|
|
Jesse Ventura on TechnologyFormer Independent MN Governor; possible Presidential Challenger |
Here are a few things we've learned from WikiLeaks' document releases that we didn't know before: The CIA has a secret army of 3,000 in Afghanistan.In Iraq, there are another 15,000 civilian casualties that haven't been brought into the light, and our troops were instructed not to look into torture tactics that our Iraqi allies were using. US Special Operations forces are in Pakistan without any public knowledge, and our Pakistani "allies" are the main protectors if the Taliban in Afghanistan.
I mean: Let's face it: WikiLeaks exists because the mainstream media haven't done their job. Instead of holding government accountable as the "fourth branch" the founders intended, I guess corporate media's role today is to protect the government from embassassment.
I cry out to stop the electronic ballots, because any computer can be hacked into, as evidence shows. I say, stick with handwritten ballots. If you can't fill in the blank circle with a pencil, then you shouldn't be voting because we've been doing that since the first grade! Maybe the ballots still need to be hand-counted, but at least you'd have a paper trail.
What else could they learn? Well, if they know everything you buy in the store, they might say, "Here's a candidate for diabetes, look how he eats, let's pass this along because you could be at risk."
I know I was surveilled when I was governor of Minnesota. To this day, every time I start appearing on national TV or radio, all of a sudden my phones get weird--you hear clicks on the other end--and my wife can't get online as quickly and things disappear from her computer. Is this happenstance? It always seems to coincide with when I take a high profile. If you're at all a dissenter, apparently you will be observed and put under surveillance.
Except we had an extra advantage called the Internet. My "Geek Squad" transmitted video clips and digital photos of all our rallies onto my Jesse Ventura website as soon as they happened, along with up-to-date information on where we were headed next. This was the first time any politician had really used the Internet; some of the pundits later compared it to JFK's use of television during his presidential race in 1960.
I had people coming up & telling me they hadn't voted in 25 years, but they were turning out for me on Tuesday. I still see the face of this kid who approached me in the little town of Willmar. "Jesse," he said, "you are us."
How dare Fox, CNN and MSNBC call themselves news stations? They're entertainment stations.
A group of scientists came out and said unequivocally that global warming IS being caused by human beings. Did you hear that mentioned on the "news"? No, that day Britney Spears shaved her head. People would rather hear about this than what's happening in Iraq? Or are we simply being dumbed-down to that point? The people of the US should demand more than this!
When I started unplugging all three of my TV sets, I watched my power usage drop by an amp and a half. I was amazed. Before you push the "on" button, all that's required is a few seconds to walk over and plug in the TV. By the time you've gone back to your chair, it will have warmed up enough to have your picture. Think of how much energy this small gesture could be saving! If all the televisions in America were unplugged for eight hours a day, the energy savings would be more than 3,800 gigawatt-hours.
That $1.5 million in fines went into the government's general fund. This is taxation without representation. The FCC consists of APPOINTED officials. If you, as the public, disagree with them, you have no means to remove them. This is the government's ability to levy fines anytime they want, because the FCC holds these stations hostage. If they pull a station's license, they're out of business. So I find this a clear case of dictatorship, in the world of communications and free speech. You're guilty if the FCC deems you so.
Some people will say, yes, but we don't need little Johnny hearing any bad words over the radio. My answer is, trust me, there's nothing little Johnny hasn't heard already on the street. And you can always turn the dial.
Based on what is going on in our world today it is
absolutely imperative that-- No one, No matter where they live,
--Be left without access to these new technologies.
I understand the concern that many governors expressed, that stores are losing important sales tax revenue to Internet sales. But I suspect that a tax on Internet purchases would put a severe damper on an industry that’s still getting its feet wet.
A: If government is involved with the Internet at all, it should facilitate but not control it. It’s OK for government to help wire the State for Internet use. The more people that get connected, the better. It’s not OK for government to try to control the content of what goes over the wires. In schools and libraries where children can access the Internet, use filtering programs to limit access to adult content. At home, parents are responsible for their children’s use of the computer...not the government, and not Internet service providers operating under government-imposed mandates. Except for helping more people get on line, government should have as little to do with the Internet as possible.
As Governor, I will veto any new proposed tax.on the Internet. The Internet is a good thing. Let it grow with some government help and with no government interference.
The nation’s governors have a strong and unified message to Congress: deal fairly with Main Street retailers, consumers, and local governments. In a letter sent to all members of Congress late Friday, 44 governors said:
If you care about a level playing field for Main Street retail businesses and local control of states, local governments, and schools, extend the moratorium on taxing Internet access ONLY with authorization for the states to streamline and simplify the existing sales tax system. To do otherwise perpetuates a fundamental inequity and ignores a growing problem.The current moratorium on Internet access taxes, like those consumers pay to Internet service providers, and multiple and discriminatory taxes is scheduled to expire in October. The moratorium does not apply to sales taxes.
Currently, sales and use taxes are owed on all online transactions, but states are prohibited from requiring “remote sellers” to collect and remit those levies. A 1992 US Supreme Court decision said states can only require sellers that have a physical presence in the same state as the consumer to collect so-called use taxes. In instances when a seller does not have a physical presence, consumers are required to calculate and remit the taxes owed to their home states at the end of the year. The problem is most people are unaware that they’re supposed to pay, and states lack an effective enforcement mechanism. Online and catalog sellers, thereby, have a significant price advantage over Main Street businesses that must collect a sales tax on all transactions.
The loophole creates serious budget problems for schools, states, and local governments. A study estimated that states could lose as much as $14 billion by 2004 if they are unable to collect existing taxes on Web-based sales. Nearly half of state revenues come from sales taxes.