Lots of Letters Today

I went on an email rampage today after a few good downsizedc.com dispatches the past few days.

Government was supposed to be local and close to the people. Federal government was supposed to be small compared to the combined states. The 10th Amendment limits the federal government to 20 functions, leaving all other matters to the states and the people. And yet, now half of all state budgets are paid with federal money. This allows the federal government to coerce the states into complying with laws with the threat of lost federal aid if they do not. This gives Washington more power than it was given in the Constitution. Bad laws at the state level only affect that state. Bad laws at the federal level effect everyone. The states should be responsible for their own budgets without the threat of losing money if they disagree with Washington. Please reduce aid toward state budgets.

And another:

Please don't try to fix the REAL ID Act. Please, just repeal it. I also oppose mandatory electronic medical records. I certainly don't EVER want federal bureaucrats to use REAL ID and/or electronic medical records to dictate what medical treatments I can and cannot receive. I don't want federal aid to the states to be used either to bribe state governments to comply with REAL ID, or punish them for failing to comply. The REAL ID act will not make the US more secure. It only will burden citizens with more senseless government regulation and burden states with another unfunded mandate from Washington. It does not need fixing. Please get rid of it altogether.

And another:

Please introduce DownsizeDC.org's "Write the Laws Act." You can find a summary and the full text of the bill here:
http://www.downsizedc.org/wtla_legislation.shtml

Regulations will cost American families $13,000 this year. Regulations are made by unelected bureaucrats and have the power of law, and there should be no "legislation without representation." Most regulations impose undue burdens on business and do not protect the public. Congress should not pass the responsibility of lawmaking onto bureaucrats they appoint and then not take the blame when there are consequences. That is why laws should be written by Congress and only Congress. They represent the people, and are rightly the only part of government with this power. Take away the power of bureaucrats you gave power in the first place. Support the "Write The Laws Act" today.

Can't say I did nothing today...

A Government of Enumerated Powers

After reading today's Downsizer Dispatch reporting the growing number of cosponsors for John Shadegg's Enumerated Powers Act, I felt compelled to write my congressmen to support it.

Please bring John Shadegg's 'Enumerated Powers Act' (HR 450) to a vote as soon as possible, and please do all you can to support the passage of this bill. The federal government is defined in the constitution as a government of enumerated powers. The supreme court has affirmed this fact many times. And yet, most federal bills today blatantly overstep these powers. Our founding fathers knew very well what unchecked government power was capable of and wisely limited government's power. The federal government has ignored these restrictions for too long, and we already feel the damaging effects of a power-hungry central government through more and more laws that restrict rights, higher federal taxes, and more reckless deficit spending.
The federal government is not responsible for ruling the nation- each state is sovereign and can create its own laws and regulations. If these laws and regulations are beneficial, they will inevitably be accepted throughout the union. You have sworn an oath to honor and uphold the Constitution. Please support this bill and force Washington to exercise ONLY the enumerated powers given to it in the Constitution.

It is exciting that bills like this one and also Ron Paul's "Audit the Fed" bill are gaining so much momentum in congress. I suppose it is inevitable that after times of massive expansions of Federal power, people realize the harm done and try to reverse the trend- often unsuccessfully. However, the wave of deregulation after the 1930s and 40s is evidence that this sort of trend has happened before. This bill, however, is particularly exciting, as apparently the Constitution hasn't been enough to restrain overeager government. Perhaps by bringing this issue to light, the inevitably growing number of dissatisfied citizens will take notice of the injustice Washington has wrought on this nation for decades and, at least for a few years, realize that small government is the best government.