Blogging mostly about mundane stuff like, immigration, Workers' Compensation and other immigrant related activities.

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Fat Tax

The man pictured is Irwin Leba. If this man could have his way, every year the cigar-chompin-big-as-they-get-Texan millionaire would have you step into a government sponsored weigh station and submit to a BMI (Body Mass Index). According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) your "BMIprovides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems."

Mr. Leba proposes that Americans would weigh in on a yearly basis between January 1st and April 15th and the results would determine if they are subject to a "Fat Tax".

From Esquire Magazine:

"In 1970, around the same time he had his "first powwow with Jesus Christ,"he poured the lion's share of his hot-dog earnings into the stock ofhis favorite restaurant, McDonald's. At the time, it must have seemed like a chancy way to invest one's life savings. In retrospect, of course, it was pure genius. His $200,000 investment is now worth about $25 million.
"Indirectly, through my stock holdings, I figure I've contributed tothe deaths of many thousands of people—and not just Americans," he wrote. "If you want to get all psychoanalytical, you might say that the fat tax is my way of making amends." (Full Article)

Fast food loving Americans can thank, The Center for Consumer Freedom for stepping in and defending their right to fast food. The organization promotes personal responsibility and consumer choice. That means you have every right to eat that Triple Bacon Whopper or smoke your two-packs a day.

It reminds me of the days when bikers fought for their right to ride without helmets. We can go back further to the days when people fought measures calling for state mandated seat-belt laws.

From The Center for Consumer Freedom article on a Fat Tax:

"The World Health Organization, whose mission involves tackling thescourges of AIDS and Malaria, now spends its valuable time and resources fretting that people like to eat steak and drink soda pop. Late last week, WHO released its "draft global strategy on diet, physical activity and health." (Read Full Article)

As Americans become increasingly rotund will a "Fat Tax" have a fat chance? Could a looming Fat Tax contribute to Americans changing their eating habits and encourage them to seek healthier alternatives to the fast food they love?

Cincinnati Beacon + YouTube = 1 May Day Protest Video

The Cincinnati Beacon posted a video on YouTube that provides footage of the May 1st immigration protest that took place in Cincinnati, Ohio and accross the country. As Andrew Warner posted the video footage is both "telling and touching" and sheds further light on how some on the anti-immigrantion front are simply out of touch. One anti-immigrant protester states he is still waiting for a response from John McCain so he can "go pick lettuce in Arizona".

(via: Andrew Warner)

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Friday, May 05, 2006

Day Laborers -vs- Minutemen - The Battle continues.

Day Laborers

California is the national battleground on the issue of immigration and anti-immigrant groups seem to crop up on a weekly basis to battle it out with pro-immigrant groups. Suddenly there are the Mothers against illegals who collaborate with the Watchdog. In the meantime the Minutemen set out on a caravan to DC and set out battle cry to "Build a Fence"!

Day Laborers recently won a legal battle in the City of Redondo Beach. The city is prohibited from arresting workers who look for jobs on publicside walks. The legal victory stems from a suit filed on behalf of Day Laborers who in a 2004 crackdown by city officials led to the arrest of 60 workers. The workers were arrested under an ordinance aimed at controlling traffic. The judge ruled that the ordinance was unconstitutional because it was too broad and might also apply to "people hailing taxis or even girl scouts selling cookies on the street".

Nevertheless the fact that Congress has failed to resolve the issue of illegal immigration has contributed to local governments and anti-illegal immigration foes to take matter into their own hands. An anti-illegal immigration activist Joseph Turner of San Bernardino secured the minimum 2,216 signatures to place a ballot measure on the upcoming elections and thus set the stage for a law that would prohibit landlords from renting toillegal immigrants and force day laborers to present proof of legal residency.

In the meantime self-proclaimed pro-immigration advocate Nativo Lopez of the Mexican American Political Association (MAPA) finds himself on the hot seat by a Spanish language newspaper HOY for collecting donations during the May 1st protest march held in Los Angeles. Nativo Lopez defended his actions saying "the Catholic church also collects donations" and demonstrated little concern about the suspicions his actions have raised within other Latino community organizations.

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