Thursday, February 10, 2011

The Banking Crisis...sorry we're taking your money and what ever else we find


 The following from: DV DinarVets

U.S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HAS TOLD BANKS - IN WRITING - IT MAY INSPECT SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES WITHOUT WARRANT AND SIEZE ANY GOLD, SILVER, GUNS OR OTHER VALUABLES IT FINDS INSIDE THOSE BOXES!

According to in-house memos now circulating, the DHS has issued orders to banks across America which announce to them that "under the Patriot Act" the DHS has the absolute right to seize, without any warrant whatsoever, any and all customer bank accounts, to make "periodic and unannounced" visits to any bank to open and inspect the contents of "selected safe deposit boxes."

Further, the DHS "shall, at the discretion of the agent supervising the search, remove, photograph or seize as evidence" any of the following items "bar gold, gold coins, firearms of any kind unless manufactured prior to 1878, documents such as passports or foreign bank account records, pornography or any material that, in the opinion of the agent, shall be deemed of to be of a contraband nature."


(☼Note from Norm: Gestapo Tactics) DHS memos also state that banks are informed that any bank employee, on any level, that releases "improper" "classified DHS Security information" to any member of the public, to include the customers whose boxes have been clandestinely opened and inspected and "any other party, to include members of the media" and further "that the posting of any such information on the internet will be grounds for the immediate termination of the said employee or employees and their prosecution under the Patriot Act."
Safety deposit box holders and depositors are not given advanced notice when failed banks shut their doors. If people have their emergency money in a safe deposit box or an account in a bank that closes, they will not be allowed into the bank to get it out. They can knock on the door and beg to get in but the sheriff’s department or whoever is handling the closure will simply say “no” because they are just following orders.

Deposit box and account holders are not warned of the hazards of banking when they sign up. It is not until they need to get their cash or valuables out in a hurry that they find themselves in trouble.

Rules governing access to safe deposit boxes and money held in accounts are written into the charter of each bank. The charter is the statement of policy under which the bank is allowed by the government to do business. These rules are subject to change at any time by faceless bureaucrats who are answerable to no one. They can be changed without notice, without the agreement of the people, and against their will. People can complain but no one will care because this is small potatoes compared to the complaints that will be voiced when the executive order that governs national emergencies is enforced.

That order allows the suspension of habeas corpus and all rights guaranteed under the Bill of Rights.

A look at the fine print of the contract signed when a safety deposit box is opened reveals that in essence the signer has given to the bank whatever property he has put into that deposit box. When times are good people will be allowed open access to their safe deposit box and the property that is in it. This also applies to their bank accounts.

But when times get really bad, many may find that the funds they have placed on deposit and the property they thought was secured in the safe deposit box now belong to the bank, not to them. Although this was probably not explained to them when they signed their signature card, this is what they were agreeing to.

During the Great Depression in the early 1930’s people thought that many banks were going to fail. They were afraid they would lose their money so they went in mass to take it out, in what is known as a run on the banks. The government closed the banks to protect them from angry depositors who wanted their money back. Throughout history, governments have acted to protect the interests of banks and the wealthy people who own them, not the interests of depositors or box holders.

In a time of emergency, people will have no recourse if access to their safe deposit box and bank accounts is denied. If they are keeping money in a bank that would be needed in an emergency or in a time when credit is no longer free flowing, they may not be able to get it out of the bank. The emergency may occur at night or on a weekend or holiday when the bank is closed.

The solution is to take emergency cash or valuables out of the safe deposit box or bank account and secure them somewhere else, like in a home safe. An even better idea may be to close the safe deposit box account completely, letting someone else entertain the illusion of safety.
Americans have learned a few things since the Great Depression. They now have the FDIC to liquidate any failed banks.

The FDIC promises to set up a series of dates and times when safe deposit box renters can access their boxes by appointment to remove their property and surrender their keys. The FDIC also promises to mail bank customers an announcement of the dates for such events and include a question and answer page that addresses safe deposit box access.

The people have the FDIC to give them back the money they had on deposit that they were unable to get out of any failed bank that carries FDIC insurance. Sheila Bair, head of the FDIC, promises that depositor`s money will be available in 24 hours or less. But people should remember that the FDIC is just another bureaucracy, and it`s probably best not to rely on a bureaucracy in an emergency.


THE SAME HOLDS TRUE FOR STORAGE FACILITIES

DON'T PUT ANYTHING VALUABLE AND/OR NON-REPLACEABLE IN ANY BANK OR STORAGE FACILITY 

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Serving on the House Ways and Means Committee...means you don't always get your way...sometimes you get caught!


He is alleged to have replied: "Hope I'm not a toad. i'm a very fit fun classy guy.  Live in Cap Hill area. 6ft 190lbs blond/blue. 39. Lobbyist. I promise not to disappoint." ~ The Guardian
More on U.S. Congressman Christopher Lee here
The following from: KATU.com  Portland, Oregon

NY Lawmaker Abruptly Resigns Amid Craiglist Scandal
by Bob Sistek

WASHINGTON (AP) - A New York congressman abruptly resigned his seat Wednesday, saying he was quitting because he regretted actions that have hurt his family and others.
The gossip website Gawker reported Wednesday that Rep. Christopher Lee, a married two-term Republican lawmaker, had sent a shirtless photo of himself to a woman he met on Craigslist.
Lee said in an e-mailed statement that his resignation was effective immediately. The statement offered no confirmation or details of a Craigslist posting.
"I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituents," Lee said. "I deeply and sincerely apologize to them all. I have made profound mistakes and I promise to work as hard as I can to seek their forgiveness."
Added Lee: "The challenges we face in Western New York and across the country are too serious for me to allow this distraction to continue, so I am announcing that I have resigned my seat in Congress effective immediately."
An anonymous woman described as a 34-year-old Maryland resident and government employee provided Gawker with e-mails she said were an exchange between her and Lee in response to an ad she placed in the "Women Seeking Men" section of Craigslist.
Gawker reported that Lee identified himself as a divorced lobbyist and sent a photo of himself posing shirtless. The woman eventually broke off the contact with Lee after becoming suspicious that he had misrepresented himself, according to Gawker.
Lee served on the House Ways and Means Committee and was active on economic revitalization issues.
He has a business background stemming from his family's manufacturing business.

Who was that masked man? ...and he gives traffic tickets too!

Sometimes I catch up on some of the local news just by chatting with friends.  Earlier this evening I attended a meeting in Dothan, Alabama and afterwards just chatted with some friends when one asked me if I heard of the masked police officer as he continued to describe the incident.  Wow, that's a new one on me...never heard of such a thing.  Ricky Stokes is a local one-man reporter for the on-line Houston County  newspaper and here's one of the strangest law enforcement story ever reported by Mr. Stokes... Don't know what I would do if ever stopped by the masked officer but if he does ever stop me I can assure you he would be the one having to answer to the judge...why the guy hasn't been fired as of yet is beyond me! (See video and pictures below.)

Law Officer Wears Ski Mask On Traffic Stops In Houston County Al
Posted by: RStokes
thehoustonnewspaper@yahoo.com
Date: Jan 31 2011 12:00 PM

HOUSTON COUNTY:    What would you do if two black males, in civilian clothes, turns blue lights on to pull you over, on an unmarked vehicle, and one of the two is wearing a ski mask?
That is happening in Houston County.
Houston County Sheriff Vice Deputy Phillip Small and a black male are pulling people over. The black male with Deputy Small is wearing a ski mask, a bullet proof vest with “ State Police” written on the back and has a big gun on him.
After numerous complaints from people not associated with each other we started looking into the allegations. What we found was alarming.
On Thursday evening we took a statement from a black male that was arrested by Deputy Phillip Small and the NINJA Masked Officer. The person was arrested for attempting to elude Small and the masked officer. The person made claims the masked officer was rough on him, putting his foot in his back and talking mean to him.
These claims are echoed by others that have come into contact with Deputy Small and the ski masked NINJA. 
You can see the interview in this article.
My Interaction With This Masked NINJA Law Enforcement Officer
On Friday I saw deputies on a traffic stop at Piggly Wiggly on Montgomery Highway. They had people in handcuffs. I pulled in to take some photographs. I was in my truck parked a distance away.
When the NINJA officer saw me he came running over to my truck with his hand on his firearm. The NINJA Officer ordered me to give him my camera or delete the pictures or I would be arrested. I said “ yes sir” and drove off.


 I did not delete the pictures and had done nothing for him to arrest me for. I left because I could not stop him from arresting me could only fight his actions in court. I had the picture and did not want him to have an opportunity to destroy the picture.
NOTE: Spoke with District Attorney Doug Valeska about this incident. Valeska said he did not know what he would arrest me for. I am media and did not interfere or obstruct them in their duties.


Who Is The Masked NINJA?
We have learned the masked NINJA is a agent of the Alabama Beverage Control Board ( ABC ). He is working undercover and does not want anyone to know who he is. That excuse is not acceptable.
We have talked with several law enforcement officers  - active and retired, and several citizens about a masked man running around on traffic stops. Not one single person has said this was acceptable practices.
One active law enforcement officer, when asking about stopping for unmarked cars,  said a masked man is not a law enforcement officer and do not stop for it. 
Friday Night Chase 
On Friday night Houston County Vice Deputy Phillip Small got into a chase of a vehicle. The chase came down 231 North and onto Horace Shepard Road. On the scene, the masked NINJA Officer was there. Running around with a bullet proof vest, a gun and on the back of the vest “ State Police”, wearing his mask. 
Law Enforcement Officers are telling me they do not know who the NINJA Officer is. All they know is, he is with Deputy Small. 
Houston – Henry County District Attorney Doug Valeska 
When Valeska was asked about this masked NINJA, Valeska responded “ what?”. He has no knowledge of a ski masked NINJA being on traffic stops and interacting with the public.  Sheriff Hughes has been notified of this incident and speaking with Captain Gonzalez about it. 
RSN Practice About Undercover Officers 
This web site has gone to great pains to make sure undercover officers are not in pictures.  We debated all week end about this article. We have no desire to hamper their drug investigations.  However, we have found no one that has approved of a masked person  being on scenes and participating on traffic stops. We have had numerous complaints on Deputy Small and the ski masked NINJA. Also complaints that Small threatened people when he left his camera on the scenes of search warrants.  
Houston County Sheriff Andy Hughes needs to address this problem as does Alabama Governor Robert Bentley. A situation could turn deadly in a hurry when someone bails out of a vehicle, in plain clothes, wearing a ski mask. In no way is this acceptable and in my 35 years of being in and around law enforcement I have never heard such garbage. 
UPDATED at 1:05pm: Rickey has just spoken to Houston County Sheriff Andy Hughes who advised Rickey that the matter had been addressed and the issue of wearing ski masks will be halted immediatly.

UPDATED: Law Officer Wears Ski Mask On Traffic Stops In Houston County Al


UPDATED: Law Officer Wears Ski Mask On Traffic Stops In Houston County Al

UPDATED: Law Officer Wears Ski Mask On Traffic Stops In Houston County Al

Monday, February 7, 2011

"A Bullet in the Back from Uncle Sam"...Obama betrayed "a moderate Egyptian ..."

The following from: The Jordan Times

Obama’s 'betrayal' of Mubarak shocks Israel
By Douglas Hamilton
Reuters

 
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - If Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak is toppled, Israel will lose one of its very few friends in a hostile neighbourhood and US President Barack Obama will bear a large share of the blame, Israeli pundits said on Monday.
Political commentators expressed shock at how the United States as well as its major European allies appeared to be ready to dump a staunch strategic ally of three decades, simply to conform to the current ideology of political correctness. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told ministers of Israel to make no comment on the political cliffhanger in Cairo, to avoid inflaming an already explosive situation. But Israel's President Shimon Peres is not a minister.
"We always have had and still have great respect for President Mubarak," he said on Monday. He then switched to the past tense. "I don't say everything that he did was right, but he did one thing which all of us are thankful to him for: he kept the peace in the Middle East."
Newspaper columnists were far more blunt.
One comment by Aviad Pohoryles in the daily Maariv was titled "A Bullet in the Back from Uncle Sam". It accused Obama and his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of pursuing a naive, smug, and insular diplomacy heedless of the risks.
Who is advising them, he asked, "to fuel the mob raging in the streets of Egypt and to demand the head of the person who five minutes ago was the bold ally of the president ... an almost lone voice of sanity in a Middle East?"
"The politically correct diplomacy of American presidents throughout the generations ... is painfully naive."
Obama on Sunday called for an "orderly transition" to democracy in Egypt, stopping short of calling on Mubarak to step down, but signalling that his days may be numbered.
Netanyahu instructed Israeli ambassadors in a dozen key capitals over the weekend to impress on host governments that Egypt's stability is paramount, official sources said.
Egypt, Israel's most powerful neighbour, was the first Arab country to make peace with Israel, in 1979. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, who signed the treaty, was assassinated two years later by an Egyptian fanatic.
It took another 13 years before King Hussein broke Arab ranks to made a second peace with the Israelis. That treaty was signed by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated one year later, in 1995, by an Israeli fanatic.
There have been no peace treaties since. Lebanon and Syria are still technically at war with Israel. Conservative Gulf Arab regimes have failed to advance their peace ideas. A hostile Iran has greatly increased its influence in the Middle East conflict.
"The question is, do we think Obama is reliable or not," said an Israeli official, who declined to be named.
"Right now it doesn't look so. That is a question resonating across the region not just in Israel."
Writing in Haaretz, Ari Shavit said Obama had betrayed "a moderate Egyptian president who remained loyal to the United States, promoted stability and encouraged moderation".
To win popular Arab opinion, Obama was risking America's status as a superpower and reliable ally.
"Throughout Asia, Africa and South America, leaders are now looking at what is going on between Washington and Cairo. Everyone grasps the message: "America's word is worthless ... America has lost it."