FREE SPEECH FIGHT: New Orleans Bureaucrats Silence Speech, Tour Guides Fight Back

[UltraProle21]

This country needs another Katrina for bureaucrats.

The Cleansing is coming:

May 2013

[kazriko]

Well, one point to quibble with. The schools are pretty much fixed. Go watch the reasontv stuff on NOLA school districts and charter schools.

[ClusterClick]

I support the message, but the the video production detracts from the message.

[CauliflowerClown]

I can't watch this to the end on my laptop it is stuck at 0:29 and not even that rotating circle shows up.

[CriticBot3000]

Ron Paul 2012!

[cjefferysmall]

I agree with mjcoelho3 above. IJ does a much more effective job playing it straight. Drop the humor and melodrama and present the facts. They are effective in themselves.

[passthecoffeepot]

Another stupid case taken on by the Institute for Stupidity. I think it's called operating a responsible business. Are these folks really afraid of background checks, fingerprinting, and drug tests? They are making money, aren't they? So they need a business license, and I believe this is pretty standard stuff for operating a business. If they cannot even pass a history test of their own city, why in the world should they be allowed to be in business? Institute of Justice is a bunch of idiots.

[kazriko]

@passthecoffeepot So, what if a friend comes to town and you want to show them around. Do you want to be forced to fill out paperwork before you can show them around the town you live in?

[WarDogLRS]

I find it amazing that officials enact laws on the people to take tests and pay fines fee's or Penalties BUT as for them they never take a test on the constitution. I think its long past time to rot these Nazis out of our great country since they don't understand the rule of law. We are not here to serve them we are here for a short amount of time and ill be God Dammed if i will comply with this extortion any longer

[xit1254]

This is no different than a Mafia extortion racket.

[xit1254]

Nanny statism gone wild.

[BonTonRule]

It's about greed,let there be no doubt. It's also about criminalizing self employed free lancers who don't put their coins into the coffers. What's next,fining the pigeons for pecking around on the sidewalks? Or maybe rounding them up for congregating on city property.As far as the history lessons,they might not want to go there...There were a few political uprisings New Orleans and Louisiana history they might not want repeated.

[BonTonRule]

Is this really about free speech? Or is it just another money extracting premise to sell licenses for any profession and to collect taxes also?Some years back there was a big issue about the tarot card readers, the street artists and assorted performers at Jackson Square needing to be licensed. Guess they're carrying it a few steps forward in wanting the urine test and back ground check.So looks like they think these tour guides work for the city.They should have benefits then.

[SkyhawkFlyer]

I'll support a test for tour guides right after New Orleans' elected officials pass a one-hundred question test on the United States and Louisiana Constitutions.

[mixmastermeeks]

@SkyhawkFlyer ......and a drug test.

[rwnugent1]

This is just ridiculous. If they wanted to get on welfare they don't need a urine test or a background check. It's not like they're doctors.

[mipsuperk]

The first amendment says that -CONGRESS- shall make no law... etc., etc., etc. free speech, etc. How does that constrain the city of New Orleans? They are not congress.

Not saying that it's right, but isn't that what it says?

[mtanousable]

@mipsuperk And the Supreme Court has said that it applies to state and local governments as well, through the 14th Amendment's restrictions.

[bluefirexd12]

@mipsuperk

Originally, the First Amendment applied only to laws enacted by the Congress. However, starting with Gitlow v. New York, 268 U.S. 652 (1925), the Supreme Court has held that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment applies the First Amendment to each state, including any local government.

[AnchorsAweigh2010]

@mipsuperk The Louisiana State Constitution states: No law shall curtail or restrain the freedom of speech or of the press. Every person may speak, write, and publish his sentiments on any subject, but is responsible for abuse of that freedom.

[rwnugent1]

Louisiana is fast becoming the most progressive, authoritarian state.

[Firestryke2]

this makes no sense what so ever! leave it to government to do Everything and Anything NOT pertaining to protection of property rights... freakin A!

[diskman01]

First they came for the tour guides, but I was not a tour guide, so I did not speak up.

[austinnutrition]

govt is there to extract money, they do not care about you!!

[trick29420]

how ridiculous.

[downtownrogbrown]

haha :) awesome Don LaFontaine style trailer!

Way to go plaintiffs! IJ, putting the smackdown on out of control city laws since 1991!!!

[BonTonRule]

What about the barkers in the doorways of the strip joints? Are they gonna need barking licenses? The rampant greed of the political establishment is unbelievable.Are we going to need a permit to breathe soon?

[Hydr0xx]

@BonTonRule Considering the fact that the EPA has been given power to regulate Carbon Dioxide I would say that ship has already sailed. Wouldn't you?

[ashkaji]

@Hydr0xx Agreed. People have no flippin Idea how many >decades< it'll take just to get back to the laws of a few years past. Its always a massive struggle, and takes way more effort to repeal a bad law, then it is to pass one.

[mjcoelho3]

this video would be a lot better if it didn't try to be funny.

[0mniP0t3nt]

@mjcoelho3 - Exactly my own sentiments. I was giving this video an earnest benefit of the doubt, but when they unleashed the "ghosts" and made those smarmy attempts at being humorous; I simply lost interest and respect for the production. Bleh!

[ghpatriot]

Holy fuck!! What the fuck happened to this country?

[rdemanow]

@ghpatriot Welcome to the United Police States of America.