The Responsibility of Choice

Opinion 2 Minutes

It seems we are bombarded daily with choices to make–cash or charge? fries or onion rings? red or white? And while most decisions might have minimal impact on the rest of our lives, some, of course, do. Nothing brings this home more than home itself–what state you live in.

States have different laws which totally makes sense to me. Citizens in southeastern coastal states have vastly different concerns than a northeastern or heartland state. If you’re deciding to visit or relocate to another state, it’s prudent to research that state’s laws–laws which will affect money, recreation, freedom and life.

In Pennsylvania, our state sales tax is 6%. So every time I buy groceries, I have to remember to take extra money for sales tax. However, in New York, a brief 15 minutes away, their state sales tax is 8%! So every shopping trip to New York will cost me more money. Something to consider if one contemplates moving to that state.

10% sales tax in Alambama

Recreational marijuana is another good example of different laws for different states. This is not something that is important to me, but if it’s important to you, the laws governing it should be researched before you visit or move there.

Hubby and I enjoy the freedom riding our Harley provides and we’ve traveled to many, many states on it. We always wear our helmets, even though our home state, PA, does not require it. It is a choice we make. Many choose to go without helmets here and that’s their choice; however, because the law varies from state to state, most riders keep their helmets stashed in their saddlebags or simply strapped to the back of the bike. It is ALWAYS the rider’s responsibility to know the laws regarding helmets in the states they travel through.

Which brings me to laws about life–or more appropriately the taking of a life. It seems to me that a lot of states that disallow the death penalty for heinous crimes committed by criminals, have no problem allowing life-ending procedures for innocents-via abortion. Admittedly, I cannot say for certain if every state that bans the death penalty also allow abortions, but hypocrisy is usually on full display in most liberal states. And if liberals stayed in “their lane” and left “our lanes” alone, I might respect that. Their state, their assinine laws. But when these people try to force those views nationwide, then we have a problem.

The Supreme Court stated that abortion is a state issue. If your state does not allow abortions, you are free to travel to a place that does. What you are not allowed to do, is demand those states change to suit you.

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Published by pat frederick

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164 thoughts on “The Responsibility of Choice”

  1. Entire Article @ BB: “EAGLE PASS, Texas — A funeral home director closed the doors of his facility to migrants who died while or after illegally crossing the border. The director said his facility is beyond its capacity to deal with the influx of deaths in Maverick County.

    A U.S. Customs and Border Protection source told Breitbart Texas that the director of Memorial Funeral Home reported his facility is beyond capacity and can no longer accept remains of migrants found in the Rio Grande or on nearby ranches. On Thursday morning, the funeral home carried out a mass burial of at least ten deceased migrants. The bodies were reportedly unidentified at the time.

    Identity documents may be found at a recovery location but cannot be trusted as a sole source. Border Patrol trains agents who specialize in macro photography to gather fingerprints when available. Databases are searched domestically and abroad. When remains are badly decomposed, the Missing Migrant Team searches missing person reports and assists local coroners in obtaining DNA from relatives.

    The director said the cancellation of the policy of accepting deceased migrants is effective on Thursday. In addition to the bodies being held on Wednesday, a source with knowledge of the situation revealed some other bodies were being held in vehicles and by other local officials. At this time, it is unclear what Border Patrol and Maverick County officials will do with the bodies recovered in the area. One county official told Breitbart their options are very limited.

    “The remaining funeral home in the area lacks adequate facilities to handle the flow of deceased migrants,” the county official said under the condition of anonymity. The county is exploring options to procure a refrigerated truck or find an out-of-town funeral home capable of handling the high volume of decedents.

    “Today’s burial of ten migrants did not do much to change the overall situation,” the county official stated. The official blamed the situation on the recent spike in the number of migrant deaths in the Rio Grande and on ranches where migrants are being smuggled.

    Breitbart Texas reported last week on the record-setting 670 migrant deaths recorded in the first nine months of Fiscal Year 22. Of the more than 670 deaths, 60 percent were drownings and exposure. Another ten percent of the deaths were discovered but the causes were not definitive. Border Patrol officials report the recovery of three more migrants on Wednesday who died while or shortly after crossing the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass. Those migrants also have not yet been identified.

    During the spike in migrant crossings where Del Rio Sector agents apprehended 50,000 migrants in July alone, migrant deaths have also spiked. Border Patrol officials say that during some periods, the death rate hits at least one per day.

    In March, Breitbart reported the drowning deaths of ten migrants during a two-week period. This report did not include the deaths of migrants from exposure to heat on Texas ranches. Six more migrant bodies were recovered over Mother’s Day weekend and over the Memorial Day weekend, Del Rio Sector agents recovered the deaths of ten more migrants. Eight of these deaths occurred as drownings in the Rio Grande.”

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Filly!
      Do you think Brandon’s torrent of unjabbed immigrants has anything to do with the sudden backtrack at the CDC?

      Liked by 2 people

  4. Liked by 1 person

        1. yeah i have one scheduled for every day till the end of the month, but it’s not a big deal…most can be bumped. if they’re tied to a specific month, I’ll let you know…

          Liked by 1 person

              2. on a positive note, I got an email update from wp–the login thing s/b fixed…
                I’ll try it when i come back…
                we’ll be heading out on a banana run in a little bit…

                Liked by 1 person

              5. btw, I have opens planned for almost every day of the next 2 months. most are NOT date specific, so any time you want to schedule something, just say so and i will see if i need that specific day. (I think the 25th of August is the only one this month that should run on that day. all the rest i can happily move) October is mostly october/halloween things but nothing date specific–and there’s open spaces too…Sept has maybe 6 date specific ones…but nothing we can’t work around.

                Liked by 1 person

  10. nice dream…but prolly not even on any gov’t radar…tcth

    Troublemaker10
    Troublemaker10
    August 18, 2022 3:18 pm

    Well there ya go….

    Use the 87,000 IRS agents to go after and recoup the covid fraud money ..

    The government believes that as much as $160 billion in Covid relief fraud exists and the government does not have the personnel or ability to recover most of those funds. A fraction of those 87,000 new IRS agents would transform this effort…https://t.co/OZ8IhJEAPQ

    — Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) August 18, 2022

    Liked by 1 person

  11. I am adding a short daily prayer to the board. I would invite each of you, if you wish, to also add one or maybe two of your own liking. I do not want to stifle anyone but please limit yourself to one or two religious postings. here’s one I found that I liked.

    Like

  16. RIKERS????????????????????
    tcth

    Betsy jones
    August 18, 2022 3:31 pm

    So Trump Org CFO, Allen Weisselberg has done a plea deal and has been sentenced to five months in Rikers.

    Not some cushy open prison like Maxwell.

    Rikers…

    I won’t say it but I suspect everyone is probably thinking what I am.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. dang!
    heard the frenzied yip yaping of coyotes…hubby and i went out on the deck and heard a return howl–sounded like it was just inside the woods next to the deck. he saw 2 run down thru the brush…i didn’t see them but heard them… gotta tell the neighbor–he likes to bring the cub scouts out to camp…
    bbl

    Liked by 1 person

  18. I knew this was coming….this will affect our panhandle bigly!

    EXCERPT: “Amid extreme drought driven by the climate emergency and warnings of a possible “catastrophic collapse” of the dwindling Colorado River, the U.S. Department of the Interior on Tuesday announced the first-ever tier 2 shortage for the overdrawn vital waterway, triggering water use cuts in two Southwestern states and Mexico for 2023.

    Based on projected water levels for 2023, the tier 2 shortage will force drought-ravaged Arizona, Nevada and Mexico to draw less from the Colorado River, upon which 40 million people in seven states and Mexico rely. Arizona will face the biggest cut — 592,000 acre-feet, or about one-fifth of the state’s annual allocation, while an 8% reduction in Nevada is expected to have little impact in a state that recycles most of its indoor-use water and does not use its full allotment. Mexico’s allotment will be cut by approximately 7%.

    The move came after Colorado River Basin states failed to meet a federal deadline at the end of Monday to come up with a plan to achieve a 15% reduction in water use, an amount scientists say is needed to prevent water stored in dangerously depleted reservoirs from dropping even further.

    “Every sector in every state has a responsibility to ensure that water is used with maximum efficiency. In order to avoid a catastrophic collapse of the Colorado River System and a future of uncertainty and conflict, water use in the basin must be reduced,” Assistant U.S. Secretary for Water and Science Tanya Trujillo said in a statement.

    “The Interior Department is employing prompt and responsive actions and investments to ensure the entire Colorado River Basin can function and support all who rely on it,” she added.”

    https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/historic-western-drought-colorado-river-cd/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Entire Article from January 2022: “LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts announced a $500 million plan Monday to divert water out of Colorado under a 99-year-old compact between the states that allows Nebraska to seize access to Colorado land along the South Platte River and build canals.

      Ricketts said Nebraska would invoke its rights under the South Platte River Compact amid concerns that Colorado’s plans for the river could reduce water flows into his state by as much as 90%, taking a potentially huge toll on Nebraska’s agricultural and power industries and likely affecting water supplies in the state’s two largest cities, Omaha and Lincoln.

      “We are very concerned about what is going to happen with these projects,” Ricketts, a Republican, said at a news conference. The reduced streamflows “are going to have a dramatic impact on our ability to feed the world.”

      The compact, approved in 1923, is a water-sharing agreement between the states that entitles Nebraska to 120 cubic feet per second (897.6 gallons) from the river during the irrigation season between April 1 and Oct. 15, and 500 cubic feet per second (3,740 gallons) during the non-irrigation season.

      Under the compact, Nebraska can build, maintain and operate canals within Colorado’s borders that divert water from the South Platte River for use by Nebraska. It also gives Nebraska the power to buy land from Colorado landowners or gain access by invoking eminent domain. Nebraska’s move is likely to trigger lawsuits between the states.

      Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, a Republican, said Colorado has been issuing water usage permits that would cut into Nebraska’s rightful share. “It’s critical that we be able to maintain these flows,” Peterson said.

      Colorado released a report this month that identified 282 new projects within the South Platte River Basin on their side of the border, at a total cost of $9.87 billion. According to the report, the Colorado population living within the river basin is expected to grow 42% to 70% between 2015 and 2050, creating more demand for water. The report also warned that climate change may reduce streamflows and shift snowmelt patterns to earlier in the year, while creating greater agricultural demand for water.

      A spokesman for Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said the governor was reviewing the matter. “The governor just learned of this situation this morning and we are working to understand it more thoroughly at this time including a legal and operational analysis,” said press secretary Conor Cahill. “Gov. Polis continues to oppose the diversion of precious water resources from Colorado.”

      Kevin Rein, Colorado’s state engineer and the director of the state’s water resources division, said officials will work with Nebraska to fully understand the proposal and ensure that Colorado’s interests are protected while respecting Nebraska’s rights under the agreement. “Colorado has a long history of maintaining compliance with the South Platte River Compact and Nebraska and Colorado have always worked cooperatively on the administration of the compact,” Rein said in a statement.

      The South Platte River flows northeast from Colorado’s fast-growing Front Range and into Nebraska, where it merges with the North Platte River to form the Platte River before crossing the rest of the state.

      Ricketts declined to disclose where Nebraska would get the money to pay for the project, saying he’ll release more details in his annual State of the State address to lawmakers on Thursday. He said Nebraska started work on a canal before World War I, but abandoned the project, part of which is still visible from Interstate 76 near Julesburg, Colorado.

      Peterson said the canal would feed into a reservoir that would store water for Nebraska’s use. He said Nebraska officials grew increasingly concerned about Colorado’s ability to deliver water as it deals with its own shortages. Nebraska and Colorado have been at odds several times in recent years, most notably with Colorado’s early legalization of recreational marijuana. The move was criticized by governors and law enforcement officials in Nebraska, a conservative state that has steadfastly refused to allow the drug in any form.

      Last year, Ricketts railed against Polis’ decision to sign a nonbinding proclimation that encouraged people to avoid meat one day a week, calling it “a direct attack on our way of life” and signing a pro-meat declaration of his own.

      Meanwhile, Nebraska also announced plans to spend an estimated $200 million on water projects around the state. The plans include building a marina at Lake McConaughy State Recreational Area in western Nebraska, a visitor’s lodge and other upgrades at Niobrara State Park and a 4,000-acre proposed lake to be located between Omaha and Lincoln.

      Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers said the measure would help boost Nebraska’s economy, tourism and recreational offerings. The combined projects would generate an estimated $5.6 billion in economic activity during construction, according to legislative estimates. “We know our water resources are incredibly critical to this state,” said Hilgers, of Lincoln.”

      https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/nebraska-announces-500m-plan-claim-water-colorado-82186561

      Liked by 1 person

  26. Your illustration of sales tax had me remembering a trip to Tennessee. I bought something at a store and the clerk was apologetic about the sales tax being so high, “but it’s the only tax we have.”

    I looked at the receipt, and it was 9.25%, the same rate we have in California. But in California, we also pay the nation’s highest income tax (>13% — there is no income tax in TN) and the property tax on our four-bedroom house is six times what my aunt pays on her 5 acres with two houses in Tennessee.

    Liked by 1 person

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