Tax, Ban, or Regulate?

As the cancer of tyranny grows, the sphere of human action decreases, because over time, greater degrees of formerly legally-sanctioned activities become criminalized by the government. While plundering the wealth of the captive population, this Leviathan outlaws whatever behaviors it unilaterally decrees to be unacceptable. Once they have systematically commenced their program to tax, ban, or regulate everything imaginable, these self-imagined rulers become drunk on power, and thus, they are unable to stop their dehumanizing oppression of the citizenry.

In accordance with the legal maxims of nulla poena sine lege (no penalty without a law) and ignorantia juris non excusat (ignorance of the law is no excuse), I present, for your enlightenment, the politically binding legal codes for where I happen to live, arranged in order by jurisdiction; these are the Code of the City of Austin, the Texas Transportation Code, the Texas Government Code, the Texas Alcohol Beverage Code, the Texas Education Code, the Texas Health & Safety Code, the Texas Penal Code, the Texas Administrative Code, and the United States Code. Keep in mind as you read these “laws” that I subscribe to the position that vices are not crimes. For those of you who are not familiar, the “§” symbol is the legal “section sign.”

City of Austin

• Dumpster diving
  • Code of the City of Austin, §§ 15-6-111, 15-6-116, & 15-6-132
• Plastic bag ban (City of Austin bureaucrat, Gena McKinley, bragged about it on KXAN)
  • Code of the City of Austin, §§ 15-6-121, 15-6-122, 15-6-123, 15-6-124, 15-6-130, & 15-6-132
• Selling lemonade without a license
  • Code of the City of Austin, §§ 10-3-1, 10-3-2, 10-3-61, & 10-3-211
  • Texas Administrative Code § 229.162
• Loitering
  • Code of the City of Austin, §§ 9-4-16, 9-5-62, 9-5-63, 9-4-3, & 1-1-99
• “No Camping Ordinance”
  • Code of the City of Austin, §§ 9-4-11, 8-1-14, 9-4-3, & 1-1-99
• Smoking tobacco cigarettes in public
  • Code of the City of Austin, §§ 10-6-2, 10-6-11, & 1-1-99
• Panhandling
  • Code of the City of Austin, §§ 12-1-27
• Disobeying a cop
  • Code of the City of Austin, §§ 9-4-51, 9-4-3, & 1-1-99
• Failure to identify or show photo ID
  • Code of the City of Austin, §§ 9-4-52, 9-4-3, & 1-1-99

 

State of Texas

• Driving without a license
  • Texas Transportation Code, §§ 521.021, 521.025, 521.027, 521.029, & 521.032
• Practicing law without a license
  • Texas Government Code, §§ 82.021, 82.022, 82.023, 82.024, 82.027, 82.028, 82.033, 82.037, 83.001, & 83.006
• Blue laws (Selling liquor on Sundays, or beer on Sundays before noon)
  • Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, §§ 105.01, 105.05, & 105.10
  • Texas Penal Code, § 12.21
• Openly carrying a handgun
  • Texas Constitution, Art. I §§ 23 & 29
  • Texas Penal Code, §§ 46.02, 46.01, 12.21, & 12.34
• Same-sex marriage/civil unions (the Austin City Council violated this back in 2012)
  • Texas Constitution, Art. I §§ 32 & 29
• Dogging
  • Texas Penal Code §§ 21.08, 21.07, 21.01, 12.22, & 12.21
• Obscenity & sex toys
  • Texas Penal Code §§ 43.21, 43.22, 43.23, 12.35, & 12.21
• Prostitution
  • Texas Penal Code §§ 43.01, 43.02, 12.22, 12.21, 12.35, & 12.33
• Bigamy
  • Texas Constitution, Art. I §§ 32 & 29
  • Texas Penal Code, §§ 25.01, 12.34, 12.33, & 12.32
• Minimum wage
  • Texas Labor Code, §§ 62.051 & 62.201
• Gambling
  • Texas Penal Code, §§ 47.02, 47.01, & 12.23
• Truancy
  • Texas Education Code, §§ 25.085 & 25.094
  • Texas Penal Code, § 12.23
• Desecrating either the Old Glory or Lone Star flags by burning
  • Texas Penal Code, §§ 42.11 & 12.21
• Panhandling
  • Texas Transportation Code § 552.007 & 542.401
• Disorderly conduct
  • Texas Penal Code §§ 38.13, 42.01, 12.23, 12.22, & 12.21
• Jaywalking
  • Texas Transportation Code §§ 552.005, 552.006, & 542.401
• Euthanasia
  • Texas Penal Code §§ 22.08, 12.23, & 12.35
• Cannabis possession
  • Texas Health & Safety Code §§ 481.002 (26), 481.121 & 481.122
  • Texas Penal Code §§ 12.22, 12.21, 12.35, 12.34, & 12.33
• Possession of drug paraphernalia
  • Texas Health & Safety Code § 481.125
  • Texas Penal Code §§ 12.23, 12.21, & 12.35
• Public intoxication
  • Texas Penal Code §§ 49.02 & 12.23
• Smoking tobacco cigarettes in public
  • Texas Penal Code §§ 48.01 & 12.23
• Disobeying a cop
  • Texas Transportation Code §§ 542.501, 542.301, & 542.401
• Failure to identify or show photo ID
  • Texas Penal Code §§ 38.02, 12.23, & 12.22
• Resisting arrest
  • Texas Penal Code §§ 38.03, 12.21, & 12.34
• Failure to appear (bail-jumping)
  • Texas Penal Code §§ 38.10, 12.23, 12.21, & 12.34
• Escaping unlawful custody
  • Texas Penal Code §§ 38.06, 38.07, 38.08, 12.21, 12.34, 12.33, & 12.32

 

United States

• Tax evasion
  • 26 USC § 7201
• Willful failure to file
  • 26 USC § 7203
• Individual mandate tax
  • 26 USC § 5000A
• Minimum wage
  • 29 USC § 206
• Cannabis possession
  • 21 USC § 812(b)(1) & § 812(c)(I)(c)(17)
  • 21 USC § 844
  • 21 USC § 844a
• Selling drug paraphernalia
  • 21 USC § 863
• False statements
  • 18 USC § 1001
• Obstruction of mail
  • 18 USC § 1701
• Copyright infringement
  • 17 USC §§ 501 & 506
  • 18 USC § 2319
• False pretenses on high seas and other waters
  • 18 USC § 1025
• Civil asset forfeiture
  • 18 USC § 981
  • 18 USC § 983
  • 18 USC § 984
  • 18 USC § 985
• Interstate transportation of firearms
  • 18 USC § 926A
• Conspiracy to commit any offense
  • 18 USC § 371