1776. Reborn.
“I have learned a long time ago. When they come up and say this has to be done and has to be done immediately, there is no other way of doing it, you have to sit back and take a deep breath and nine times out of 10 they are not telling the truth,” he said.
“And this is one of those nine times.”
Related: WSJ: Paulson will keep “reserves”
To legitimately invoke the commerce power, Congress must show not only that a federal program is necessary but also that it is proper- that is, the program does not violate other foundational principles, such as federalism, separation of powers, and limited government. Congress has not made that showing.
Indeed, the bailout quite clearly violates the Constitution’s separation-of-powers principle- in particular, what has become known as the nondelegation doctrine, which states that Congress may not delegate its legislative power to any other entity, including Cabinet departments of the executive branch. Article 1 of the Constitution states, “All legislative Powers … shall be vested in Congress.” A plain reading of the text shows that lawmaking is for the legislative branch, which does not include the Treasury Department. Yet when Congress authorized the bailout package, it gave Secretary Henry Paulson unprecedented power to act as a super-legislature.
Our nation is at a crossroads, morally, economically and socially. We have forgotten that government cannot be all things to all people. Instead we seem to have taken on the mantra that everyone “deserves” some sort of government welfare or benefit in their life. Government is, after all, a “partner to the taxpayer”. This, despite the fact that shortly this country will be in debt to the tune of one trillion dollars.
$1,000,000,000,000 in debt.
Thats $8,620 per household.
The war, the economic stimulus package, the prescription drug benefits, the mortgage rescue bill. These things do not come without cost. And yet Washington continues to spend, to pile on and to needlessly waste our precious, precious tax money. Government acts as if it will collect the same amount from taxes irregardless of the fact that we are in economic turmoil that mirrors the Great Depression.
Like most people, I don’t want the government to provide the answers. I don’t want taxpayer money being used to benefit an individual at the expense of the majority. I don’t want someone else’s tax money handed to me.
Why is it that we, as taxpayers, accept government growth? How did it come to be that government would be allowed to en mass itself without clear explanations as to why, or how? Take for example state budgets. In Idaho, even in the absence of new governmental programs or regulatory requirements, our state agencies submit annual budget requests for 3-4% more than their prior years budget. No new programs or benefits are derived from said money, it is just caulked up to, “increased costs” or “inflation”.
But within the example of our state budgets is also our solution.
Take for example the State of Hawaii. Facing a daunting $900 million dollar budget shortfall, Republican Gov. Lingle ordered cancellation of a rapidly growing government sponsored health care plan called, “Keiki Care”. The programs intent was to provide free medical care to families who did not have current health insurance coverage for their children. The problem with Keiki Care, according Dept. Of Human Services administrator was that, “People who were already able to afford health care began to stop paying for it so they could get it for free”.
In Arizona transportation projects are getting scaled back drastically in an attempt to find some fiscal sanity in these tough economic times. The Arizona Republic reports:
The Valley’s freeway and mass-transit projects are short $4.5 billion as tax revenues plummet, construction costs soar and government bonding capacity stalls, the transportation director for the region’s planning agency told stunned mayors Wednesday.
And than back to my home state of Idaho where Gov. Otter recently ordered all state agencies to trim their budgets to meet a $15.8 million budget deficit. Forbes.com notes:
Those most affected by the cuts are the state colleges and universities, which lose $2.8 million, and the Department of Health and Welfare, down $5.4 million. Public schools will lose $14.2 million, but that will be made up from an education reserve fund.
Vacant positions won’t be filled, but few state workers will lose their jobs, officials said.
In other words our state leaders, many of whom deal with much stricter budget rules that the Federal Government, have begun the process of shrinking government. Trimming the state budgets unilaterally, reducing governmental expenditures, reducing the size and scope of state projects and canceling duplicitous and wasteful government spending is what is needed just to keep our budgets in line with what we are already being taxed.
The time seems right to ask ourself: isn’t it time for the Federal Government to do the same?
Related: NYTimes.com: Deficit rises and consensus is to let it grow
I am angry at the current discussion of bailing out Wall St. firms with taxpayer money.
Look- families are hurting as a result of double-digit inflation that is souring our ability to buy food and gas. Most people have lost a great deal of equity in their homes, or worse, now owe more than the property could be reasonably sold for.
The so-called “economic stimulus package” did nothing, let me repeat that- nothing!, to offset the average American’s depreciated household income. It was a cruel joke, a reminder that current times really are bad and can only be reasonably expected to get worse.
Our retirement accounts have taken huge hits, much bigger hits than what is reasonable considering normal market ups and downs. And what’s worse, in the case of my wife’s retirement plan, we get to watch as its value is utterly obliterated. We can do nothing to stop the losses- the company controls the plan.
AIG, Countrywide, Fannie Mae/Mac, the auto industry- where is the “bailout” for the little guy?
Giving $700 billion dollars to failing institutions is not sane, rational or reasonable. The institutions are failing or becoming insolvent as a result of their own actions. Why are the taxpayers expect to foot the bill for the greed of predatory lending? Investment banks and insurance companies that made bad loans should be expected to fail. Any bailout money, if there should be some, should be used to prop up new business and organizations, not promote the continued failure of the old.
McCain- you are running a campaign as a “maverick” against earmarks. What is so maverick about voting in favor a $700b plan that has more sweeteners and incentives than any other legislation currently being considered? You are an absolute and total failure as a Republican party presidential candidate. You can no longer claim your war on earmarks as a centerpiece of your campaign. I am furious that you, a representative of the party that believes in lower taxes and less government, would vote for this bailout bill.
I guess what does it matter anyway, with as bad as things are getting for most Americans, any sort of bailout for the taxpayer wouldn’t help much. It certainly didn’t work with the economic stimulus package. I guess the Washington D.C. folk have decided for us that it would better better for main street homes to go bankrupt and not be able to buy food, gas and clothing. No, instead the largest corporations in the world need the money first.
McCain I got on board your campaign after you selected Sarah Palin as your running mate. I am writing now to say you just cost yourself my vote. You have proven, once again, you do not represent Republican principals. You do not speak for the silent majority.
You want to stimulate the economy? Take that $700b and subsidize the cost of gasoline, the real cause of most American’s economic troubles at the moment. Cut taxes to boot and we can work our way out of this mess, but bailing out Wall St. is not the answer- the real answer is to get the economy moving again by freeing up money in American’s pocketbooks. Cutting taxes and using that $700b for domestic oil production is the real answer to this mess.
But then again, McCain would rather, “reach across the aisle” to find a solution. In other words, make government bigger. We can all laugh as this “bailout” only makes things worse. Mark my words.
Isn’t progress great?
RedState.com: $700b, “We just wanted a really large number”
Spooky. And to think if 23 more representatives had switched their votes this “not based on any particular data point” law would of been enacted.
From the RNC: Barack Obama has requested nearly $1 Billion in earmarks since entering the Senate in January of 2005. And you want to put him in charge of the whole country’s budget?
Apparently $1.38 Billion isn’t enough for the supposed conservative head of Idaho Public Schools. No, now this Republican, who allegedly believes in limited government and fiscal responsibility, wants his annual budget increase. This time, mouthing the Idaho Education Association’s main goal, Luna wants to increase your tax burden to $1.5 Billion.
Quite simply, this is disappointing. I did not fight so hard to get Luna elected only for him to continue to burden the state with grotesqueness of the Department of Education’s budget. So far, it has been more of the same old, same old “5% increase” and “increase teacher pay” mantra every year.
I know he is fighting for merit pay for teachers. But that is an idealogical battle, that is going to take time. What about stopping, or at least shrinking, the growth of the budget monster that is the Idaho Department of Education now?
What is alarming is that Luna implicitly rode the coattails of the school vouchers and fiscal responsibility movement only to propose more growth and more taxation. It’s unconscionable that Luna is requesting a budget increase for the single largest government entity while so many people are suffering because of the economic downturn in the nation.
How about tightening that belt Tom? How about cutting out funding for your “Pro-United Nations” Assemblies or your “Celebrate Mexican Heritage” day? How about reining in the “discretionary” funds that school administrators are given, which inevitably are dolled out in a free-for-all come the last week of the budget cycle?
Or better yet, how about shrinking the size of government? Why not order a comprehensive audit of your department? Are you too afraid to ruffle the feathers of the IEA? Are you too afraid to shine the bright spotlight of fiscal accountability into the black hole that makes up your budget?
I expected so much more from Luna. As it seems, it appears I get more of the same. Waiting for merit pay is not an acceptable alternative to stopping the tax burden of the Idaho Department of Education.
Add this note to the rising taxes, falling values file:
Homeowners around the country are up in arms over the amount of property taxes on homes that have plummeted in value.
In some cases, the trouble is caused by property-tax assessments that lag behind the real-estate market by several years. Other disputes are caused by homeowners who believe that the national housing slump should automatically mean a lower tax bill for their home.
Valuations in many areas– which are generally based on sales prices and a physical review — are performed every few years, or even more infrequently, so recent changes in home prices may not be reflected in tax bills. Even in areas where assessments are done annually, there is a higher-than-usual degree of agitation.
I personally have experienced this in my local property tax assessment. My property tax evaluation went up over 30% because some heartless, nitwit, bureaucratic, tax vampire chose to double the value of my land.
This despite the fact that about 10% of the homes in my subdivision are up for sale and many of them have been on the market for well over a year and half. This despite the fact that the home across the street from mine is listed for for the same as what my tax appraisal states (its 400 square feet bigger and with a bigger lot). This despite the fact that the second phase of our subdivision has sat idle for over two and half years due to the housing downturn.
When I pressed the person in charge for my city’s evaluations for an explanation he said, “well we haven’t done a review of [your area] in 6 years, so it’s about time we caught up to the growth”.
EXCUSE ME? This is coming from the man that is assigned to properly value my cities property tax values every year!!! Given the state of the economy you chose the absolute worst time to start doing your job you little slime ball weasel. Why don’t you go find a recent windowed grandmother or recently divorced mother and choose to collect back taxes that you just ”discovered” right now too? It would seem to fit your style.
Then, you will love this, he goes on: “Its not an exact science, some times we have to fudge the numbers and guess based on comparables out of area”.
Unbelievable.
Irk doesn’t quite measure up… I am wholly and royally pissed off.
Of course, the real reason that Canyon and Ada county residents are seeing their property tax valuation jump is the fact that they chose to vote in the new Community College district. Did you really think you can be provided a new “government service” without paying more taxes? They want to milk us for all we are worth to “properly fund the startup” of this new taxing district.
Keep in mind that Canyon County still wants to gun a new jail tax down our throats as well.
But hey, now business gets taxpayer-funded vocational training via our new community college!
Sigh….
Isn’t progress great?
And guess what? We all get to see our property taxes spike because you voted it in! Thanks!
LATimes.com: Along with $4 gas, many luxaries going down the tank (file under effects of high gasoline prices).
ALSO:
Current Price Of Oil (Per Barrell)
What That Will Mean At The Pump (See chart, from their site, per gallon):
Minico High School (Burley, ID) English-as-a-second language teacher Dan Luker has been charged with mutilating the flag under Idaho Statute, which is punishable by 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. This follows the May 5th incident in which he ripped the United States Flag off the wall and stomped on it to show his hatred for America.
Some students had brought Mexican flags to the school that day in celebration of Cinco De Mayo, which recognizes Mexico’s victory over the French army in 1862.
One student had his Mexican flag taken away and put in the garbage can by gym instructor Clint Straatman. Luker said he was responding to that incident, and that his actions were also trigged by the school administration’s indifference to what he called generalized mistreatment of Latino students.
This story pisses me off so much:
1) Why is an American school celebrating a foreign country’s holiday?
2) Why is Clint Staatman not being treated as a hero?
3) Why do we allow public schools to have radical anti-American insurrectionist liberals teaching our children?
4) Why do the taxpayers have to cow-tow to the illegal immigrant population by teaching them with their own special set of teachers?
5) Why are the taxpayers being forced to waste money charging someone with an unconstitutional law? Why not just charge the teacher with disorderly conduct, or threatening the safety of students? How about aiding and abetting the enemy? Let’s get serious on those who will destroy American for other nations.
6) Why is the media not reporting that this teacher destroyed an American flag to promote Mexico and Mexican interests?
7) Other sites note Luker was trying to take down the flag, “because it was a distraction”. Really? Being patriotic and proud of your country is now a “distraction” to liberal fascists?
This story is a perfect example of what your children are being taught at public school. And the Idaho Department Of Education wonders why only 12% of Idaho parents would choose public school if they had a choice.
It’s clear that private or home-schooling is the best choice against the indoctrination of your child. However, in the end the taxpayers won this one: the ESL program is being dissolved and Dan Luker has resigned his teaching position.
Apparently the Mayor’s daughter isn’t the only one with City Government connections to get a stipend from the Mayor’s State Of The City budget. The Statesmen reports today [yeah, I know, they are actually reporting some news for once]:
Another of this year’s winners, Sara Steele, is an unpaid youth member of the city Parks and Recreation Commission; another, Breianna McCutchen, was a paid intern in the City Hall during the school year.
This reeks of cronyism and abuse of taxpayer’s money. It doesn’t matter that the actual scholarship monies did not come from the tax base itself; the funds were generated at and for a function of city government, the State Of The City address, and as such, needs to have all its functions and services under the scope of public scrutiny.
In other words, one cannot simply push this under the rug by calling it private money. The money is directly controlled by the Mayor and is being raised in direct relation to a function that she was elected to do, namely give a annual and statutorily required speech on the state of the city.
The Statesman also rightly calls into the question the integrity of the screening process:
Yet these scholarships were awarded with minimal safeguards. The mayor was not involved in the judging. The 14 student’s names were blacked out on their applications.
In RoAnne De Weerd’s case, this step probably had little effect. Three of the four judges were members of the Meridian Promise board, which Roanne co-chairs. One judge, [former] state Rep. Mark Snodgrass, hired RoAnne de Weerd to work on on his state Senate campaign - a fact that Snodgrass says was not blacked out on her application.
City Council member Keith Bird - another scholarship judge - said he could tell right away which application came from the mayor’s daughter.
So the Mayor raises the funds in her capacity as the city’s executive and then appoints a faux board to oversee the decision making process to award scholarships to those involved with the city politicos.
The outrage on this subject should neither be quaint or silent. This is a clear conflict of interest that should have long ago been done away with via city regulations on the subject. Appearances matter- Tammy and the City of Meridian could have easily removed all controversy on this subject by doing one of two things:
1) Accepting that it is part of a city function, the State of the City address, and make city employees/elected officials campaign workers and their families ineligible for the scholarship
or
2) Not have the scholarship tied into the State of City budget and have the Meridian Promise Board run it in its entirety.
But those choices where not made and as such the scholarship comes under the jurisdiction like that of any other taxpayer service. Its no wonder Mark Snodgrass lost his re-election bid if he was part of corruption like this.
Taxpayers should be able to expect transparency and fairness from the services that come from their elected officials offices. Its about accountability and your role as an elected official. The words “done without taxpayer money” should raise red-flags to every voter.
LedeAgenda.com publicly calls for all four of these scholarships to be pulled from the recipients. A fair and impartial second process should be established. That is the only acceptable course of action given that these scholarships were under the direct control of the Mayor. Additionally, to preserve the free-market application of scholarship money, LedeAgenda.com calls for the Mayors office to release all control over the scholarship to the Meridian Promise Board.
More updates as they become available.
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