Ace of Spades HQ

January 12, 2010

Coakley cracks down on hardened MA criminals
— Purple Avenger

Oh, did I say ordinary run of the mill hardened criminals? Sorry, I meant to say criminally insane mass murdering Dr. Evil type super villain Garden Clubs.

Attorney General Martha CoakleyÂ’s crackdown on Bay State gardening clubs for failing to file financial disclosure forms has left some green thumbs fearing arrest - and many sore at the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate.
Linda Jean Smith, president of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, has been besieged with calls from frightened, angry members after a prickly Jan. 4 letter from CoakleyÂ’s office declared many of them were breaking the law for failing to file their financial records for the past four years...
...The local clubs quietly maintain traffic islands, town halls, libraries and veteransÂ’ hospitals across the state. Most take in about $5,000 to $10,000 a year in annual dues and plant sales, Smith said...

These SCORCHING HOTBEDS of underground illegal economic Galtism clearly need to be crushed before the problem grows out of control. Heaven forbid someone sell an untaxed Petunia or Fern in the People's Republic. Its our patriotic duty to see these vile horticultural bourgeoisie traitors to the revolution rooted out and SEVERELY PUNISHED comrades. This counter-revolutionary independent volunteerism is a cancer eating away that threatens the very authority of the state itself.

H/T Jules

Posted by: Purple Avenger at 08:21 AM | Comments (85)
Post contains 229 words, total size 2 kb.

1 Who's next? Aunt Bea and the Ladies Aid Society?

Posted by: the Butcher at January 12, 2010 08:24 AM (MkhK0)

2 And consider: many members of these gardening clubs will feel guilty if they don't vote for Commissar Coakley. Something about living in Taxachussetts rots the brain.

Posted by: George Orwell at January 12, 2010 08:26 AM (AZGON)

3 So I assume "Crockett's Victory Garden" is now on the MA terror watch list.

Posted by: TexasJew at January 12, 2010 08:28 AM (LLX+l)

4 One wonders if ACORN is required to file these forms in MA?

Posted by: Vic at January 12, 2010 08:28 AM (QrA9E)

5
To be fair, some of those 'Garden Clubs' may have had members who are Christians...

Posted by: Dang Straights at January 12, 2010 08:29 AM (fx8sm)

6 We got bills to pay. Leave no stone unturned, leave no green thumb unpricked.

Posted by: Burn the Witch at January 12, 2010 08:29 AM (U37Ux)

7 Let me ask a few questions , are they light skinned? and what is their dialect? Have they voted in the past few years? can they find their ass? These are the important details you need to know about a person.

Posted by: Harry Reid at January 12, 2010 08:29 AM (Ki7fm)

8 I'm surprised that unionized state employees even allow garden clubs to continue doing their volunteer work.

Posted by: lauraw at January 12, 2010 08:30 AM (vJ7ec)

9 At my signal, unleash hell!

Posted by: Gladiola at January 12, 2010 08:30 AM (5aa4z)

10
Next she's going after those law breaking Girl Scouts and their under reported cookie sales.

Posted by: bulwark at January 12, 2010 08:30 AM (YsFYg)

11 I know what a garden salad is, and i know what a chicken club is, but what the heck is a garden club anyway?

Posted by: Jerry Seinfeld at January 12, 2010 08:30 AM (4/7Xd)

12 Never, ever grow weed on your own property.

Posted by: hutch1200 at January 12, 2010 08:31 AM (czuJZ)

13 Shame. All those women are just nasty horticulturists. How dare they show their faces, let alone not pay their taxes on their filthy activities.

Posted by: NunyaBizness at January 12, 2010 08:31 AM (u55Yx)

14 Hey, if these people would jsut get hammered and drive off a bridge, all would be forgiven.

Posted by: Circa (Insert Year Here) at January 12, 2010 08:32 AM (B+qrE)

15 The article is a great read. The executing officer of Martha office is a ...wait for it.. Mrs. Buttersworth.

Posted by: fordn at January 12, 2010 08:33 AM (Ki7fm)

16 she's afraid to go after hardened criminals. it's easier to use the IRS to scare the crap out of little old ladies who just want to tend their flowers and spread the joy of gardening.

Posted by: nyc redneck at January 12, 2010 08:33 AM (BXr/h)

17 "Linda Jean Smith"

See? They printed her full name, just like every other serious criminal....

John Wayne Gacy, Lee Harvey Oswald....etc.

Linda Jean Smith is goin' down!

Posted by: Intrepid at January 12, 2010 08:33 AM (92zkk)

18 I'm a favorite bulb in Barry's garden.

Posted by: Narcissus at January 12, 2010 08:33 AM (AZGON)

19
PA scores. Again!

^{..wicked impressed, as we say in MA.}

Posted by: sickinmass at January 12, 2010 08:34 AM (Dxfei)

20 Catchy tune, but I find it hard to dance to...I give it a 7.

Posted by: Paladin at January 12, 2010 08:35 AM (ho4I5)

21 Avenge Me!

And don't forget to transplant the marigolds ...

Posted by: Imprisoned Garden Lady at January 12, 2010 08:35 AM (HjPtV)

22
Coakley is the woman who fought tooth and nail to keep Gerald Amirault in prison - a man imprisoned not only for a crime he didn't commit, but for a crime that never happened.

Coakley treats criminals with kid gloves; but she's the wrath of God on the innocent.

Posted by: Brown Line at January 12, 2010 08:35 AM (VrNoa)

23 As is typical of most career hacks, Coakley is more concerned that some paperwork may not have been filed properly than that the maximum information possible to save American lives ought to be extracted from terror suspects before they are lawyered-up.

Priorities, man.

Posted by: DocJ at January 12, 2010 08:35 AM (dt6br)

24 Somebody must have told Ms Coakley that these clubs were full of Republican plants, and she misunderstood what they meant.

Posted by: Intrepid at January 12, 2010 08:35 AM (92zkk)

25 It's simple, really. Just read Eric Hoffer's The True Believer. Anyone who is not a fanatical devotee of The Party is a threat to be eliminated. Hobbies, scholarship, careers, religious faith, strong family -- these allow people to develop their own interests and personality. They may start making their own decisions. That cannot be allowed. All subjects of the Glorious State must devote every moment of their lives to serving the Party and the State. They must be dependent, must be made to believe they are helpless (racism is everywhere) and in danger without the Party and the State (those awful Christians will get you).

The Democrats aren't at war with Republicans, or with America. They are at war with sanity. Decent, sane, normal people living their own lives have no place in the Democrats' vision of America.

Posted by: Trimegistus at January 12, 2010 08:36 AM (hcLgF)

26 Lauraw -# 8 you hit the nail EXACTLY on the head !. Thank you for your consistantly keen insight.

Posted by: Kevin at January 12, 2010 08:38 AM (iagrR)

Yankees live in a cold climate and are a communitarian lot. They like for their local governments and associations to look out for their neighbours.

Coakley seems to think that because her fellow citizens like their local government to help them, that means that they want Boston or, better yet, D.C. to help their government; and that because her fellow citizens like practicality, that they want it all co-ordinated from some central authority.

Maybe this has even been true in previous years. But after a year of President Obama and a few more years of Governor Patrick, and seeing their incompetence and dictatorial flourishes, I suspect that Massachusetts would like to go back to a more decentralised, local-community model.

Coakley doesn't seem to understand Massachusetts very well. She could start by learning to spell it...

Posted by: Zimriel at January 12, 2010 08:38 AM (9Sbz+)

28 Feeeeeeeeeed me, Seeeeeeeeeeeymour!

Posted by: Nanny State at January 12, 2010 08:39 AM (NfeDo)

29 The Democrats aren't at war with Republicans, or with America. They are at war with sanity. +1000 Google "Evan Sayet heritage 2004 youtube" and you'll find a devastating critique of the liberal "mind."

Posted by: George Orwell at January 12, 2010 08:39 AM (AZGON)

30 Trimegistus - Brazil for those who dont want to read. Gotta control the HVAC heroes.

Posted by: Jean at January 12, 2010 08:39 AM (a7KJ5)

31 We must crack down on all the planets here in...

Posted by: Massachusettes at January 12, 2010 08:40 AM (NfeDo)

32 I'm surprised that unionized state employees even allow garden clubs to continue doing their volunteer work.

Well, now that they know about it...

Posted by: HeatherRadish at January 12, 2010 08:41 AM (mR7mk)

33 I want to thank you today for coming as I have a very exciting announcement to make: I am declaring my candidacy for Senator from the great state of Massachusetts. I intend to fight against horticultural tyranny far and wide. Give me Narcissus or give me compost!

Posted by: Pete Moss, candidate for Senate at January 12, 2010 08:41 AM (SgGTT)

34 Hey. So much for me, huh?

Posted by: Green Jobs at January 12, 2010 08:41 AM (NfeDo)

35 Everyone knows "Gardening Club" is terrorist code for training IED planters.

Posted by: Sisyphus at January 12, 2010 08:41 AM (tf9Ne)

36 Coakley treats criminals with kid gloves; but she's the wrath of God on the innocent.

...IF there was a God, after all we are talking Democrats. The Wrath of something or other.

Posted by: Paladin at January 12, 2010 08:42 AM (ho4I5)

37 This would be funny if it wasn't so frightening. The picture I got in my head was of a bunch of moms , with careers, possibly kids and overly needy dh's who have too many responsibility and too little time in the 24 hours, just wanting to have a little something where they get together with other women and do something productive. And look, they are criminals.

Posted by: curious at January 12, 2010 08:46 AM (p302b)

38 Kneel before Sod!

Posted by: General Sod at January 12, 2010 08:47 AM (AZGON)

39 17 The article is a great read. The executing officer of Martha office is a ...wait for it..

Mrs. Buttersworth. Well, she's not light skinned, but she she can speak with a negro dialect when she wants to.

Posted by: runningrn at January 12, 2010 08:47 AM (CfmlF)

40 Jean: Brazil only tells half the story. The movie was made by liberals, and it shows: the big menace is a war against terrorists who may or may not exist -- that's right, Terry Gilliam was writing the script for Bush's liberal opponents twenty years ago. There's bureaucracy and state-controlled media, but the State is only half of the problem. The Party is the other half, and right now I think it's the worse of the two. Far too many people nowadays, primarily liberals but (one must admit) a few conservatives as well, have holes in their souls which The Party fills up. The Party is missing from Brazil, and I suspect that's because Gilliam et al still think of mass political movements as the solution rather than the cause of oppression.

Posted by: Trimegistus at January 12, 2010 08:48 AM (hcLgF)

41 "IF there was a God, after all we are talking Democrats. The Wrath of something or other."

The Wrath of Grapes! Or something or other......

Posted by: Intrepid at January 12, 2010 08:48 AM (92zkk)

Jonesy: One minute garden clubs were all over, beautifying the state, and then....they were gone. And for a second, I thought I heard.....
Capt. Mancuso: Heard...what?
Jonesy: I thought I heard singing, sir.

Posted by: Crazy Ivan at January 12, 2010 08:50 AM (DNVxw)

43 This would make a great comedy. Think of all the unemployable actresses who would vie for a role to be a "garden club lady from MA". think of it in the hands of Disney, uproarious laughter and a new villain based loosely of course on dear old Martha.

Posted by: curious at January 12, 2010 08:52 AM (p302b)

44 Know your place, SERF! You must PAY for the priveledge of tilling the King's Fields!

Posted by: Coakley at January 12, 2010 08:53 AM (pZEar)

45 the big menace is a war against terrorists who may or may not exist -- that's right, Terry Gilliam was writing the script for Bush's liberal opponents twenty years ago. Important point... It highlights how, aesthetically, leftards are habitually drawn to martial and warlike subject matter. The guy who directed "The Hunt for Red October" is a hard lefty, ditto James Cameron (Aliens, Avatar, etc.), and so forth. Leftards love the fantasy of violence in the service of Correct Political Movements. Yet they accuse conservatives of being the warmongers.

Posted by: George Orwell at January 12, 2010 08:54 AM (AZGON)

46
Kneel before Sod!

heh

Posted by: Dang Straights at January 12, 2010 08:55 AM (fx8sm)

47 She's a useless commie asshole - just like your president.

Posted by: Filthy Scandi snowbilly at January 12, 2010 08:57 AM (BxtwP)

48 George O: Oh, absolutely. If they weren't physical cowards we'd be knee-deep in blood.

Posted by: Trimegistus at January 12, 2010 08:58 AM (hcLgF)

49

On my way to work this morning I ran across a couple of Mass Moonbat Votors.

A town cop shooed them off the road so I could pass.

Posted by: sickinmass at January 12, 2010 09:01 AM (Dxfei)

50 HORATIO CAINE: Looks like someone was hoping for a green thumb and ended up with gangrene.

<YEEEEAAAARRRRRRGGG!>

Posted by: A Jerry Bruckheimer Production at January 12, 2010 09:02 AM (doEqS)

51 I live in So. Calif , and I remeber the time that the local D.A. sent an undercover vice squad team down to the local bowling alley to investigate aligations of illigal gambeling activities occuring there. After a three month investigation , they arrested twelve eighty year old senior citizens from the local retirement home, in handcuffs, because they had been wagering a quarter per game per game on the top score of each game. I can't tell you how glad I was that the D.A. cleaned up the blatant corruption in my city, and I understand it onnly cost $200,000 for the investigation.

Posted by: Kevin at January 12, 2010 09:05 AM (iagrR)

52 Am seriously worried about some of my friends who were republicans and then suddenly changed to democrat and seem to be totally brainwashed. they simply refuse to think and accept everything thrown at them. And, worst of all, they say "if something was really important, don't you think the media would be all over it?" I try to tell them no, that the media is just more government and they laugh at me and won't listen and then deride me for not joining either party and being willing to take a stand. Ugh this is maddening ..

Posted by: curious at January 12, 2010 09:07 AM (p302b)

53 What an ass! Are these are the intellects David Brooks refers to? Decisions like this confirm the complete lack of common sense of many so-called intellectuals.

Posted by: mot at January 12, 2010 09:10 AM (8Tn0o)

54 And, worst of all, they say "if something was really important, don't you think the media would be all over it?" That is the default attitude of at least 52% of the nation. A recipe for disaster.

Posted by: George Orwell at January 12, 2010 09:11 AM (AZGON)

55 I for one welcome our new Communist overlords.

/s

Posted by: RJ at January 12, 2010 09:17 AM (ADbI4)

56 Silly stuff, and I enjoyed the sarcastic comments. But truly, this is the kind of big brother, nanny state idiocy you can expect when the government expands its reach.

Posted by: RM at January 12, 2010 09:24 AM (GkYyh)

57 Who do they think they are, Charlie Rangel?

Posted by: kefka at January 12, 2010 09:31 AM (n1uMU)

58 Curious, and George: at times the wilful blindness of Democrats almost makes me wonder if something paranormal is going on. Like maybe Obama's secretly a telepath capable of controlling minds. It's scarily plausible -- all his political opponents conveniently self-destructing, people like CJ or Peggy Noonan turning into fawning supporters. That theory also explains why the Congressional leadership are pursuing such a self-destructive strategy: they're being puppetmastered by a narcissist.

I'm not saying I believe this -- but if I knew I was going to meet President Obama I might put some foil in my hat to be safe.

Posted by: Trimegistus at January 12, 2010 09:41 AM (hcLgF)

Growing Azaleas to beautify your community? Bad. In need of regulation.

Growing your own weed to save beer money? Cool. A right in need of protection.

a lefty's version of good government.

Posted by: mark c at January 12, 2010 09:46 AM (SBIko)

60 How dare these white women steal work from patriotic undocumented immigrants?

Posted by: Warden at January 12, 2010 09:47 AM (lEqfY)

61 Don't bother with the foil hat, all you need is a pitchfork and a garden club apron and you'll have him getting all tingle on you and wanting to get his picture taken with you. Obama does love him some gate crashers..nobody comes out without a picture.

Posted by: ford at January 12, 2010 09:50 AM (Ki7fm)

If the garden clubs are using sickles, they may be ok.

Seriously, these idiots in government put policies in place that always have unintended consequences. The gardens that surround the public places that these garden clubs tend will either fall into disrepair and become weed ridden blights on the landscape if these clubs can't comply with these onerous requirements. This could eventually result in more crime ("The Broken Window Theory") over time. In any case, it's going to cost city governments more money because they'll either have to do the work themselves (hiring more city employees or contractors) or deal with the consequences of neglect.

Posted by: runningrn at January 12, 2010 09:54 AM (CfmlF)

63 Five dozen comments, and not a single _kulak_ joke?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kulak

Posted by: yasha at January 12, 2010 09:56 AM (EG2vj)

64 Hey now, a tax cheat's a tax cheat. Regardless, of their contributions to the beautification of the landscape.

Posted by: Timmy G. at January 12, 2010 10:06 AM (RykTt)

65 Seeds of insurrection

Posted by: OhioDude at January 12, 2010 10:16 AM (GKEJR)

66 My lawyer says he can get me sprung if I claim I have sickle-cell anemia. Help me, Harry, you're my only hope!

Posted by: Imprisoned Garden Lady at January 12, 2010 10:31 AM (HjPtV)

67 Too many posts after this one, but what the hell.

Read the comments on that article. The top ten are all slamming her - and have +25 thumbs up with zero thumbs down. In Taxachusettes. Or however that's spelled.

Even a freaking Boston Herald article on gardening has a freaking reader revolt on it.

Posted by: Al at January 12, 2010 10:31 AM (0lyUI)

68 The lesson to be learned from this, is, of course, never volunteer to do anything in your community; if they don't go after you for taxes, the local unions will be hot on trail, trying to punish you for supposedly stealing their jobs.

"Let's make a difference!" indeed! (Snort!) Refuse to volunteer!

Posted by: Rhinestone Suderman at January 12, 2010 10:44 AM (q5Hmz)

69 Just another example of Coakley and Democratic PRIORITIES. Gotta squeeze that last dollar out of those ladies.

Posted by: GarandFan at January 12, 2010 10:52 AM (ZQBnQ)

70 70 The lesson to be learned from this, is, of course, never volunteer to do anything in your community; if they don't go after you for taxes, the local unions will be hot on trail, trying to punish you for supposedly stealing their jobs.

"Let's make a difference!" indeed! (Snort!) Refuse to volunteer!

Indeed. Kind of ironic since our Precedent was plugging that whole "volunteer for America" sham.

Posted by: runningrn at January 12, 2010 10:57 AM (CfmlF)

71 Coakley has it figured out. All those terrorists who left Afghanistan? They're in the Garden Clubs!

Go get 'em Martha -- and don't let those old ladies fool ya -- they're downright dangerous.

Posted by: JBean at January 12, 2010 10:58 AM (HJCCQ)

72 Garden Club Ladies=Extra Airport Screening

Posted by: runningrn at January 12, 2010 11:10 AM (CfmlF)

73 #24: Amen. I cannot believe more people aren't aware and writing about Martha's OTHER adventures in the AG office. Ann Coulter's Dec.9th column was about the Amiraults. The last line is classic.

Posted by: ktgreat at January 12, 2010 11:17 AM (kJmfs)

74 You have to get your intel on the enemy when and where you can. The 'garden' club is just one small peek into the lives of these dangerous christian terrorists. Some of them likely have boys that belong to 'model' rocket clubs, or archery, or worse.

Posted by: John Galt at January 12, 2010 11:18 AM (F/4zf)

"In any case, it's going to cost city governments more money because they'll either have to do the work themselves (hiring more city employees or contractors) or deal with the consequences of neglect. "

JOBS!

Posted by: HappyGoLucky at January 12, 2010 11:28 AM (be5IN)

76 Our favorite three letter word.....oh, shoot.

Posted by: HappyGoLucky at January 12, 2010 11:29 AM (be5IN)

77 I made an obama-voting mistake (props to IMAO, love the verbiage).

Posted by: HappyGoLucky at January 12, 2010 11:30 AM (be5IN)

78 Purple Avenger, thanks for the anthem link. I think I'll blast it during The One's State of the Union Speech (my Russian sweetie will either want to kill me or die laughing.)

Posted by: bigpinkfluffybunny at January 12, 2010 11:50 AM (KWhJd)

WTF was that language on the video?

I thought we gave them a reset button?

Don't they have to sing in English now?

RACIST

Posted by: The One at January 12, 2010 11:56 AM (2+9Yx)

Many years ago in Grosse Pointe the ladies did the same thing when told there was no money to fix potholes on Lakeshore Drive. They bought sawhorses and patching asphalt, put on tea party dresses and hats, packed picnics and started patching the holes. When the police came to arrest them the oldest (80's) who was sitting under a tree rest began to cry, traffic began to stop, and the police were suddenly dealing with a very public situation and ladies apologizing for trying to help as they clumsily tried to pack up their repair materials, explaining that the city didn't have time or money but they (the ladies) did and they were sorry, they thought the were helping, etc., etc., etc.

But Grosse Pointe's conservative, and those women had powerful husbands.

The city found the money to fix the street and the women had a lovely picnic lunch.

But a good lesson: Exposing idiocy that stops it.

Posted by: Biblio at January 12, 2010 12:10 PM (y5VNb)

Growing Azaleas to beautify your community? Bad. In need of regulation.

Growing your own weed to save beer money? Cool. A right in need of protection.

a lefty's version of good government.

Posted by: mark c at January 12, 2010 01:46 PM

Second..motion carries. This will now be part of the AoS Lifestyle(tm).

Posted by: hutch1200 at January 12, 2010 05:34 PM (YIXZf)

82 Martha Coakley thought having a green thumb means your thumb wants to save the environment she wasn't aware it did not mean that

Posted by: B35tomothergaston at January 12, 2010 06:14 PM (59Zz2)