The Squeaky Wheel (All Users)

by jan , Raleigh NC, Saturday, December 06, 2008, 16:01 @ jan
edited by admin, Saturday, December 06, 2008, 20:32

GET INVOLVED

RALEIGH (AMP) — Opinion
Author: Jan MacKay

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

There are people who visit the state legislative buildings with their hand out, and there are people who go there to say hands off. The people looking for a handout want the government to levy taxes so that they can get their hands on it. This leads to spending that is out of control. Unfortunately, the legislators are in the business of spending other peoples money (OPM). In order to get the legislators to stop picking our pockets, people can go to the legislative building and demand they stop robbing us.

The story of Congressman Davey Crockett, speaking on the topic of government handouts, is worthy of consideration. The answer is that the treasury money is "not yours to give".

The Congress is not authorized, by the Constitution, to take money from the treasury and use it for bailing out people (or corporate non-entities) when they undergo disaster, no matter how extreme the situation.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina devastating the Gulf Coast, the federal government had no authority to appropriate tax money to rebuild Senator Trent Lott's house or anyone elses' privately owned property. It is inexcusable when there is a President and Congress who do not know that very simple principle! Congress is authorized to appropriate tax money to rebuild federal infrastructure. They also have the responsibility to intercede when insurance companies fail to honor their contracts with property owners. If the property owners build homes below sea level, and their house gets destroyed, that should be a lick on them if they are under-insured, just as it is if my house were to catch fire, and I do not have the proper insurance coverage. Predatory insurance companies need to be held accountable, with government responsible for fair and equal access to the judicial system. Whether it is just my house that burns down or it is the entire county, the economic impact on me is still the same, and no federal aid should be given if it is a worse disaster with more homes involved.

The same is true of the 2008 bailout of Wall Street, insurance companies and many others. The same is especially true of rebuilding Iraq.

If people want to give to a worthy cause, they can give their own money rather than other peoples money. However, to steal money through taxation, in order to give it to someone else, is...stealing made legal!

The power of collecting and disbursing money at pleasure is the most dangerous power that can be entrusted to man,.. Horatio Bunce to Davey Crockett

Government has to begin saying no to all the special interests who appear with their hands out. Unfortunately, government is not going to do the right thing unless people get involved and demand the government change its' insatiable spending habits.

In 2008, we had the perfect opportunity to vote bad incumbent legislators out and didn't take it. I don't think it is because voters are stupid. They are ignorant. There is a difference. Their ignorance comes from failure to learn the responsibilities if government, and lack of involvement. In general, they do not take the time to look beyond what they see in mainstream media. The next time some know-it-all ignoramus proudly says they voted for Obama and Biden or McCain and Palin, ask them who their state legislator is, or when they last contacted their representatives in Congress. Chances are their only involvement is to watch the hype on the 6 o'clock news and vote every four years.

Jan MacKay is an AMP publisher, and ran unsuccessfully for state senator in the NC General Assembly on the ballot for the Libertarian Party in 2008. http://grassroot.us/mackayforsenate