Stop Federal Growth Now, Not Later

Rick Salbato – May 08, 2009

 

Over the last two weeks I have been very depressed.  I was encouraged by TEA PARTIES, but after thinking about it, even educating the government about the will of the people will not work in time. 

Elections will be held again in 19 months, and maybe we, the people, will kick out enough liberal Democrats and Republicans to stop the great expansion of this government.  But as long as Obama is president we cannot repeal what he and his congress has already done and will do before people are sworn in February 1911.

By the time we could do this through Federal elections, it would be too late to save America from total financial collapse.  Just in what has passed already in the last year will put the Federal Government in debt 16 Trillion Dollars.  That does not include the entitlements of Medicare and Social Security, which will be another 60-80 Trillion Dollars.  This is debt and debt is not real money. It is what you owe and cannot pay back.  In fact, we will not even be able to pay the interest on it even if we print trillions of dollars and delete the value of money down to zero. 

The problem is that the Federal Government is doing what they have no constitutional right to do.  The Tenth Amendment Gives only limited power to the Federal Government and everything else to the States or the people.  These powers are limited to foreign commerce, printing of money, settling disputes between States, and protection from foreign threats.

President Teddy Roosevelt

This power grab of the Federal Government accidentally started with a Speech by President Teddy Roosevelt, to a meeting of all the State Governors of the United States in 1902.  Because of advice (or maybe even pressure) from Andrew Carnegie, Roosevelt wanted to improve the water-ways, highways, railways, mining, electric dams, and even land conservation of this nation. 

His argument was true and right.  He said that the Constitution gives states to make interstate contracts for these projects, but they must all agree.  The use of these waterways, railways, and highways will help all the commerce of the states.  Andrew Carnegie, the richest man in the world, wanted access to this transportation to move his iron, steel and coal. 

All this was good, but for one thing.  Andrew Carnegie wanted the Federal Government to organized and control the work between the states instead of the states working out the details together.  This was one of the great government works of all time, except for that last detail, as innocent as it sounds. 

Years later this would be used as a method and an excuse to grab power for the central government.  Although not intended by T. Roosevelt, this conservation of land ended in a massive land grab by the Federal Government.  No where can I find where the FG has the right to own the land of any state unless that state sells that land to the FG.  And I cannot find anywhere in history where this happened and yet, in some cases the FG owns as much as half of some states. 

The 1956 Highway Bill

A good example of how the above program was used to expand the power of the FG is the 1956 Highway Bill.  A great program and a great and needed idea, except for the way it was funded.  Instead of creating a master plan approved by the states, and having the states build and maintain them, the Federal Highway Trust Fund, took over all the financing including the year after year maintenance. To this day the FGTF sends money to the states for the (now called) Federal Highway System, and who controls the money makes the rules.  A few years later, when the FG wanted to pass a national law about the drinking age of minors (something they have no legal right to do), they threatened to stop the highway money if any state objected. 

Federal Money, Federal Power

After the Second World War and the increased tax that financed this, the FG ended up with great financial power, even if it did not have Constitutional power.  It used this financial power to persuade the States to give up their power, by simply giving them money with Federal Controls on it.  A good example is the massive amounts of Federal money pumped into the education system, with Federal controls attached to it, including President Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” bill. 

In order for States to take back control of their own school systems, they must stop accepting Federal money.  However, most of these states have used the same money they used to put into schools and are now spending that for other programs they do not even need. 

The entire reason for the so-called “Stimulus” plan is more government control over States.

The entire reason for the so-called “Bank Bail-out” plan is more government control over banks.

The entire reason for the so-called “Auto Bail-out” plan is more government control over manufacturing. 

The coming “Card Check” bill for Unions does not have an Constitutional authority, but if the States do not challenge this bill, the FG will control all labor throughout the nation.

The coming “Global Warming” Cap and Trade bill is not about Global Warming but about FG power over every means of production first, and later about a World Government that starts with one International Law on energy. 

A GOOD IDEA BUT NOT NEEDED

Last week I wrote my ideas for the upcoming Fourth of July Tea Parties, listed some of the stupid FG programs, and pointed out that 90% of them should be completely eliminated. 

I loved Rep. John Shadegg’s bill before Congress, numbered H.R. 450, or the Enumerated Powers Act, states,

"Each Act of Congress shall contain a concise and definite statement of the constitutional authority relied upon for the enactment of each portion of that Act. The failure to comply with this section shall give rise to a point of order in either House of Congress. …"

This is great but now that I think about it, we need to undo what has already been done, and this does not do that.  As stated above, by the time we undo what has been done and will be done, it will be too late. 

However, there is a better idea.

Stand Up and Say, “No”!    

Just stop letting the Federal Government break the law, and stand up and say, “No more”.  I am not talking about breaking the law, but enforcing the law through your state laws.  This was not my idea, but I love it.  Let me give you some background. When it seemed that Obama was going to win the election, the people did something spontaneously one by one without any organization.

They legally purchased 2.7 million guns before the end of the year.  In the first three months of this year they had 3.7 million background checks and bought 1,529,635,000 rounds of ammunition in just the month of December. Yes, billion!

Just in a few months the American people bought enough guns and ammo to arm the two largest armies in the world combined - China and India.  

Considering 15 million background checks in the last 12 months that number is going to grow a great deal.

I am not advocating taking over the government by force, do not want to, and do not think it is needed.  Consider that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms is "deeply rooted in this nation's history and tradition" and long has been regarded as the "true palladium of liberty," so it therefore must be applied against state and local government weapon restrictions as well as federal gun limits.

The states of Montana and Texas have done something related to the above, but will have far reaching ramifications that can be used to completely stop the Federal Government from violating the Constitution anymore, and do it now. 

The state of Montana’s legislative passed a bill, signed recently by Democratic Gov. Brian Scheitzer.  This bill is called,

"An Act exempting from federal regulation under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution of the United States a firearm, a firearm accessory, or ammunition manufactured and retained in Montana."

It goes on to say that Guns, accessories and ammo made, sold and used in Montana do not require any federal forms: There will be no firearm registration, serial numbers, criminal records check, waiting periods or paperwork required.  Texas has passed almost the exact same bill.

"The regulation of intrastate commerce is vested in the states under the 9th and 10th amendments to the United States Constitution, particularly if not expressly pre-empted by federal law. Congress has not expressly pre-empted state regulation of intrastate commerce pertaining to the manufacture on an intrastate basis of firearms, firearms accessories, and ammunition,"

Author Enest Hancock on At the FreedomsPhoenix blog, said:

"This will prompt a showdown between the federal government and the state of Montana. The federal government fears citizens owning guns. They try to curtail what types of guns they can own. The gun control laws all have one common goal – confiscation of privately owned firearms," he wrote. "Montana has gone beyond drawing a line in the sand. They have challenged the federal government."

But it will do more than that; it will open the door for States to kick out every Federal Government program from their state that is Unconstitutional.

This is People Power if you have the courage.

Richard Salbato