Overcriminalization costing U.S. dearly in treasure and liberty, experts say

By   /  May 17, 2013  /  National, News, Wisconsin  /  4 Comments

The federal government's massive criminal code and its plethora of regulations have turned the Land of the Free into an overcriminalized nation, say reformers like U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wisconsin.

By M.D. Kittle | Wisconsin Reporter
MADISON — You are probably a criminal.
You just may not know it.
With some 4,500 federal crimes on the books and, by conservative estimates, more than 300,000 regulations that carry a criminal penalty, law experts say the chances of an average American unwittingly committing a federal crime in his lifetime are pretty [...]

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Week in Review: Peace in Madison, scandal in Washington

By   /  May 17, 2013  /  Wisconsin  /  1 Comment

Walker talk

By M.D. Kittle | Wisconsin Reporter
MADISON — Thank goodness the Dalai Lama stopped by.
There was so much scandal and nastiness in Washington, D.C., this week that it was nice to get a little peace in Madison, when Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, paid a call on the city, the Legislature and Gov. Scott Walker.
It was a [...]

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For a fee: Measure aims to protect WI taxpayers

By   /  May 16, 2013  /  Accountability, Featured, Legislature, Local Government, News, Property Taxes, Tax Reform, Taxes, Taxes versus Fees, Wisconsin  /  1 Comment

A measure put into Gov. Scott Walker's proposed budget prohibits municipalities from charging fees for services previously financed with property taxes, unless there is a corresponding property tax cut.

It may be back to the drawing board for Wisconsin officials who want to exceed their local spending authority.

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Sensenbrenner sees shades of ‘Fast and Furious’ in AP records scandal

By   /  May 16, 2013  /  National, News, Wisconsin  /  3 Comments

AP photo

By M.D. Kittle | Wisconsin Reporter
MADISON — U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin sees a sequel playing out with Attorney General Eric Holder and the U.S. Department of Justice.
“It’s just like with ‘Fast and Furious’. He’s dodging who is really responsible in the Justice Department,” Sensenbrenner told Wisconsin Reporter Wednesday after grilling Holder about what he knew [...]

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Auditor takes IRS to task for singling out conservative groups

By   /  May 15, 2013  /  National, News, Wisconsin  /  1 Comment

A new federal audit finds the Internal Revenue Service gave the 'appearance that the IRS is not impartial in conducting its mission' when it singled  conservative groups.

 
By M.D. Kittle | Wisconsin Reporter
MADISON — Reading the highly critical report by the Internal Revenue Service’s auditor, you get the sense that rogue, lower-level agents ran amok, writing up watch lists, targeting conservative agencies and stalling their applications for tax-exempt status.
At least IRS management has painted a picture of misguided underlings who acted “inappropriately,” finally [...]

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