Thursday, December 30, 2010

The Constitution Forbids It…

The Constitution is clear where legislation must be proposed; the House of congress. Article I section VII and VIII make clear that the responsibility for legislation at the federal level is the responsibility of the House. The idea that federal bureaucracies can make “rules” that become laws that include punishment for breaking such laws, is unconstitutional. The EPA, FCC, FAA, and every one of the other thousand agencies have no authority to set laws for the states.


Let’s take for instance the EPA that has bankrupted farmers in California to “save” a small fish that finds its way into the irrigation system or the recent FCC ruling to start regulating the internet. Federal agencies have taken the legitimate role of oversight to the unconstitutional role of creating rules and laws that have squashed businesses creativity and ability to expand operations.

Some may argue that the congress has already legislated the rules and the bureaucracies are just enforcing the laws they have created but this is simply not true. The federal bureaucracies have been expanding their roles and creating what is ultimately legislation by implementing processes that end run the congress and the legitimate creation of law...

Through intimidation, increasing barriers to entry into an industry, by using faulty science, regulatory bodies have become de facto legislators. These bureaucracies are unaccountable to the people and are a great excuse for legislators that agree with their leftist agenda to hide behind for political cover. It is rule by tyranny. They set the rules and we have to abide by them. But where is their authority coming from?

There are many levels to pick this apart but the first level is the constitutionality of any of these bureaucracies. Where in the constitution is the authority to meddle in the internal states affairs regarding the work rules (OSHA), irrigation and water to farm (EPA), and the free and open market on the internet (FCC). The commerce clause is the left’s answer but the abuse of the commerce clause must come to an end. Precedence be damned. We must take every case individually and apply it to the original intent of the constitution.

The commerce clause was created to make commerce regular among the states. When goods were traded and transported between and through states, it was determined by our founders that the confidence and stability of clear standards of conduct was beneficial to the economy of the United States. Making the rules regular would encourage commerce and break down trade barriers among the states and the countries the United States traded with. It was not intended to determine the hours of labor a man worked in a factory or on a farm in any particular state. Our founders understood the power that a strong and vibrant private sector was for the strength of our country. They were the biggest promoters of private business and trade. It seems our representatives are the biggest roadblock to private enterprise and free trade. How times have changed.

Even if you could make a constitutional argument that any of these regulatory bodies have a role in one of the federally enumerated powers, it is still unconstitutional for congressional representatives to pass on responsibility of creating rules that are truly laws to any other government body. If we follow this logic we would have no constitutional republic. For example, Congress could simply pass a law that said all legislative powers are herby handed over to the Department of Energy for the good of the country when the matter is energy policy. Would this be allowed if this was stated outright? There would be outrage, I would think. The people would no longer be in control of their government, bureaucrats would be in control.

We have too many federal bureaucrats with too much control of our lives at the federal level. We have failed to defend the constitution, and in particular the Tenth Amendment. We have for too long accepted the trampling of our rights by overzealous central planners who were the intended target of our founders in the Constitution. It is not surprising that the same people that defend central planning believe the Constitution is a “living” document that must be open to interpretation of the most current circumstances of the people. It is not surprising that these central planners would like nothing more than to continue to ignore the intentions of our founders and the new Tea Party movement.

The Tea Party is made up of people that believe that words mean things and our Constitution is our guiding law that was intended to keep control with the people and the states. The Tea Party is a movement to educate and protect the founding principles that encourage private business and limit government interference. The fact that we have allowed the Constitution to be ignored and federal bureaucracies to expand is not an excuse to throw constitutional government away.

The Constitution is there to be defended and used to bring this country back to the miracle it once was. It is not too late to defend it or enforce it. But we must understand it. Presidents have used uncertainty and hard times as an excuse to ignore the Constitution. We must use uncertainty and hard times to re-establish the foundational principles to return to greatness…

Monday, December 27, 2010

Live or Let Die?

Deciding what to do at the end of one’s life is not the decision of any government bureaucracy. It is an individual choice that is a painful and difficult decision for both the individual facing that decision and the family members of that individual that must live with the loss.

The fact is we are all going to die. Some of us will die unexpectedly, others will die naturally, and for some the end of life becomes so painful and agonizing decisions on how much longer they will live can be the catalyst for ethical and moral clashes. Some people that have been fighting cancer or other debilitating diseases are often in circumstances that become unbearable for that individual. Quietly they choose to move on to the next life and concede the battle. It is generally a peaceful process that is comforted with some of the wonderful drugs that have enabled us to ease the pain of our loved ones.

In some cases family members struggle to accept the inevitable process of dying and interject their own desire and selfishness to keep their loved one around through extra ordinary measures. Even when individual patients have DNR orders (Do Not Resuscitate) it is not unusual for family members to intercede and frantically request their love one be “saved”. This is not for the benefit of the patient but rather a guilt or unresolved issue with the family member. It is a very personal experience and every family works it out every day across this country. Rarely is the decision made based on money, it is usually the reality that the family member has made their peace with the world.

Healthcare and dying are personal. The dignity of patients and their families is paramount. There is no place in this decision for a federal government bureaucrat. But that is what is happening. Through the use of “incentives” for doctors to either be financially efficient or utilize specific programs that reduce the cost of maintaining the elderly, the federal government has worked their way into that very personal relationship between a patient, doctor, and family. The efforts of the federal government to influence a doctor’s decision on care, especially end of life care is not only unconstitutional it is morally appalling.

Healthcare has been hijacked by the government and insurance companies by creating a false marketplace that has no built in mechanisms to control itself. Just as it is a personal decision as to whether or not I purchase health insurance, it is a personal choice, and my individual right to liberty how I decide to manage the end of my life. I am not talking about promoting assisted suicide; I am promoting individual freedom and liberty. I don’t need the morality police or the federal bureaucrat deciding any aspect of my private care. I can choose to fight cancer with all of my power and resources or I can choose to save my resources and allow the natural outcome of my decision. Every individual should have that right. It may be uncomfortable for some but freedom is a very uncomfortable but undeniable right.

That is why I am vehemently against government in the healthcare industry. We need more private market incentives in the basics of healthcare allowing for a better market to develop for end of life care. We are all going to die whether we want to face it or not. But the federal government should not be impacting that aspect of our lives in any way. It is not only unconstitutional - it will end up being a criminal enterprise if allowed to continue. You mark my words…

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

A Simple Man…

I consider myself a simple man that sees the world from a very practical perspective. I don’t believe things ever have to be as hard as they seem. It is probably why I am a conservative that leans libertarian. It makes simple sense to me that when we respect the individual’s right to be free, everything else makes total sense.

I think the founders were simple men. They were simple which is what made them brilliant. By looking at the world through the eyes of the individual they were able to see the future clearly. They also had a profound interest and curiosity for history and invention. They spent much of their time creating things to advance the industry of the day. Whether it was a better way to run the farm or creating the first tool to copy written documents, the polygraph, it was their passion as individuals to help other individuals improve their lives. They had little interest in running the lives of others. They had been there done that and decided there was a better way.

As we look at the state of our country today it is clear we have lost the simple notion that we are better off when we allow each individual to learn how to fish rather than feed them the same. The evidence is clear and simple to understand. As we have gravitated away from protecting the individual liberty of our citizens and replaced it with a collective wisdom that we know what is best for others, we see the destruction that is left in the path of collectivism.

The Black community has been devastated by the collective notion that these individuals are incapable of helping themselves. It is simply discrimination in another form. We are robbing this community of their ability to find their own happiness and success in life. For the past 50 years we have been told that we are not doing enough for this community but the simple fact is we are doing too much. By undermining the individual spirit our founders treasured, we have begun a transformation back to a time where Kings and royalty decided what was best for the kingdom. We are headed back to the future to steal a popular movie series title.

The current efforts to regulate what our kids eat, who gets access to the internet, stealing the wealth of hard working individuals and giving it to others under the guise of fairness, we continue to destroy our foundational principle. It is not cold hearted to want people to succeed on their own; it is compassionate to do so. It is not selfish to want to keep what we earn for ourselves or future generations of our family; it is the source of compassion. When individuals are able to create excess wealth they tend to share that wealth with others that are less fortunate. Not through force but out of a compassionate heart for their neighbor. Taking by force through taxation causes resentment and the result is less compassion and giving. It is a simple truth if you just take a moment to think about it.

The end of what is happening in our country is simple to see if we just follow through to the logical conclusion. We have seen it before in our own history. Oppressive taxation and regulation, meddling in individuals private affairs, and ignoring the will of the people were the impetus to our first revolution. It is not a threat but simply a fact. At some point individuals will take back their rights as individuals to keep their wealth, freedom, and happiness from an over reaching government bureaucracy. We as Americans live by a simple creed which is live free or die. It is actually the state motto of New Hampshire but it resides in every American heart. From our military to our kitchen tables we will not allow the government to determine our fate without a fight.

The Tea Party of today has been awakened by the same emotions that were stirred in 1773. History is repeating itself right before our eyes if we simply think about the circumstances of today and at our founding. The pundits and media can’t see it because they are part of the collective wisdom that they know better than us what’s good for our country. They shutter at the word revolution but for individuals that care about our constitution and country the word gives them hope for a better future. It is not about violence. It is about a simple principle, we as Americans will never concede our right to be free to pursue happiness. It may be offensive to some that we wish for a simpler form of federal government but we don’t care about offending the elite. We relish in it.

The American Revolution was simple in concept. “When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another…” Our Declaration of Independence that embodied our spirit as individuals and a nation is as relevant today as it was in 1776.

It seems simple to me that we are at a point in our history where the Tea Party will spark another revolution that will again revive the spirit our founders so engrained through their simple wisdom and understanding of human nature. I do not know what it will look like this time around but there is no doubt in my mind that the country is ready to tell its government: “we simply can’t comply”…

Thursday, December 16, 2010

A Perfect Example…

I recently learned the High School I graduated from in 1977; John F Kennedy in the Bronx has finally closed its doors. I say finally because it has taken an ugly journey all too common with government run programs.

I was in the second graduating class of JFK. I was one of only a few in my neighborhood that attended a public High School. Most of my friend’s parents paid for their kids to go to Catholic High Schools known for teaching and discipline that graduated students competent enough to get a job or go to college. Most public High Schools in NYC were incubators of failure. But JFK did not start that way. That is one of the reasons my parents risked sending their oldest son to the school.

The school was approved for funding based on promises made to the neighborhood residents that surrounded the campus. Our families were told that JFK would be different; if the school was built the neighborhood would be guaranteed a good education, and would not suffer the fate of most of the other public schools in the city. The school was built, and for the four years I attended, many of the promises were realized.

The first principal of JFK High School was impressive and he took a no nonsense approach to education. Show up or get thrown out. Teachers were encouraged to teach and supported in their efforts to do so. Security was heavy to ensure “kids” with ill intent were kept out of classrooms and not allowed on the school grounds. He kept some sense of order.

The kids from the neighborhood came from decent family backgrounds not typical of most students in the inner city. The advantage of having interested and engaged families that supported the principal’s goals was a good foundation for the school’s academic success. For a little while the school operated with relative success for a public High School in the Bronx.

Over the years the school exploded to house over 6000 students. It was built for approximately 4000. The neighborhood changed and the parental engagement was replaced with gang activity. Eventually this activity resulted in a student being murdered at the school. The school achieved the ranking of being the worst High School in New York City. An achievement that I am truly sad to report being an Alumnus. An attempt was made to take the school and divide it into 6 different schools with a focus on different disciplines. The attempt to salvage the school with this effort failed.

So the inner city is left with a building built with hope and promise sitting empty. The public school system has failed another generation of inner city kids that will have less opportunity than their peers. It is heartbreaking to watch. It is really personal for me having seen it first hand and knowing that the answer is to allow private institutions to teach these kids. The answer is not to keep rewarding public schools with our tax dollars. The answer is more complex than just poor schools but if we don’t change the schools we will never break the chain of hopelessness for these inner city kids. We will pay tenfold for the failures of these schools and government dependency.

When will enough be enough? I’m not talking about money because NYC public schools spend in the vicinity of $15,000 a year per student, well over the countries average. When will we face reality that we need a solution that does not count on government bureaucracy? When will we let educational entrepreneurs take a shot at educating these kids? What have we got to lose?

Government run schools and programs always start with good intentions. Government programs always deliver the same results; failure. The government has no soul and cares nothing about the lives they destroy as long as politicians and bureaucrats get paid and keep their jobs. Government has proven test after test that they don’t understand the material and will continue to fail no matter how you mix up the questions on the test. Government does not deserve our trust or the trust of these victims within our cities. They are the most vulnerable because they can’t pick up and go to a better school in a better neighborhood. We need to bring better schools to them through private organizations with a passion to teach.

Trying something new is the least we can do for these kids. As public schools become havens for gangs, drugs, and danger these kids are left to the squalor of government and politics. They deserve a better effort on our part and what is the worst that can happen? These kids get an education that can save them from a life of dependency on a government that has failed them for generations…

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

The Tenth Amendment Rendered Meaningless…

If the governors of these United States don’t start stepping up to the plate in a more aggressive manner, the Tenth Amendment to the United States will be rendered meaningless. The constitution is already on life support, and the Tenth Amendment is the critical arguing point in this battle between centralized tyranny and local independence.

I shudder when I hear governors groveling at the altar of the federal government as Governor Elect Nikki Haley of South Carolina recently did when she asked the president to “allow South Carolina to opt out” of the healthcare bill. This is not constitutional leadership. We need our governors to start studying the history of this nation and start employing the same arguments that were made then, resulting in the Bill of Rights including the Tenth Amendment.

I get perplexed when I read our history and compare the political fights we are having today. It is appalling how weak our state governments have become compared to their domination at the founding of our country. Where did we go wrong? I believe the first fundamental principle we have allowed to slip is our understanding of history and our founding. Along the way politics, civics, and history have taken a back seat to pragmatism, and a casual undermining of our true history.

We have allowed big government advocates to paint big government as a compassionate institution that is there to help people. We have allowed the constitution and its fundamental principles to be undermined by tortured arguments by Supreme Court justices and power hungry presidents, as they mangled the original intent without a true debate of the ramifications these changes would have for future generations. We have allowed blind emotion to drive decisions that have destroyed millions of American lives with government dependency, and the only result; a few liberals feel good about themselves. We have forgotten how to argue on principle and have accepted short term gratification over standing on principle to achieve more difficult but sounder and moral results.

The Supreme Court has been allowed to become too powerful when the founders intent for the court was simply to determine the constitutionality of laws created by congress. It was never intended to be a body that created laws for the nation. It is an equal branch of government that has been used too often to provide cover for weak kneed politicians that don’t want to do the hard work they are constitutionally required to do. The states have become too complacent to bad federal law and have relegated their responsibility to provide for the states, rendering the Tenth Amendment meaningless.

When coal mine expansion in the state of West Virginia is being held up by a federal bureaucracy that is protecting bugs over jobs, and governors accept this as normal, the Tenth Amendment is rendered meaningless. When the federal government believes that a smelt is more important than the farmer in California, and the governor accepts this as normal, the Tenth Amendment is rendered meaningless. When our government is passing bills to force our kids to eat certain foods, and the governors accept this as normal, the Tenth Amendment is rendered meaningless. When the federal government continues to make decisions affecting state budgets beyond the scope of its constitutional authority, and governors accept this as normal, the Tenth Amendment is rendered meaningless.

History proves that the Tenth Amendment was critical in the passing of the United States Constitution, and without it the states would have never ratified the document. The arguments for and against ratification were passionate and revolved around a desperate fear that a central government would one day dominate and limit the freedoms that individuals had sacrificed their lives to ensure. Today we have a central government that people fear is stealing their individual liberty and ability to pursue happiness. The Tenth Amendment is not meaningless, it is the pivotal amendment to return the federal government to a limited role and to protect the liberties our founders fought so hard to achieve…

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The War on Wealth…

The left in this country, including this president have waged a final battle against the creation of wealth in this country. Since our founding, the American spirit has been driven by opportunity to better one’s circumstance through industrious labors. The people that came to this great land were lured by only one thing; opportunity to improve their lives through hard work and limited government intrusion.

The world was a different place before America, and opportunity to create wealth for your own consumption was a “foreign” concept. Most citizens of the day worked to improve the standing of the ruling class. There was little opportunity for individuals to prosper in the pre-America world. The world’s economic output was often incentivized through fear, coercion, and force. Not until the new American Experiment did the world have the chance to see how much more effective economic growth could be when put into the hands of the individual and the rewards of that labor left in the hands that created it.

The creation of wealth in America became the fuel that lifted millions of people around the world out of the most despicable circumstances through the generosity and ability created by individual ingenuity and wealth. When individuals are incentivized through private property and keeping the fruits of labor it is no mystery as to why wealth explodes and raises the circumstances of all within a society. It is simply the harnessing of human nature. Our instinct to provide for ourselves actually fuels our instincts to help our neighbor. The problem we have seen in America is that for too long the wealthy have been fueling compassion, and the recipients have forgotten where this charity comes from.

The tax system has become a mechanism to take one man’s fruits and distribute them to another for no sensible reason. We have seen generations of low income Americans become locked in a system that breeds dependency and steals the incentive to make it on their own. This system has become an industry with the captains of that industry being politicians. These politicians have a self interest in perpetuating poverty and dependency. They fund their “industry” by demonizing the wealth creators, creating envy, punishing wealth, and redistributing the wealth through punitive taxation. This war on wealth has created a class of people that now believe they are entitled to the wealth that is created by these individuals.

We are becoming morally bankrupt as a nation when we believe a person’s success should be a source of scorn and disgust. The question is never “when is enough, enough for the individual wealth creators”. The reality is the more wealth they create the more goes back into society in the form of jobs, investment, and charity. It is not the government’s role in America to decide that question. The government has become over reaching and must be returned to its constitutional role once again. These wealth creators should be celebrated as they were at the founding of this great republic. Without the incentives of individuals to keep the fruits of their labor we harvest less fruit. As the fruit diminishes the dependent class gets restless and demands more from the captains of their industry. The captains demand more from the wealth creators and we find ourselves back in a system where wealth creation is driven by fear, coercion, and force. The engine sputters to a halt and collapses on itself.

We are not far from this point right now. Our tax system must be utilized to provide only the services necessary to conduct a law abiding society. Individuals again must be incentivized through the rewards of their labor. Right now the wealth creators are slowing down their activity because they are being punished and demonized. The wealth creators have not received their rewards through any special circumstance but the industrious spirit they pursue. The envy, jealousy, and demonization of the wealthy is going to destroy the American Spirit. Wealth distribution has already destroyed the people dependent on others. If we don’t stop demonizing wealth we will have nothing to demonize in the very near future…

Monday, December 13, 2010

First Step is Read the Constitution’s; Tenth Amendment…

South Carolina Governor elect Nikki Haley had a few challenging questions for the President during her two day visit to the White House.

It was extremely discouraging in my opinion as I read the quotes attributed to her; “In an exchange recounted by Haley and confirmed by White House aides, Obama rejected Haley's request to repeal the health care bill - but said he'd consider letting states opt out of its mandates if they ran exchange programs, banned insurance firms from denying coverage of pre-existing conditions and enabled people to pool together for better rates.”

"I asked him if the state of South Carolina gave solutions, so we're not just saying no, would he allow us to opt out or allow any other state to opt out should they choose," Haley said. "He said that he would consider an opt-out provision if it contained three clauses."

News for both the president and governor elect; read the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution.
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people”

And while you’re at it, find the enumeration that gives the Federal government the authority to force Americans to carry health insurance.

There is no need to ask the President to “allow” South Carolina to opt out of healthcare. Has he become King Obama? What is this? I had higher hopes for our new Tea Party candidates.
The Governor elect goes on to say:

"I think right now what's best for me is to go back to South Carolina, look at all three of these issues and then make a decision," Haley said. "I want to start to research on what it would take in order for us to do something to meet his provisions.”

"The goal is to make sure that we are giving choices to the people of our states and not mandating them."

Here is my advice; the first step in your research Governor is to read the Constitution and take particular notice of the Tenth Amendment.

My God what has happened to our country…

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

A Winning Message and Protecting Our Constitution…

As a constitutional conservative it is frustrating to watch the important arguments win on merit but lose in messaging. The GOP has to find a better message consultant and messenger. My choice for messenger would be Marco Rubio. He knows how to proudly speak for the ideals that have made this country great. He understands that the government is not the answer and is most often the problem. And he asks the important question that so many politicians ignore; does this (insert program or idea) belong at the federal level based on the constitution?

I am starting to wonder why politicians swear to uphold the constitution. Many of these same politicians support or promote programs that are unconstitutional. We are no longer running this republic under the guidelines of the constitution. Since 1932 or so, we have had an onslaught of politicians and judges ignoring the constitution or using tortured arguments to get unconstitutional arguments and legislation past the voters and into law.

I recently watched a Republican Congressman argue we need a constitutional amendment to allow states to opt out of federal programs. Excuse me; it’s called the Tenth Amendment! There is precedent for Nullification of federally mandated laws that states believe are unconstitutional. It is all right in front of us and them if we understand our history. We currently have anarchy when it comes to interpreting our history. Politicians and pundits are continually pontificating about how their idea is constitutional based on some hair brained argument. The public sits there and listens and believes them without doing any homework on the constitutional validity of their argument. Simply put, we have become lazy in thought and that allows these people to perpetuate false arguments and ideas.

If you listen closely to the current battles going on in Washington, Obama is winning. Every opportunity he gets he hammers home the idea of class warfare. Republicans and conservatives are against the middle class and for the rich and wealthy. The republicans want to take away the unemployment benefits of the working class for the sake of the richest and wealthiest Americans. The perception (messaging) is that republicans and conservatives don’t care about the “working” man. As if the rich and wealthy don’t work? They work more, that is why they are wealthy and rich.

The message must be rejected and reversed on Obama. The argument should be that Obama is a job killing president because he punishes the businesses that hire Americans. We do not have a revenue problem at the federal level of government - the democrats and the president have a spending addiction that is stealing our children’s American dream. America has been exceptional because we value the private entrepreneurs and job creators that have fueled economic growth. The businesses that create jobs that pay employees actually fuel the government. The government produces nothing. Every government job is the courtesy of small, medium, and large employers. We believe class warfare ended at the inception of America. We fought for our freedom so every individual had an opportunity to prosper. This administration is trying to bring back the caste system that keeps people in the classes they were born into through dependence on government programs. And the message goes on and on… You get the idea.

The message must be repeated constantly just like the left and liberals do. They say we are for the rich, we say we are for the employers who create the jobs and the people that want to work. They say we want tax cuts for the rich, we say we want tax cuts for every working American regardless of how much they earn, it’s their money. They say we want to increase deficits, we say we want spending caps and a balanced budget amendment. They say we want to cut programs, we say we want constitutional government. They say we don’t want to extend unemployment for working Americans, we say we want to end unemployment…

The media is biased and we must say it more often and louder than the left. But we need a message that resonates every time the left lies about our intent. We need a messenger that believes in our constitution and our exceptionalism. We need to know our history and we need to take the fight to the left and their sympathizers every hour of everyday at every opportunity…

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Time to Move Past GOP…

We just handed a historical crushing electoral win to the Republican Party in November that came with a mandate to reduce and control the federal government. It was not because the republicans earned our votes; it just happens they are the only alternative to the insanity on the left. In the voting booth, many held their noses, many were proud to send Tea Party candidates, but all voters were putting politicians on notice that if you drift we will punish. I know Republicans don’t have the internal constitution to do what America needs; reduced constitutional government but what alternative did we have?

Yesterday the Republicans were touting how they have “compromised” a deal to extend the Bush tax rates for everyone. Extending the tax rates for everyone is good but if they didn’t get a deal done in the lame duck it would have happened in the new Congress. The “compromise” was extending unemployment that is now going on two years and the “Death” tax (estate tax). My question is why compromise anything?

Politics is in the state it is because of compromise. I and many others hired these people to stand on principle. Principles are not to be compromised. The death tax is immoral and all of the assets that are passed down in an estate have already been taxed or are being taxed. This class warfare against working Americans is a disgrace and those that participate in perpetuating the myth that these successful Americans have somehow received a special break is ignorance, and usually an argument used to benefit left leaning democrats for their left leaning constituency.

Why compromise the principles that hard work needs to be rewarded? Why extend unemployment benefits because of government incompetence? Unemployment insurance after the first extension is welfare. Those that are turning down work because it pays less than unemployment are choosing to be welfare recipients. Many two income families are taking any benefit that is given but have also reduced their efforts to find work as long as not working continues to pay. Are there people that need help? You bet. But unemployment benefits are not the mechanism. I have known a dozen people that have been laid off, and I know a dozen people that have found work. Not always the work they want, but work to keep paying the bills for now.

That is the American spirit and principle. These are the people that need to be rewarded by reducing government and increasing certainty so the private sector will invest and therefore create jobs.

The republican’s focus should not be unemployment extensions. The focus should be on why the job creation engine is not starting. And the answer is simple; too much government interference. The voters know it and it is why they sent a new congress to Washington. Instead of compromising on unemployment extensions the Republicans need to do what they were hire to do; reduce government.

So it begins. The Republicans have already prepared us for 2012. We need to find a new home for our hopes and dreams for America’s future. We need politicians grounded in constitutional government. We need to strengthen the Tea Party movement to prepare for the inevitable disappointment we are going to get from the Republican Party. They don’t get it. They are willing to compromise at a time when they have the country with them like no other time in history.

If the GOP will not stand on principle now; they will never do it…

Friday, December 3, 2010

Net Neutrality Isn’t Neutral at All…

People are being hoodwinked into thinking that the government getting involved regulating the internet is a good thing. Who could be so gullible? People that read headlines instead of analyzing what the consequences will be once government gets involved; less access, more expense, and intrusion into the free market and best frontier for small businesses to compete. That’s right, the same people the advocates are pretending to protect (the small business and individual) is the same person that will be crushed by the FCC. The law of unintended consequences will rear its ugly head.

The reason people are concerned stems from concerns of bandwidth usage by content providers like Netflix. This type of content gobbles up bandwidth and impacts the performance of ISP’s, and has forced ISP’s to consider charging their customers more for this bandwidth service or not offering these services at all. Either choice for the ISP will be an issue for their business. But to have the federal government get involved is the wrong answer.

There is a red herring argument as well being used that large companies will dominate and control the information people seek on the internet. For example, large ISP’s could restrict other ISP’s services or access to them. Here’s the rub; they haven’t so far because they know if they do customers will flee to another provider. The market has worked and all of these people using the class warfare and evil corporation arguments are speculating and underestimating the power of the market to control itself. The same people that don’t think individuals can take care of themselves are the same people pushing net neutrality. All of the most liberal organizations are supporting this hand over of control from private companies to the FCC to our peril.

What if all the ISP’s and large players on the web got together and decided to block usage of one particular service? That is already protected under monopoly laws. We have seen a similar fight in the browser markets already. We have seen no evidence to date that we need the FCC getting involved. The free market will reward and punish the behavior it (the market/me and you) deem inappropriate.

People that are supporting the government’s intrusion say it is not “fair” for them to pay more for higher usage. And the providers of this content like Netflix say it is not “fair” that they will not have access to these ISP customers. It sounds like a perfect opportunity for another player in the market to compete. Asking the federal government to “solve” a market issue is dangerous, and is a great opportunity for the camel’s nose (FCC) to get under the tent.

The government at every level, local, state, and federal is trying to get its nose into the pockets of every aspect of the internet. The reason the internet has boomed is because there is little current regulation. The market has prevailed to keep entry costs low and competition fierce. That will change with net “neutrality”. Besides ISP’s either raising prices on everyone or getting out of the market, the regulation of content and taxation of individual websites and Blogs is high on the FCC’s priority list.

The federal government is also trying to introduce a version of the “Fairness Doctrine” on news outlets they don’t like; like everything conservative. Conservative news outlets and Blogs have exploded in popularity on the web because the market has chosen to subscribe, read, and listen to these outlets. The left hates the fact they can’t compete in the arena of ideas, and the only way to “compete” is to limit your access or shut down the outlets by forcing these outlets to provide an opposing view to their views. Huh! There are a billion opposing views on the internet and to force a conservative or liberal outlet to give their competitor a voice is already happening.

It is a guise to ruin the most popular networks like the “evil” Fox News, Drudge, and so many others that have outlets on the web... It made for really bad radio until Ronald Reagan ended it, and it will crush free speech on the web if the feds get their way with net “neutrality.”

There is nothing neutral about this really bad idea. Congress has defeated the bill but the FCC is going to move forward without authority. This is lawlessness by the FCC to move forward without the vote from congress. These unelected bureaucrats are changing rules against the will of the people. I can’t believe most thinking Americans can support this effort.

When people see the facts my guess is the will not…

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Broad Brush = Broad Failure

The federal government approaches everything they do with the “broad brush” approach. It is one of the reasons the founding fathers were so against a large centralized government. They knew from history, experience, and facts that the larger the central government the more likelihood of a broad brush approach, and eventually tyranny and failure.

It is the reason for the tenth amendment and the Bill of Rights. The focus of our republic is on the individual’s rights, and state’s rights that encourage different approaches to government to better serve the people. It is why Madison stated “the powers of the federal government are few and defined”. Madison knew a central government would be inefficient in serving the people. It is too far removed from the individual and state’s needs. It was seen as better to rely on individual ingenuity. The common defense, common laws on the transport and taxation of commerce, were an example of where they saw a relevant need for the federal government.

Our founding fathers were prophetic. But anyone with a sense of history, human nature, and a grasp of reality knows that their prophesies were not as magical as they appear. Why? Because they are based on the principles of human nature and natural law. The more things change, the more they stay the same. The only reason we keep going back to these failed “communal” and centralized planning policies is because there are always humans that believe they are the chosen ones to make it work “this time.”

The egotists of the world always believe that the utopian policies have just not been implemented and communicated properly. We are seeing it again in full force with the current president. The constitution and the tenth amendment were written specifically to keep a man like him in check. But keeping him in check takes effort from we the people. We can’t count on a piece of paper, no matter how miraculous and prophetic to enforce itself. It takes us to enforce our rights.

The broad brush approach to welfare has given us dependency and has stolen the dreams of generations of black Americans. The broad brush approach to education has given us a morally and financially bankrupt system that no longer educates but indoctrinates our children. The broad brush approach to healthcare is destroying the most innovative and effective healthcare system ever seen on this planet. The broad brush approach to a retirement “supplement”, Social Security is threatening to bankrupt the nation and every child’s ability to live in a free and prosperous nation.

The constitution is our answer to every issue we face. The tenth amendment is the battleground where this war against an out of control federal government must be waged. We must fight against the broad brush approach before the entire republic is brought to its knees.

Get to know your constitution and be prepared to resurrect the tenth amendment