Categories
Law

Tiger Woods Congressional Gold Medal

I think all the findings remain true; however, Congressman Baca might want to strike #6 about breaking barriers (fire hydrant?) with grace and dignity.


HR 1244 IH


111th CONGRESS


1st Session


H. R. 1244

To provide for the award of a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to Tiger Woods, in recognition of his service to the Nation in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship, and in breaking barriers with grace and dignity by showing that golf is a sport for all people.


IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 2, 2009

Mr. BACA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services



A BILL

To provide for the award of a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to Tiger Woods, in recognition of his service to the Nation in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship, and in breaking barriers with grace and dignity by showing that golf is a sport for all people.

  • Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) Although Tiger Woods is only 33 years old and is going on his 13th full year as a professional golfer, he has won 87 tournaments (65 of which were on the Professional Golf Association (PGA) tour), including the 1997, 2001, 2002, and 2005 Masters Tournaments, the 1999, 2000, 2006, and 2007 PGA Championships, the 2000, 2002, and 2008 U.S. Open championships, and the 2000, 2005, and 2006 British Open Championships.

(2) Tiger Woods is the 5th player in history to win all 4 major championships (Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and British Open), joining the ranks of Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus.

(3) With his second Masters victory in 2001, Tiger Woods became the first player ever to hold all 4 major championships at the same time.

(4) Tiger Woods is the career victories leader among active players on the PGA tour, and is the career money list leader.

(5) Tiger Woods can be compared with Jack Nicklaus as being one of the greatest golfers of all time.

(6) Tiger Woods has broken barriers with grace and dignity by showing that golf is a sport for all people, regardless of race, color, or creed.

(7) Tiger Woods has inspired countless people of all ages, impressing upon them that their hopes, dreams, and prayers may be achieved through hard work, persistence, education, and good sportsmanship.

(8) Tiger Woods established the Tiger Woods Foundation in 1996, which financially supports communities and organizations that nurture family values and adults’ involvement in children’s lives.

(9) The Tiger Woods Foundation hosts clinics, which give thousands of youngsters golf lessons and draw attention and support to the organizations that allow inner-city children access to golf.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

(a) Presentation Authorized- The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to Tiger Woods in recognition of his service to the Nation in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship, and in breaking barriers with grace and dignity by showing that golf is a sport for all people.

(b) Design and Striking- For the purpose of the presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (in this Act referred to as the `Secretary’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary.

SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, the Secretary may strike duplicate medals in bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 and sell such duplicate medals at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the duplicate medals (including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses) and the cost of the gold medal.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.

The medals struck under this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF CHARGES AGAINST FUND; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

(a) Authorization- There is authorized to be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund an amount not to exceed $30,000 to pay for the cost of the medals authorized by this Act.

(b) Proceeds of Sale- Amounts received from the sale of duplicate bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

Categories
criminal law

Plaxico Burress

Even Second Amendment haters must be scratching their heads at this one. Two years in prison for second degree criminal possession of a weapon and second degree reckless endangerment. Wow! Is his offense of the same magnitude as that committed by Michael Vick? No. Regardless of the law, on a basic fairness level, how do you send a man to jail for two years for accidentally shooting himself with a concealed weapon, illegal or otherwise? Sure, if he shot someone else, I would understand. But he shot himself!! Is New York any safer with Plaxico Burress off the streets for two years? I doubt it. What a waste of taxpayer money.

Categories
criminal law

Phillip Garrido and the Plain View Secret Yard

SFGate: 18 Years of Missed Chances to Find Kidnap Victim. This guy was definitely very elusive, very stealthy in what he was doing,” said Gordon Hinkle, spokesman for the state parole agency, which was charged with monitoring the 58-year-old sex offender for the last decade. “He had a fence, basically a false front where he had a secret yard.”

1554-walnut-antioch

He had a “secret” yard, providing that you don’t use the Satellite view on Google Maps. After this slip up, I think parole officers might be using Google Maps a bit more to make sure that no one else has a “secret” yard in plain view.

Categories
criminal law

Rex Rammell Threatens President Obama

Recently, Rex Rammell declared that he wanted to buy some Obama tags, presumably for hunting the President of the United States.

Any gubernatorial candidate should be aware that threats against the President carry a fine and prison term of p to five years. (See 18 USC §871).

Categories
humor

Saying Nothing at All

kennedy

How insightful. The push for health care reform can “stall … or gain momentum.” When you have all bases covered, you will always be right.

Categories
Technology

Google Killed Privacy

Privacy is dead. We have hit some inflection point where a car with a roof-mounted camera that voraciously records everything in its path is normal.

surveillance

Think for a minute which scenario will attract the most suspicion: someone discretely taking photos of a sensitive location by hand or another person driving around in a car automatically capturing images of all people, buildings and roadways along its path. If someone really wanted to spy on us, I suspect they would brazenly conduct their surveillance in the open in one of those “Don’t be evil” camera-mobiles.

Categories
personal injury

Food That Looks Like Toys

A few months ago, I spotted edible crayons at the supermarket. If that isn’t disturbing enough, I found something even stranger.

operation-food

Operation, a game that involves removing small pieces from a human body, now has its foodie counterpart. Those small toy pieces are now edible fruit flavored snacks. How is this even a good idea? Choking hazard for children confused between toys and candy? Secondly, does anyone find it a wee bit creepy to be feeding kids candy body parts? Granted, young Hannibal may not find an appetizing wish bone or spare ribs in the box, but still. This product gives me the chills.

Categories
Law

Free Speech Area

I spotted this “free speech area” during a recent weekend. Not at a convention. Not at a rally. Not at any sort of a political event. Instead, the local farmers market has a designated free speech area. However, it didn’t stop one group from setting up a table on the wrong side of the sign.

free-speech-area

Categories
politics

Sonia Sotomayor Confirmation Hearing

During Sotomayor’s confirmation hearing, Senator Jeff Sessions said, “”Down one path is the traditional American legal system, so admired around the world, where judges impartially apply the law to the facts without regard to their own personal views.”

Seriously, who is he kidding? Bush v. Gore.

Categories
tax

Sen. Ensign's Taxing Affair

Los Angeles Times: Sen. Ensign admits parents gave money to mistress and family . The gifts to Cynthia Hampton; her husband, Doug; and two of their children were made “out of concern for the well-being of long-time family friends during a difficult time,” said a statement from Ensign’s attorney. The money was paid in $12,000 increments in April 2008, the month that both Hamptons left Ensign’s employ.

What ever happened to round numbers? When I first read the Los Angeles Times article, the $96,000 given by Sen. John Ensign’s parents to his mistress and her family really stood out, and not because $96,000 is a huge amount of money to hand over to someone. Why didn’t his parents give a nice, round $100,000? Taxes.

In 2008, the annual exclusion for gifts was $12,000 per donor/donee. So, Sen. Ensign’s father could gift $12,000 to Cynthia Hampton and $12,000 to Doug Hampton without having to pay the gift tax. Likewise, Sen. Ensign’s mother could gift $12,000 to Cynthia Hampton and $12,000 to Doug Hampton without either gift being a taxable gift. But, that only totals $48,000. So, to really demonstrate their generosity (without incurring a gift tax), Sen. Ensign’s parents each gave $12,000 to two of the three Hampton children. That is how you “gift” $96,000 without being liable for gift taxes.

Another interesting issue is that Doug Hampton intimated that “Ensign paid his wife ‘a lot more than’ $25,000 in severance when she left his campaign and political action committee.” Unfortunately, the article does not indicate exactly how much Ensign paid nor whether Doug Hampton was referring to the $98,000 received from Sen. Ensign’s parents as being part of the “severance.” We’ll just leave it to the IRS to determine whether the $98,000 was a gift where full consideration was not received in return or part of a severance payment. The IRS just might be taxing this affair after all.