Les Jones

Wear Baggy Pants, Go to Jail

Baggy pants bans sweeping nation:

Since June 11, sagging pants have been against the law in Delcambre, La., a town of 2,231 that is 80 miles southwest of Baton Rouge. The style carries a fine of as much as $500 or up to a six-month sentence. “We used to wear long hair, but I don’t think our trends were ever as bad as sagging,” said Mayor Carol Broussard.

An ordinance in Mansfield, a town of 5,496 near Shreveport, subjects offenders to a fine (as much as $150 plus court costs) or jail time (up to 15 days). Police Chief Don English said the law, which takes effect Sept. 15, will set a good civic image.

Behind the indecency laws may be the real issue — the hip-hop style itself, which critics say is worn as a badge of delinquency, with its distinctive walk conveying thuggish swagger and a disrespect for authority. Also at work is the larger issue of freedom of expression and the questions raised when fashion moves from being merely objectionable to illegal.

Other cities considering baggy pants bans include Atlanta, Georgia, Shreveport, Lousiana, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Stratford, Connecticut, and Alexandria, Virginia.

That leads to this week's poll question.

Do you love shopping online?  You are a smart shopper if you do all of your shopping on the internet! Everyone knows online shopping is the best way to find everything you want, at the best prices!  Do you want to browse the best selection of clothing? If you are looking for a great pair of pants, the internet is just the source!  Do you want to find the best in womens clothing? We can help with that too!

"The Arquette Sisters" Define "Scandal"

"By scandal I mean something which is legal and many consenting adults do."
  -- The Arquette Sisters

Great Grandmother Charged with Not Watering Lawn

Star Tribune:

In July, Perry was cited by Officer James Flygare of the police's Neighborhood Preservation Unit for failing to water her lawn. Perry refused to give her name to the officer and, when Flygare tried to stop her from going back inside her house, she reportedly tripped and injured her nose.

She was arrested and taken to police station but released shortly afterwards.

An investigation by the state Department of Public Safety cleared Flygare of any wrongdoing, and city officials pressed charges against Perry on the landscape violation, a class C misdemeanor, and interfering with a police officer, a class B misdemeanor.

Why is the city regulating people's lawns? If a person wants to live somewhere with perfectly-manicured lawns they're free to buy a house in a subdivision with a homeowner's association and rules for that sort of thing. It's ridiculous to impose that sort of thing with city codes.

This is a Felony?

So Tennessee raised their cigarette tax. Now folks figure if they're in a neighboring state with lower taxes, why not buy some cancer sticks on the cheap?

Tam has linkage to the guy who brought back 25 cartons of smoky treats from NC to TN. Two to 24 cartons is a misdemeanor. Twenty-five or more is a felony. Says Tam:

Lose your guns! Lose the vote! Discover the exciting career world of hair nets and name tags!

That's what the guy is facing for depriving the state of Tennessee of less than a hundred bucks in revenue.

TN Cigarette Revenuers Crossing State Lines

Unbelievable:

Starting today, state Department of Revenue agents will begin stopping Tennessee motorists spotted buying large quantities of cigarettes in border states, then charging them with a crime and, in some cases, seizing their cars.

Critics say the new “cigarette surveillance program” amounts to the use of “police state” tactics and wrongfully interferes with interstate commerce. But state Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr says his department is simply doing its job, enforcing a valid state law while protecting Tennessee retailers who properly pay state taxes.

[...]

Under state law, bringing more than two cartons of cigarettes into the state without paying Tennessee taxes is a “Class B” misdemeanor, carrying punishment of up to six months in jail and/or a $500 fine. Bringing 25 or more cartons is a “Class E” felony, with minimum penalty of one year in prison and a maximum of six years plus a fine of up to $3,000.

One man was arrested last week and charged with a felony for the 25 cartons of smoky treats he brought back from North Carolina.

LATER: Michael Silence has more, including links to Tennessee politicians who are denouncing this policy on their blogs.