Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

Just got back from Ruidoso. It has grown since I was last there after graduating law school in 02. The Mexican food in Ruidoso is below mediocre. Green Chiles are in everything to the exlusion of quality ingredients. A good Tex-Mex restaurant would own this place. If I had the resources I would open an On The Border in Ruidoso and make a ton of money.

Local Media and the "SuperBlitz"
We stayed in a cabin that lacked cable access. Therefore, I had to spend time watching local TV news. Local TV news in Dallas is so bad I gave up on it long ago. New Mexico TV media is a similar monument to the intellectual decline of our country.

New Mexico law enforcement decided to celebrate the holidays with a "Super Blitz." The SuperBlitz includes unconstitutional roadblocks to look for DWI and fish for drugs.

The reporting on the Super Blitz reflected some typical media idiocy. The newscasters glowed about the roadblocks. The threat to liberty inherent in pulling over driver's without cause warranted nary a mention on any of the newscasts I watched. What are these journalist doing? We destory the 4th amendment and the local media cheers.

There is little love for freedom these days. Which brings me to Nanny State.

Short Book Review- Nanny State
I find recreationally reading difficult at home. I'm working, blogging, running errands etc. Vacation provides most of my leisure reading time. On this trip I read Nanny State by David Harsanyi.

This book details the triumph of bureaucratic "busybodies" over personal freedom. Miserable freedom hating bureacrats are regulating away your freedom to smoke, drink, eat fast food, and otherwise be left alone by good natured statists. It is a scary book with a clear message- The enemy of freedom is government's best intentions. Read this great book.

Policy Ideas- Public Schools
I am running as a Libertarian for Texas State Representative District 10. This has led me to think about my positions on important issues to Texans. At Denny's today I formulated my ideas for education. The Texas LP has a great platform on the issue, but it's a little short on details.

First of all, I think taxing property is abhorrent, but that is how we fund schools in Texas. I would do away with the taxing the value of property and the government's stealing of homes. That fight is probably not winnable in the short term.

Therefore, I propose a 100% property tax credit for any money spent for private or home schooling. Public schools compete with private schools for funding. Competition creates diversity, efficiency, and excellence in all markets- including education.

Casinos, Texas, and Senior Citizens
I visited the Inn of the Mountain Gods in Ruidoso. They have a beautiful new facility for gaming and eating. The buffet was horrible, the casino was nice.

Every casino I visit reminds of the hypocritical Texas gaming ban. Texas has a state lottery but if you try to play poker we send in a SWAT team.

Free people should be allowed to bet on cards without the fear of a paramillitary raid. My wife an I lost some money on the slots and had a fun time doing it. We should be losing this money in Texas.

Casinos, and slots in particular are a big hit with senior citizens. Every casino I visit has scores of older Americans tethered to a slot machine. One bizarre sight- an older woman in a personal scooter, with an oxygen tank and tube in her nose... smoking a cigarrette.

Naturally my thoughts turned to the federal pyramid schemes of social security and medicare. I wondered how much money the federal government spent on all the motor scooters in that casino, and how much the smoking lady's oxygen tank cost.

It should be none of my business who spends their money at a casino. However, the government creates generational conflict when it steals my income.