Texas Ranks Last in Personal Freedoms, According to the Libertarian CATO Institu

[neurosis]

Well that's interesting.    Who would have thought.

https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-personal-freedom-cato/

Cato relies on twelve metrics, each weighted differently, to create its personal freedom index. Almost across the board on those categories, Texas fares poorly. We rank thirty-fifth on educational freedom, thirty-ninth on gambling, forty-second on asset forfeiture, forty-third on incarceration, forty-fourth on marriage freedom, and dead last on both cannabis and travel freedom (see below for fuller definitions). Alcohol, gun, and tobacco rights; the right to give large sums to political campaigns; and the right to engage in activities that harm no one, such as safely setting off fireworks, are the only categories in which Cato finds Texas doesn't rank in the bottom half of the states. Notably, the institute doesn't factor key issues such as reproductive or transgender rights into its ratings.

This is just nuts. 

Civil Asset Forfeiture
If you have an asset that officials deem suspicious, and they decide it may have been acquired in relation to criminal behavior, they can seize that asset and are under no obligation to give it back—even if you're never charged with, let alone convicted of, anything illegal. Most often, this type of asset forfeiture plays out when police officers, during traffic stops or other encounters with the public, find large sums of cash.

[Del.]

Fuck Texas!

[RobertELee]

:TLDR:

By freedoms, do they mean the freedom to drug yourself to oblivion? And freedom to steal as much as possible? And freedom to shit anywhere you like? If so then yeah, Portland and San Franfescesco are the freeist!

[YoDoug]

Civil asset forfeiture just blows me away. I cannot for the life of me figure out how it is deemed constitutionally legal. Money is our gov printed legal means to exchange value for goods and services. Our founding fathers actually put property rights into the constitution because the English were abusing it. Until you commit a crime with that money it is none of their effing business why you have any amount of cash on you.

Next month my wife and I are planning a trip to go the TN to visit her dad. Used cars down there usually have lower mileage and are in far better shape rust wise versus here in MN. I plan to bring about $15k to look for a car. We are planning on flying down and renting a car. I have some concerns about bringing cash but our bank doesn't have a branch anywhere close to there that we can get cash out.

[neurosis]

:TLDR:

By freedoms, do they mean the freedom to drug yourself to oblivion? And freedom to steal as much as possible? And freedom to shit anywhere you like? If so then yeah, Portland and San Franfescesco are the freeist!

Are you criticizing a libertarian think tank?    How dare you in a room full of freedom fighters! 

[CNCAppsJames]

Their Concealed Carry laws are FAR more restrictive than Kommieforniastan, so there's that...

I think some of the metrics are trash though. 

[neurosis]

You probably won't be surprised to hear that according to CATO, in regulatory freedom, California ranks #49 only behind New Jersey. 

 

[YoDoug]

It really doesn't surprise me to hear that a libertarian institute doesn't rank Texas very high in freedom. Texas is a very Christian and Catholic based population. Their laws and "freedoms" are crafted with those values.

[beej]

Texans don't really seem to care what other people think about them.

[rdshear]

Next month my wife and I are planning a trip to go the TN to visit her dad. Used cars down there usually have lower mileage and are in far better shape rust wise versus here in MN. I plan to bring about $15k to look for a car. We are planning on flying down and renting a car. I have some concerns about bringing cash but our bank doesn't have a branch anywhere close to there that we can get cash out.

I'd be leery of that, the TSA looks for large sums of cash.  Heard a lot of horror stories on Civil asset forfeiture.  There's a Michigan lawyer, Steve Lehto, I follow on YouTube who talks a lot about this terrible tactic.
Steve Lehto Civil Asset Forfeiture

Until I heard these stories, I had no idea this could happen. 

[ghuns]

I mean, as long as they don't waste it...


The sheriff's stash

IN 2005 the Montgomery County district attorney's office held a party at the county fair in east Texas. They had beer, liquor and a margarita machine. The district attorney, Mike McDougal, at first denied that this had been paid for by drug money. He acknowledged that his office had a margarita machine at the fair. In fact, he said, they won first prize for best margarita. But he insisted they came by it fair and square. In any case, he pointed out, the county's drug fund was at his discretion. Under Texas forfeiture law, counties can keep most of the money and property they rustle up.

[YoDoug]

I'd be leery of that, the TSA looks for large sums of cash.  Heard a lot of horror stories on Civil asset forfeiture.  There's a Michigan lawyer, Steve Lehto, I follow on YouTube who talks a lot about this terrible tactic.
Steve Lehto Civil Asset Forfeiture

Until I heard these stories, I had no idea this could happen. 

Hence my concerns. Alternatively we are considering transferring the money to my wife's dad so he can withdraw it for us when we get there.

[RobertELee]

Hence my concerns. Alternatively we are considering transferring the money to my wife's dad so he can withdraw it for us when we get there.

At least split it up between the two of you, store it in separate carryons and go through at separate times.

[neurosis]

Texans don't really seem to care what other people think about them.

Must not be a coincidence that I'm from Texas?   

[Incogneeto]

Hence my concerns. Alternatively we are considering transferring the money to my wife's dad so he can withdraw it for us when we get there.

I'll hold it for you??

No one will know.