It will be an interesting first year for Mr. Obama. Between the extreme left and right calling for the heads of those towards the center and the state of the national economy being more confusing than Blunderites talking music and recipes. I'm curious......(insert pregnant pause here)......Has anyone really considered where our national nightmare may lead us?

I'll admit governmental controls and oversight are needed evils, but the otherday I stopped at the local DMV office (I have a commercial drivers license) to inquire about adding a endorsement to make myself more employable. To retest and get a federal background check for a hazardous materials endorsement to my class 1 license it will cost me $135 dollars. I am required to submit documentation attributing my citizenship and it must be from an approved list. I've been retired for a year from the department of defense and my annuity is just over $2,000 dollars a month. Somehow I get the feeling it really isn't worth my time to try to return to taxpaying work.

In all honesty it is less expensive and more productive for me to now work for cash off the books, competing directly with the undocumented workers. As a plus, I speak english and can provide my own tools and safety equipment.

Does anyone think over regulation is detrimental to the american worker or a major security increase for the population at large? The economy is rough admitted, but to rape a person for fees (alternate taxes) for a license to make them selves more marketable as a potential emplyee just doesn't make sense.

That's the price of playing poker in the modern era. Not like it has changed that much over the last few years.

It's all about the Hamiltons baby!

While it may seem like a good idea to join with others and go off the books, it may not help anyone else much. And we need all the help we can get just now.

It may not just be federal laws. DMVs are run by the individual states, no? And I don't think that the regulations are only due to "Homeland Security". A lot of them probably have to do with transporting substances that could be hazardous to the GP if not handled or disposed of correctly. I mean, there's a lot of stupidity out there. I've known otherwise nice and well meaning folks who think it's okay to dump their old motor oil down a storm drain or in a hole in the ground! WTF!

Then there's stuff that, while not necessarily a national security risk, is just so nasty that nobody wants it. Hydrofluoric acid, for instance, is used in (among other things) glass etching. It's so corrosive that it has to be kept in poly, Teflon or wax containers. It will eat through glass and most metals. It's also a contact poison. As even a small amount can penetrate tissue rapidly and can disrupt nerve function, initial damage from exposure may go unnoticed and untreated until it's too late. Should you have direct skin exposure, it can get into your bloodstream and cause cardiac arrest. It can also penetrate skin tissues and cause bone damage, as it etches bone as well. If the damage is bad enough, in some cases, amputation is required. Who would not want transport of that stuff regulated? If somebody was drivin' that crap around I would definitely want them licensed to do so!

Cap'n Zap. I'm fully cognizant of the hazards on the highways and byways of America today and I support recycling of waste oil used batteries and many other materials. I'm a retire public safety employee of the Dept of Defense who was trained to A level suit mitigation of Hazardous incidents.

My complaint is with the excessively high cost upfront of recertification as a hazardous materials hauler. Truthfully I feel the state governments are placing an unneccessary burden on people who want to work honestly and abide within the regulations.

Thus having been trained in other fields which allows me to work for myself without requirement of official certifications and regulations and knowing that many people will hire a undocumented worker for cash inorder to save money up front. I'm seriously considering taking that course of action. My retirement annuities are being taxed as it is and I can't see providing more to the governments (Fed, State and Local) than they are taking off the top now.

I don't mind paying taxes for neccesary evils but I do mind having to shell out first for documentation that may not pan out as a employment ticket.

Hey SFC,

Don't get me wrong. I was in no way questioning your qualifications and training. Just posting possible reasons for the regs. I do agree with you. The different levels of gov't make it difficult, if not impossible, for normal hard working folks to make a decent and honest living. I don't know how small business owners do it with all of the fees, licenses and time they have to put in, not to mention their operating costs.

A friend who owns a restaurant told me that he loves his work but it's like being chained to it. Six day, 12+ hour work weeks. And these hard times are hitting the restaurant biz big time! Most weeks he's breaking even. To top it off, ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) tried hitting him up for a very high annual licensing fee for having TVs and satellite radio and occasional live entertainment in the place! (Yep, that's right. If you own a business and have a radio CD player playing, they can hit you up for a hefty licensing fee.) Thankfully, once they saw how slow business has been, they decided to leave him alone.

No, it ain't fair. One big problem is that most of our legislators don't live in the same world as the rest of us. So much of the time, in order to raise revenues, they'll cut programs that people need and raise taxes and fees on the folks who can't afford them.

Our wonderful Congress voted overwhelmingly to bail out the banks with no restrictions as to where our tax dollars went ....bonuses, jets, stadium name licensing, etc... until the public started bitchin' about it. But with the economic stimulus (creating jobs for the working class), they've been sticking their thumbs up their asses. The Republicans are whining that it will cost too much to future generations. This after their freaking bailouts and blowing trillions of dollars and costing countless lives on Iraq. Like I said, they live in a different world. Besides, they're mostly all lawyers and/or corporate execs. Most of them could give a flying you-know-what about the rest of us.

OK I understand your POV a bit more clearly.
But as for now, I can't see shelling out the big bucks to get the endorsement as I need to husband my funds. $2,000 a month goes fast if I'm not careful

Actually I'll compete with the local undocumented day laborers. Some of the commentary gets interesting when they see a Gringo (me) doing supposedly menial labor. There seems to be a bit of disbelief on their part when they see me rebuilding stone walls or doing forestry work (USDA/FS certified tree cutter).

But in all seriousness. ASCAP has become a RICO type organization where Mom & Pop Operations are concerned. Yes royalties and fair use are issues but at what point does it end for the small starting business?

As a musician, who plays mostly for giggles and shits, I would have an issue with any ASCAP rep who wanted me to shell out cash for playing music such as Wearing O the Green, Minstral Boy or other similar tunes on St. Patrick's Day.

The time to join the underground economy has commenced.

Most of ASCAP's income goes to the heavy hitters and to the suits & lawyers who work for them. They even own the rights to "Happy Birthday" but seldom, if ever, get nasty about it. But a couple of years ago they tried to fine a Connecticut town for playing Christmas carols on the town green.

I've got a few tunes registered with BMI that have gotten some limited local area airplay but have never seen anything from it. I wasn't expecting anything from them so I won't hold my breath waiting.

For a bit more insight and opinion on their doings, go to folksinger/songwriter Harvey Reid's website:
http://www.woodpecker.com/writing/essay ... itics.html

Cap'n Zap, Thankyou for the link to the Article. It would almost seem that ASCAP, BMI et al should be pursued by the FBI under the RICO statutes after all.

Still because of the pick pocket nature of corporate America, State and Local Government its probably more imperitive than ever for many of us formerly hard working drones to drop off the taxable rolls and go to a cash only mode of living. Yes that means less for the Welfare/Nanny State unless the states will target the corporations. But lawyers fight only those who can't afford to fight them in courts.

The national nightmare of a worsening economy will surely cause deep divisions within our country and supposedly well meaning people just won't get the message that many of us can no longer support the system as it currently stands.

Have a good week.

Q

Wonder if Marilyn had to pay when she sang it for JFK?

oh she paid! (gotta love that dress and she was oh so different than Jackie OH!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2nc6OO-DZc

cause I'm a burnt Child
Lawd don't you know
I'm a fraid of fire!

Hey there are no reasons for most all of the regs we live under today. All the red tape would have been thrown in Boston Harbor by them Indians.

(Well some evils are good to recommend.) lol

Here is the funniest clip yet I have seen on the drug war though I doubt it came from where I stand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyWajJxI2Sw

We, in my mind, may as well let Afghanistan sell their poppies to those in pain in Africa.

But then I heard today from Yoko that 10% of the World's GUNS AND BOMBS could end Poverty.