downtown San...