April 26,2013
By: Mark Percario
Mark Percario is a client of Global Wealth Protection who, upon reading some of our blogs, felt compelled to share his interludes with government tyranny. This article is just ONE day in the life of ONE ordinary citizen.
It began this morning. I am an amateur musician, and play as part of a guitar duo at a local restaurant in town. The restaurant purveyor sent sad news this morning that live music would have to be put on hold, at least until the construction in front of their building is complete – possibly a year. My musical partner and I had been playing there regularly (every three weeks) for over a year, but not anymore. Not since the local city decided to tear up the road, sidewalk and parking area in front of a favorite spot of ours and many others. Here is a quote from the email I received this morning –
“They have started construction on our part of Main Street and it’s pretty bad….and going to get worse before it’s gets better. Within a week, we won’t have any parking spaces, patio and sidewalk. This is going to impact our business tremendously and I can only hope for the best.
“Once everything is finished (could take a year) and if we have survived, I hope Dos Guitars will once again play”
“If we have survived” – pretty sobering.
Then it happened again later this morning. I am the owner of a small manufacturing business that produces parts for aviation engines. Consequently, the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has an interest in what I do. Later this morning, I received word that since the “Aviation Safety Inspector”, assigned by the FAA to monitor my business made adjustments to the “RBRT” (an FAA acronym for an assessment of risk), supplier audits will no longer be necessary (at least, until the RBRT changes!).
What is so amazing about this, is that supplier audits were ever necessary. You see, the FAA decided at some point in the recent past that companies the FAA monitors could not be trusted to monitor there own suppliers. So, the FAA started doing its own supplier audits. Once a year they ask me to give them the name of a supplier – usually a company that produces raw materials for my products. Then the FAA goes to that supplier and does an “audit”. These days, an “audit” consists of studying paperwork for the purposes of CYA (“Cover Your Ass”) and has nothing to do with actually looking at and or measuring a product.
Recently, while my “Aviation Safety Inspector” was visiting, he mentioned that the last supplier audit of company XYZ indicated that company XYZ was very capable of producing good quality product. Later during his visit, he asked me if there were any troubles with that supplier over the past year, and I replied, “Yes, a recent shipment of parts from company XYZ had to be returned for quality issues, company XYZ is our most problematic supplier”.
Boy, it’s a good thing they were doing those audits!
Later that day, I had another run-in with the government. My wife had to make an appointment at the post office (not our local post office, but one that is 40 minutes away) to apply for a passport for our son. The State Department requires both parents be present to apply for a passport for a minor. In an attempt to be efficient (a government abhorrence) my wife filled out the passport application prior to the appointment (an appointment is required!) at the post office, but this was disallowed: wrong color – blue ink is not acceptable – start over with black ink!!! Not the worst thing, but still,$200 later and we should have a passport (why are these necessary anyway?).
The job at the post office being done, my wife asked me to stop at a shop up the street to get some cold cuts that we can’t get closer to home. Having some extra time, I strolled up to the shop and inquired about some of their offerings. After some discussion, I placed an order and proceeded to browse the beer selection, found an interesting one, and headed for the counter expecting the cold cut order to be ready. Another employee was at the counter. I’m thinking, either my order is very important or there is a problem. There was a problem. This particular shop was a sandwich shop – it had cold cuts, it had a slicer, but because it did not have the “proper” scale it could not sell me cold cuts. They offered to sell me a sandwich, but could not sell cold cuts only. Wow – the shop and I were not allowed to enter into a contract with each other freely because the “State” decreed that a “magical scale” is required for this type of transaction. No cold cuts for me!
I did however fancy the beer enough to purchase it. While cashing out the beer purchase I declined the plastic bag the cashier was preparing (my wife and I decline plastic bags as much as possible) to put the six pack of beer in. This particular six pack had a very unique carrying case made of cardboard that facilitated carrying 6 bottle as once – how ingenious! The cashier said “No, the beer must be in a bag. You could be arrested if you have it on the street unbagged.” Wow, again. Need I say more?
It is now 5:00 pm and hopefully the “everyday tyranny” that began at 10:00 this morning is over. Keep your head down my friends!
Ciao,
Mark Percario
9 Responses
I’m simply flabbergasted by the comments. Starting from the bottom, Friend, I don’t know where you live but in my neck of the woods you can leave a liquor store or any type of store selling beer or alcool with your purchase and go home without been hassled.
Your cold cuts problem is beyong me. Lots of problems understanding the issue.
The passport application ? Now that’s tricky. First of all, an application for a child has to follow a vetting process to protect the child from abusive or delinquent parents i.e. parents that are willing to kidnap their own children. Then, an agreement for travel has to be produce by the parent travelling with the kids.
Your problems with the FAA are beyong my expertise.
All in all, the problems you have stated are exagerated, to say the least. I live in a place where your own goverment thinks of it as a socialist state, the province of Quebec, Canada. Buying alcool, food, having travel papers for kids is something simple for us. It’s sad that your own people (Homeland Security) cannot realize that. I think a frank and open-minded discussion with our border people and yours should happen and, politics notwithstanding, an understanding, if not a point of view, should be reached between both parties.
Michel Leduc, we have some of THE most petty laws. Someone recently tried to come back into the US from Canada with these chocolate eggs with toys in them. They were confiscated because in the US they pose a “choking hazard”. In Canada and Germany, the kids seem to be fine with the product… but in the US, we won’t even chance it. BUT we have the most hormone injected animal products in the world to the point where no other government in the world will touch it or even allow it in their countries!
The problems aren’t exaggerated, unfortunately. They are actually VERY real. People are literally getting dinged and arrested and fined and cited for some of the most asinine things. And what’s important one year is eliminated the next so there is no consistency. The US is a very convoluted stew of legislation with a tax code and local ordinance code that would make War & Peace look like a trifold!
It sounds absurd to most everyone else around the world… but this is the “land of the free”. We are so regulated and so nit-picked, it gets to a point where these little annoyances mount up… and as in any relationship, the more reasonable party wants OUT! LOL
This is what happens when Big Government convinces everyone – and they buy in – that it’s out only for your best interest. Any time they tell you they’re taking away a liberty to fight terror, stop crime, keep you safe, or make things fair, they’re lying. Unfortunately, so many uninvolved people who’d rather watch The Simpsons or shop for pants online have decided it is quite benevolent of the government to feed them a straight line to get them to volunteer their liberties for seizure. After all, it’s not like The Land of the Free would just take them without asking!
As a Navy brat born at Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois I never expected this drastic stealing of our country by short sighted , immoral and historically ignorant tyrants. I served In the Navy 72 – 77 and even had people call me a hero for saving my 1st ship , an LST in 73 ‘ but this hero is about ready to leave this sinking ship. I don’t recognize this country anymore , cops are turning into gestapo and it’s about time we let these mini minds sink by themselves. I’ll be overseas and have less trouble since there are still places that value freedom. Let your feet do you voting , let them drown in their stupidity !
You are experiencing Big Brother at his best !
Laws for the sake of making laws !
There is no consideration made for logic, or common sense . Welcome to the fall of the Roman Empire….
Oh and by the way, … this is our own fault, everyone has been & is to busy watching, the Voice, Dancing with the Stars, basket ball, base ball, foot ball, hockey. If your not watching any of these you might be one of the few to busy working to make ends meet…… to see what is going around you. I know I am guilty,
I was under the foolish assumption that people got into public service / government to really improve things. That hasn’t been the case for the last 30 years !
I think it is time to press the reset button on my life, and start over elsewhere.
GET OUT >>>>>>>,
Christian
People get into public service – and by and large, the police force – out of a sociopathic need to control people and exert their will. Since government is the last thing on earth that can’t be sued into submission, they get away with whatever they want.
Check out Ecuador. Lots of cozy places. On the ocean there is Salinas and up on the Andes there is Cuenca. We went there a couple years ago and loved it.
Thank You!!! You are right, knew it 15 years ago, did my 20 on the job, retired and left the states 8 years ago.
I found a new and better life by becoming truly free from all the rules that needed more rules. Got peace of mind like I had not known for years and my health improved DUE TO LACK OF STRESS.
I would like to speak my mind but you can not put what I have to say in print