"Premption" comes to Texas law enforcement

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11965237 /
shockie B)

shockwaveriderz wrote:
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You can get drunk off 3.2 beer???
Ted Novak TRA#5512 IEAS#75

This was done in our area 15 years ago in my town, for some reason only at certain bars.
A law suit (by the bar owners) to the state level found it un-lawful.
times change however.
they go after the smokers, and people don't care they don't smoke.
next they go after the double big mac and fry eaters, they don't glutton.
next they go after .....
till they go after you..
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Texas, a whole nother country... (:-)
shockwaveriderz wrote:
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This from a state with drive through liquor stores???
I'm all for arresting every drunk that ever gets behind the wheel of a vehicle. Death caused by DUI should be prosecuted as felony murder. But the inside of a bar or restaurant is private property, not a public place.

Bob Kaplow wrote:
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And Ron White agrees with you :)
Ted Novak TRA#5512 IEAS#75

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This could be the solution to all sorts of injustices. All it takes is one person sufficiently pissed off, with vast sums of money to fight.
In our little town, we have an "occupational category tax", where you pay a yearly tax based on your job title - any lawyer, so much, any engineer, so much - regardless of your actual income. It was once common around here, but it's been struck down in every town where it was challenged. Our politocos KNOW it's unfair and illegal, but it'll stay on the books until someone sucessfully challenges it.

On Sat, 25 Mar 2006 08:59:24 -0500, Scott Schuckert wrote:
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How is such a thing, any more, or less, "unfair and illegal" than *any* other tax law? Is it any different than charging some people a higher tax rate, simply because they earn more income? Or, since some occupations require the person to pay "licensing fees" on an annual basis, while many other ocupations do *not* require such a thing...is this not also an "unfair and illegal" tax?

Scott Schuckert wrote:
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How much is a politician charged?? (:-)

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Should be their total salary plus bribes. But since they write the laws, I'm sure they exempt themselves. NO government should be exempt from ANY law that they pass on the citizens, or those laws should not apply to either.

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That's almost a benchmark for bad government. Every time I read some government entitity is "protected" from civil suits, or exempt from regulation, it reminds me we don't really have representative government.
Really - the supposition is that the politicians enact the laws WE want to have. Given the choice, would even one private citizen vote for a proviso like that?

writes:
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Many places have all sorts of laws that they know are illegal. Challenge them, and they drop it, so that it doesn't go to court and get overturned. That way they can continue screwing those who don't know any better.
BTW, according to my tax form, my occupation is "taxpayer"...

Bob Kaplow wrote:
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That' gonna' cost You!

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Looks like Polk county FL has one.
three tiers, and fortune tellers are in tier 3
http://www.polktaxes.com/occupationaltax/otrinitial.asp

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Yeah, we've got that one, too, and at about the same rates. It's called an "Occupational Privilege Fee", which I assume means you're paying a fee to be allowed to learn a living.
That's in addition to the Occupational Category Tax I previously mentioned; and we have a city and state income tax as well. This is in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

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I'm curious, what is the tax for the job titles:
    "politician"     "mayor"     "citty commissioner"     "sherrif"     "bum"
Glen

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It's a secret. (I'm not making this up) The schedule is not available to the general public, on the theory that people would lie and claim to be whatever category was lowest. When I at length got re-classed as a "technician" all I was told was that it would be lower than my current category. I found out by how much wehn the tax bill came in.
Not related to the "unfair/illegal law discussion" but an illustration of local Pennsylvania government: There's a "water emergency number" to call if you have a problem with city water (not for your plumbing, but the water supply) It's UNLISTED. The theory is, if people knew it, they'd bother them with inappropriate calls. What you do is call the police, and they call the water people FOR you.

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In the 70's I was stationed at NAS Chase field near the little town of Beeville, TX. Back then if you were drinking in a bar and the sheriff or Texas DPS (Highway Patrol) came into the establishment and asked you to step outside you had two choices. Say no and get arrested for resisting or go with them and be arrested for public intoxication. The fines were about two dollars different. AH those were the days.

Bill Richardson wrote:
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These days the sheriff would be up for 'conspiracy to commit public intoxication'
David Erbas-White