I think the title says most of what is going on right now and I do want to keep this blog post varied but concise. So with that in mind, lets roll back the AstroTurf and lay down on the grass, sip on some tea, instead of licking a politicians balls, and get back to the root cause of the matter, uncontrolled government spending and accountability.
The issue is not who promoted what but how we the people allowed the irresponsible activities in the first place and didn't force a correction 10 or even 20 years ago. Then within the last year, let some of the same people that caused the problems we are in right now, to be back in charge of the same government positions that once regulated the businesses they helped screw up and then allow them to turn around and bailout those businesses with taxpayer money. That is where the disgrace should lay is with We The People who were complacent in times of boom versus bust, who refused to participate in the process, and allowed their say in the matter to be whitewashed through a conservative and liberal media bias, the media did fail us but we let them fail us too.
I will be the first to admit that on some issues I would seem very conservative, and on others very liberal, in fact what I am is an American Traditionalist. I believe that there are certain principles which are inerrant from our Country's legacy and history, no matter how turbulent or controversial.
These attacks against our principles are very easy to overlook and pass aside when they are done in moderate form, even by our own government. They are being done now by lobbyist and the media, they were done previously by Republicans and Democrats as well as the current Administration, because we as a collective people have either failed to be educated or were failed in our education to understand the history of this beautiful Country even within its stains and bruises on other peoples histories and freedom.
Therefore as the proverb goes because we failed to learn we are doomed to repeat the same events until we remember to tell the stories of our forefathers and the lessons we learned to our children once again.
As any recovering addict can tell you, moderation is not always the key to control any habit. In some cases it has to be cut off not just at the source but at the catalyst for the source and activity, and that was the message of the Boston Tea Party and 18 months afterward our Country's Independence from the Sovereign of Great Britian.
On the 16th of December 1773, the Sons of Liberty and other colonists, dressed as Native Americans took over three ships in Boston Harbor and threw the tea from the corrupt East India Company overboard in protest of the unhealthy monopoly granted to it by Parliament as a way of allowing the colonist to get a cheaper tea but at the same pointe pay the tea tax which they despised and thought to be illegal. This of course was the resounding cry of the time "no taxation without representation" and a hallmark of American ethics and law.
(Photo: Joseph Forshaw for One Day Equals PSA
by Steph and Alek of OhLaLa Magazine)
Quick Links: [WIKI] [EYEWITNESS HISTORY]
There are major lessons that can be learned from this and also correlated back to both Federal, State, and even Local Government issues today. Let us first cover the federal issues and then the local issues and I will let all the other bloggers worry about the state level issues for now.
The Historical Aspects Of Parliament:
allowed a major corporation to have a monopoly over a particular trading commodity;
forced 20 new taxes but after revolt by the people repealed all but one...tea...to assert privilege;
instructed said monopoly to reduce the price of commodity drastically but still expects people to pay in full;
got prissy when people refuse shipment and destroy product, forced trading area ceased until restored;
paid the salaries of the local officials rather than the people that they governed;
lowered the local taxes when times got tight but then forced the colonist to pay extra to prove a point;
signed off on a tax cut for the company let it expire and then signed off on it again;
used the tax code & price fixing to eliminate the black market and officials netzero pay balance.
The Application And Principles Of History To Todays Federal Government:
Democrat Admin and Republican Congress repeals 70 year old Glass Stiegel protection against financial monopolies in 1999 which allowed Securities Companies to own Banks and Insurance Companies as well.
Attempted 20 new taxes but kept only one...tabacco... because of childrens health care and because Marboro and others loosing money from people rolling their own cigarettes and or buying cheaper products.
Is going to get pissy when people stop buying cigarettes, and start growing own tabacco, will make it illegal.
Starts to bitch about corporate salaries and bonuses uses clout/tax payers money to assert business control
Supposedly lowered the taxes on the middle class but then raised it on the upper class who own the businesses that provide the services and employment that then causes the middle class to loose their jobs and homes.
Sets there own salaries with tax payer dollars and then throws taxpayer dollars to fix the same problems they caused so the taxpayer begins to depend on their own money, but Congress gets the privellege to do it again.
Using the tax code and price fixing and grant/loan stimulus plan aka taxpayers money to prop up failing companies and dog collar/pork barrel initatives and projects that special interests groups want to happen.
Do I need to continue spelling it out for all the punditry both liberal and conservative?
The connections between what was going on in the 1770's and now is obvious to me anyway.
We have made ONE BIG ASS MISTAKE AMERICA! We have two national automakers General Motors and Chrysler, which have received an unfair advantage over their competition, Ford. Their employees and retirees are loosing benefits they worked twenty years or more for, because first the federal government said they would insure and secure them and now they are saying nope they have to make concessions on that too. Because of all this subsidies and nationalizations, industry leaders, even Honda and Toyota which are made in Greensburg and Princeton Indiana are feeling a crunch along with five other previously solvent companies because we are subsidizing their competition. That is nationalism 101 it has been proven time and again to fail horribly. (Photo: Dan Turkette)
So how do we fix it? What is the solution to the economic collapse/recession that we are in?
1. Stay informed about national state and local legislative, judicial, and administrative actions. HOLD your elected representatives accountable and don't let them get away with taking away your rights and voice.
Watch this video from the Jon Stewart's Daily Show on Comedy Central last night whose guest is Elizabeth Warren the head of the Congressional Oversight Panel on TARP. She outlines the fact that of the original 350 billion, released by the Treasury Secretary Paulson, (who was the former head of Goldman Sachs before becoming Bush's Treasury Secretary and his predecessor who was Clinton's Treasury Secretary also), actually only collected originally 66% on the dollar of assets for troubled institutions, which has now further depreciated in value giving away 78 billion dollars plus the continued depreciation of value, without any possibility of recouping the loss.
2. One of the biggest issues that caused the original tea party in 1773 and today is a failure in some peoples thought of a bloated legislature that is out of touch with the people they represent and levy taxes against. Currently each Congressional District covers on average 693,000 men, women, and children as of 2007.
In 1911, the number of Congressional Districts had risen to 435 and the House was becoming impossible to manage every ten years. It was decided to cap the total number of districts at that point and to instead reapportion them with each census so that they were roughly equal in size as the population grew and shifted. There are currently seven states that only have one Representative in the House: Vermont, Delaware, both Dakotas, Montana, Alaska, and Wyoming. Even back in May 2001, Representative Alcee Hastings (Florida 23rd) wrote a Dear Collegue letter to all the members of Congress, House of Representatives? Hardly!, in which he stated:
In the past 90 years, the U.S. has become the second most underrepresented democracy in the entire world, but the size of the House of Representatives has remained the same. In the past 90 years, U.S. population has more than tripled, but the size of the House of Representatives has remained the same.....The effect that an increase in the size of the House of Representatives will have on the American political system is obvious. Increasing the size of the House will result in a reduced amount of campaign spending, smaller Congressional districts, more personal interaction between Members of Congress and their constituents, and most importantly, better representation for the American people. (Fair Vote)
It is time for us as the American people to bring back the first amendment to the Constitution, which was never ratified by the States at the time the other ten were, with some revision of course, as the original platform [Text: Early America] would mean that we would have over six thousand people in Congress. Adjusting the Congressional Districts now after just under a hundred years of the current system would:1. Revise the appropriations of Congress from 435 to 761 or 75% increase in the Congressional Districts
2. Relocate the expanded Congress into two new Federal Districts in Denver and Philadelphia. You could either leave the Senators in Washington D.C. or put Juniors in Denver and Seniors in Philadelphia. This would also allow for a smoother transition of power if we were ever attacked because Congress is responsible for the transition of executive powers, the formation of the Army, they are the only ones who can declare war.
3. This adjustment would then allow the federal budget to be restricted to a certain amount per Congressional District as the numbers would be locked in at approximately 500 thousand in ten years time and an additional stipend per State that has to be agreed on by both Senators thereby reducing the amount of clout gained or chaos effected by just one member of Congress, and the federal budget might actual be balanced regularly, the national debts paid off quicker.
4. To control spending and income by District is essential; because otherwise, there is no accountability for extra resources being used by one part of the Country over another. In essence if District 421 generates 5 billion dollars in tax revenue but only uses 3 billion in Federal Tax Dollars, which isn't necessarily a bad thing just and issue of accountability, a. Congress would then have to validate why they are keeping 2 billion dollars of tax revenue to the constituents of District 421 or b. their Representative might get removed from office in two years for not maintaining transparency or accountability to his/her constituents.
5. By increasing the members and restricting the spending the process is opened up for all to have equal access to information and everyone is receiving a minimum amount of resources and any additional spending per district has to be brought out into the light of day rather than being peddled behind closed doors and private parties or lobbying efforts.
6. By forcing the Senators from each State to agree on their stipend budget spending, equal to that of two Congressional Districts, restores the original principles of their role as representatives of the State not just the people. There can also be a provision that any stipend earmarked by the Senators of each State must have an effect on a certain portion of the state 25%-66%, etc. so that way everyone is effected equally by their representation and advocacy.
It ultimately comes down to a question of, "Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How Much?"
There are some other things that can be done specifically by the earmark process (not all earmarks are bad) and the Truth in Legislation laws and the One Item per Bill laws and the Simplified Language laws that have watch dog groups with their loincloths crawling up their posteriors can start to readjust the process. But the main issue is that Congress was never intended to be either a. a life long career path or b. a place of secrecy and back room deals.We have allowed Congress to become a Leviathan of a creature when in fact it was suppose to be more of a pack of squirrels storing up and then dispersing our nuts between all the different knot holes.
Sorry that was a horrible tea bag pun.
That way We The People can still see them at work but at the same time not have to know everything right away, just every three months or so. We have allowed Congress to become corrupt and it is our duty as a people to correct it. Please contact your State Legislator today and ask them to start the process of forcing a Federal Constitutional Amendment to readjust Congress to serve the people and save the Country we all love. Call your Congressional Representative and ask them to have the 1911 Appropriation Act revised and updated.
That is enough about Federal Government and National Politics lets get to the more local stuff....
I've covered the Harrison Square debacle several times over, and every time I switch hands it does grow another inch, in the level of bad decisions and legal twists made by the developers of this project. The latest of course is the Courtyard by Marriott hotel which has been stalled for almost a year now due to White Lodgings inability to acquire financing and the Henry Administrations refusal to hold contract deadline requirements and fines against the developer, not to forget to mention that the requirements of the contracts have been side stepped almost every pivotal moment in the process.
The latest fiasco came up because another developer out of Valparaiso wants to build a 6 million dollar, 89 room, 4 story Towneplace Suites by Marriott extended stay hotel at the pending ICE CUBE, another regional sports arena, on the north side of town by Glenbrook Mall. This turn of events is being protested heavily by Linda Skaggs of the Northeast Indiana Hospitality Association as it would reduce the business at surrounding crappy and mid-level hotels in the same area.But the fact of the matter remains that they were able to get financing but yet White Lodging is still stalling on its requirements which are way overdue. When is City Council going to force this issue to go ahead or get our money back and go with someone else that actually plays ball and keep their promises?
...back to the local teabag parties for just a moment....
The LPAC Annual Income Tax Protest @ Main Post Office had approximately 7 people show yesterday. The tea party in Huntington had hundreds show up. Hoosiers For Fair Tax will be hosting a Tea Party at the Allen County Courthouse on Saturday the 18th of April from 11A-1P. Former Ambassador and frequent candidate for POTUSA, Alan Keyes will be the guest of honour. There will be a reception in his honour from 6-9P @ Don Halls Guest House with a donation of $10 or dinner @ 7:30P for $30 a plate.
<=====STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO=====>
F6 EDITOR: FOLLOW UP ON LOCAL INFORMATION/REPORTS COVERED
TEA PARTY COVERAGE:
hundreds showed up on Saturday; Keyes made points but rambled
18 April FTWP [Tea Party Thoughts] [Tea Party Photos][]
17 April FTWN Letter by Ric Runestad
HARRISON SQUARE HOTEL:
50% of financing secured supposedly by White Lodging
18 April WGDT Beyond The Field Of Play
16 April FTWP More Self-Serving Tripe From Hardball Capital
13 April FTWP Hoocoodanode? The Harrison Square Edition
TIN CAPS 1ST HOME GAME:
16K attend 3 game series, parking issues, positive feedback, awesome pictures
21 April FTWN NO Privacy @ Parkview Field
21 April BIFW Padres Brass Thoughts on TinCaps, Parkview Field
19 April AFWB [TIN CAPS 10-0] [Parkview Field Opening Day]
18 April BIFW At 8-0, TinCaps Are 1 of 3 MiLB Unbeaten
16 April BIFW Gallery from Opening Night at Parkview Field
15 April BIFW Kyle Day Comes Home to Christen Parkview Field
16 April WGDT Tin Caps Extend Win Streak To 7 In Opener
15 April WGDT [847 Days] [TinCaps Games To Be On Comcast Digital Cable]
15 April AFWB TinCaps home games live on Comcast!
BLOGGER CODE:
WGDT What's Going Down, Town? by The Spaulding Brothers
FTWP Fort Wayne Politics by Jeff Pruitt and Mike Sylvester
FTWN Fort Wayne News by Daniel Turkette
AFWB Around Fort Wayne Blog by Stephen Parker
BIFW Baseball In Fort Wayne by Chad Gramling
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