Despite FAA ban, US spy aircraft patrols northern border

[GhostOfCaptSpaulding]

[offsite:1gerq1hu]Despite FAA ban, US spy aircraft patrols northern border

Even though the Federal Aviation Administration has banned the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), the Department of Homeland Security currently has a US spy aircraft patrolling the northern border of New York for the month of June.

“U.S. border officials are testing an unmanned surveillance aircraft to judge whether the drones can be used more widely along the U.S.-Canadian border, including at a crossing where cigarette and drug smuggling are a continuing problem,” the Associated Press reported last week.

The AP added, “The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has used the remote-controlled Predator B on the Mexican border for several years. The agency began flying the first Predator on the northern border out of Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota in February and now is testing the aircraft along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.”

he Raw Story | Despite FAA ban, US spy aircraft patrols northern border (http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/06/23/despite-faa-ban-us-spy-aircraft-patrols-northern-border/)[/offsite:1gerq1hu]

Oh noes!

Bad Canucks smuggling smokes!

Must predate thems!

[Cogburn]

Carton of branded smokes costs $60USD in some parts.

The cost is just about at the tipping point where black markets might start cropping up nationally.

Anyone up for boosting trucks at LaGuardia?

[apeci]

Yet another government created black market. Now that the Obama has granted the FDA a slew of new tobacco regulatory powers expect the price increase to only compound the already ridiculously increased federal tobacco taxes. An increase of over %2000 on loose tobacco, the Obama's first tax on the poor.

[Cogburn]

Meh I'm not one to say that because the poor and undereducated are smokers that this is a tax on the poor and undereducated.

It's a tax on an elective, potentially dangerous, past-time.

Are alcohol taxes punishing the poor?

What about a tax on marijuana were it legalized?

Fuel taxes?

These are electives. Yes, driving a car is an elective like it or not.

Drawing it into a context larger than it deserves makes for a good forum topic but has little to do with reality.

[GhostOfCaptSpaulding]

Yay!

More black markets means more filthy lucre to the marketeers.

Not to mention; law enforcement, the criminal justice system and the manufacturers of all the cool new toys they'll use to get r done...

The poor are always the hardest hit; they've got less bread to fluff up the shit sandwich they've been served by the PTB...

[Snow Crash]

I heard Canada has been sniffing around Africa looking for Yellow Cupcake. I also have reliable intelligence of a non specific threat that means the West could be targeted with WTFs in FORTY FIVE MINUTES!

Clearly, we must form a Coalition of the Oil, and invade to search the Canadian bacon, to protect the War on Drugs/Terror/Bryan Adams from Democracy and Freedom, and to secure their cannabis to fund our holy war against Hinduism. We must also take steps to ensure the Israelis dont ever feel threatened by evil Canukistan again!

[boycotteverything]

I have long maintained that Canadians are evil bastards. Thanks for confirming my hunch.

[GhostOfCaptSpaulding]

Well they are responsible for Cirque du Soleil... (http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/)

[Alessandra]

lawl

[Snow Crash]

We must be careful around Ducky, lest she attacks us with WTFs.

[Alessandra]

I know for a fact she's got a bowl full of WTF's

[Cogburn]

Well they are responsible for Cirque du Soleil... (http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/)
At least Cirque du Soleil follows Rule 34...

http://www.zumanity.com/en/intro/intro.asp

[offsite:1yj43xi4]Rules of the Internet #34 - If you can think of it there is porn of it, no exceptions.[/offsite:1yj43xi4]

[Snow Crash]

I know for a fact she's got a bowl full of WTF's

We must get Faux Nooz to play up that intelligence, and remind the world how close we are to Canuck-instigated doom.

[Alessandra]

lol

[GhostOfCaptSpaulding]

For Ducky | A Canadian Joke

A young man named Paul bought a donkey from an old farmer for $100.00. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day. When the farmer drove up the next day, he said, "Sorry son, but I have some bad news...the donkey is on my truck, but he's dead."

Paul replied, "Well then, just give me my money back."

The farmer said, "I can't do that. I went and spent it already."

Paul said, "OK then, just unload the donkey anyway".

The farmer asked, "What are ya gonna do with him?"

Paul said, "I'm going to raffle him off."

To which the farmer exclaimed, "You can't raffle off a dead donkey!"

But Paul, with a big smile on his face, said "Sure I can. Watch me. I just won't tell anybody that he's dead."

A month later the farmer met up with Paul and asked, "What happened with that dead donkey?"

Paul said, "I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at two dollars a
piece and made a profit of $698.00."

Totally amazed, the farmer asked, "Didn't anyone complain that you had stolen their money because you lied about the donkey being dead?"

And Paul replied, "The only guy who found out about the donkey being dead was the raffle winner, when he came to claim his prize. So I gave him his $2 back plus $200 extra, which is double the going value of a donkey, so he thought I was a great guy."

Paul grew up working in business and finance, owned marine shipping companies, and eventually entered Canadian politics. After a lengthy wait for this boss, Jean, to step down as Prime Minister, Paul (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Martin) was voted in with a Liberal minority government. He had learned the drill well. No matter how many times he lied or how much money he stole from the public, as long as he gave them back some of the stolen money, most of them thought he was a great guy.

.......And you know the rest of the story.

[apeci]

Meh I'm not one to say that because the poor and undereducated are smokers that this is a tax on the poor and undereducated.

It's a tax on an elective, potentially dangerous, past-time.

Are alcohol taxes punishing the poor?

They would be if the taxes where ten times higher on Pabst than on Guinness... The tobacco tax increase is a tax on the poor because the increase in taxes on loose tobacco, what has normally been dirt cheap and a staple for the poor who smoke (who said anything about education? I know people on unemployment with college degrees... don't you?), is dramatically higher than the increase on rolled cigarettes.

It's elective, sure. But these are people that were already enjoying this product, which poor people are statistically higher to consume (I bet it helps relieve the stress of having what little money you earn stolen by the Government), and now thanks to the feds they have to pay in some cases over four times the price. The really sad part is what the Obama's new tax on the poor has done to retailers... tobacco vendors not only have to pay the tax on new product, but they have to pay the new tax on EXISTING stock. I've already read of several tobacco stores closing down. First the criminal smoking bans killed their businesses. Now the Obama has buried them.

Of course hurting people and ruining lives is what the Government does best, so this all isn't much of a surprise. It's just amusing that as a result of their own criminal activities they have created yet another black market which will be ruled by only those elements, violent gangs and mafias (other than the Government) willing to run the risk of prosecution to get people the products they want.

[hp]

Of course hurting people and ruining lives is what the Government does best, so this all isn't much of a surprise.

interesting in that the purpose of government is intended to be to protect our life, liberty and property.

[GeneralStriker]

Sales taxes are regressive. Good to see Apeci make that point. If you need to raise taxes, tax the dead. Raise the inheritance/ estate tax to confiscatory levels starting at one million bucks and that's all the taxing required. You can't take it with you, ya know. Recycle the dead.

[skunk]

Instead of raising taxes, cut the defense budget.

[GeneralStriker]

Unfortunately politics is the art of the possible.

[WarlordZeroOne]

Hi Guys and Dolls, GET used to it, remember about smoking in public places, it will continue the rising cost of a carton of smokes,my old brand now costs for a carton £55:00 thats today,i stopped smking a year last January the cost was fucking up my head,so i stopped.

[apeci]

Sales taxes are regressive. Good to see Apeci make that point. If you need to raise taxes, tax the dead. Raise the inheritance/ estate tax to confiscatory levels starting at one million bucks and that's all the taxing required. You can't take it with you, ya know. Recycle the dead.
So you don't think you have a right to pass your decades of labor on to your children? They have no right of inheritance to your business should you wish them to have it? Or maybe only liquid assets should be seized by the State? So it's OK if someone converts all their cash to real estate or a miniature elephant collection before they die to protect their assets, but if someone wants to leave all their money to charity you think the State is a more deserving recipient?

As if the State weren't already the greatest drain on wealth and prosperity, ever. Better be careful what you wish for, there might be an unmanned drone hovering over your funeral making sure you're properly recycled.

[boycotteverything]

So you don't think you have a right to pass your decades of labor on to your children? me and paris hilton. decades of labor... holy shit- now i get it!