Only the States can stop the Feds now
14. Jan, 2009 
10 Comments
by Rich Hand
It is completely out of control in Washington DC. We have a bunch of bumbling idiots in charge of the treasury and the country’s future. Talk of trillion dollar deficits, cap and trade, bailouts, tax welfare to those that don’t pay, taking over our healthcare and economy; like in the Meatloaf song “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” where the woman screams – “STOP Right There, before we go any further do you love me, will you never leave me…”
The state Governors must pull out their pocket constitution and read the 10th amendment carefully for their next step in strategy. Instead of putting their hands out, they should be shutting the door on the federal government. As Raficki in the Lion King says to Simba- “It is time…”
It is time to refuse the unfunded mandates, audit the cost the federal programs like Medicaid, and the impact it is having on the states both financially and socially, review our Return on Investment of our tax dollars in Education, and decide if we are a nation of freedom or going to allow the federal march toward tyranny?
If the Governors had the guts that our Founding Fathers had, this would have been done a long time ago. They gave the states the rights, now we need some leadership to stand up for those rights. The states are not perfect but at least we can drive to our State Houses to protest, support or influence our government. It is closer to home and more controllable.
We need the feds to focus on national security, the war on terror, trade policy and that’s it! They have shown no competence to handle even those things but as a constitutionalist, we have to give them their legal due. Just a thought…
Rich Hand was a 2008 candidate for congressional district 5 in colorado. Formerly a Republican, he has left the party after 16 years because of his disappointment with its direction. He is a dedicated family man, the author of My Life; Ignored! and a musician with 3 CD’s. Visit his blog at http://whoisrichhand.blogspot.com/
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I received this from Rep. Key of the Oklahoma State Legislature:
December 22, 2008
Subject: Tenth Amendment Resolution
Dear Friend,
I want to give you an update on the 10th Amendment Resolution. Last year the bill passed the Oklahoma House 92-3. It was not heard in the Senate because the Senate Democrats refused to let it be heard. I have refiled the bill for the upcoming session as HJR 1003.
This coming session should be different because the Republicans took control of the Senate. The margin in the 2009-2010 session will be 26 Republicans to 22 Democrats.
It is not guaranteed that the bill will be heard or passed. This is where I need your help. I need you and everyone who cares about preserving our constitution to contact your state representative and state senator and tell them you want them to support HJR 1003.
If you live in a state other than Oklahoma, please contact your state representative or state senator and ask them to file a 10th Amendment Resolution in your state. If you do have a legislator in your state that is interested in sponsoring a bill, please let my legislative assistant know and we will be in communication with them. My assistant’s name is Sharon Brown. Contact information for Ms. Brown and my office is:
sharon.brown@okhouse.gov or 405-557-7354.
Thank you for your efforts and help in saving our constitutional form of government.
Sincerely,
Charles Key
CK:sb
“bind him down from mischief with the chains of the Constitution.”
Thomas Jefferson
Eric – good to get an update on that – hope you’ll keep us informed of any new progress. This is an important step, that I hope others in states like New Hampshire, Maine, Montana (and the rest) will continue with…
WDC is completely out of control is true but what is the Controller/ruler of WDC?
State Governors do not Hire (elect) anyone in WDC and it is incorrect to expect the States to correct WDC. It is the U.S. Citizenry, not government federal or State Officials, that is/are obligated to correct WDC.
The Citizenry, and no one else, hires (elects) all 435 Members of the House of Congress every two years; reference Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution. The Citizenry can also fire every Lawmaker in the country simply by voting to not reelect them, Incumbents. Therein (the Citizenry/Ballot Box) resides the only constitutional power in the world to correct WDC.
Allan
Allan,
I think the point is that the further government is from the governed the less responsive they are to the people and the more they cater to special interests. The States, via the voters, can reclaim their 10th Amendment rights. This of course requires Federalists to work very hard to elect state level legislators who vigorously support the 10th Amendment. So yes, you’re right inn that it is the responsibility of voters but I believe we need to concentrate on decreasing the power of Washington and increasing, or returning, the power of the states. I don’t think anyone is advocating that the states somehow bear the burden of responsibility without the support and input of voters.
Eric,
The States simply do not have the power or authority to hold
Federal Elected Officials to the Oath of Office.
Only one constitutional power exists to hold all, Local, State, and Federal Officials to the Oath of Office and that power resides with the People and the Ballot Box.
All Elected Officials, and all Judges, are required to that an Oath to support (honor/obey) the Constitution; reference the last paragraph of Article VI.
The People can’t “constitutionally” hire (elect) any government Official to do anything else than to honor that Oath.
Allan
I think you’re missing the crux of the argument. If the states pass a state law, like Oklahoma is trying to do (http://townhall.com/columnists/WalterEWilliams/2008/07/16/oklahoma_rebellion) that reaffirms their rights under the Constitution then what the states begin doing is simply ignoring all legislation coming from DC that violates the Constitution’s limits on federal power. Arizona tried to pass a bill in Nov that would have exempted them from any national health care plan and they used their 10th Amendment authority as the basis for the proposed law. So in effect it becomes irrelevant to the emancipated states what DC says IF the states determine that the federal legislation runs roughshod over the authority of the states.
I think I have missed nothing and have no objections to the States making an honest attempt to boot the fed out of the State. Seems that was tried in earnest around 1861 and failed miserably. On the other hand I am not sitting around waiting on, or expecting, someone else (the State) to do my duty in citizenship. It is the Citizenry that is duty bound, obligated, to keep a constitutional government, both federal and State.
Every citizen has exactly the same power as the other to control government, one vote to hire Lawmakers and can fire corrupt Incumbent Lawmakers simply by voting to not reelect them.
The States cannot fire federal Lawmakers. The laws that bind citizens and States are federal legislation and only Congress can repeal federal legislation. As long as Congressmen are reelected federal legislation never will be repealed.
The very best effort I know of today to boot the fed out of a State is TC2K (Texas Constitution 2000) and Texans are not supporting it when all they need do is ratify it.
Allan
This is so great and it makes me proud to be an Oklahoman!! When Oklahoma passes this legislation, it will send a message to Washington DC as well as the citizens of Oklahoma. Sometimes people feel like they don’t have enough power or authority to make a difference but, when the state stands up, it gives the people strength to stand up. Now, more than ever, we need to stand up to this blood sucking bunch in DC before it’s too late.
Good luck, Kathy,
But it will be 2010 before we, the people, can do anything forcefully about it. At that time only the people can and should fire, via the ballot box, Congressmen for not honoring the Oath of Office. Let’s gear up for 2010 and not depend on anything else (State) but ourselves.
Allan
Kathy please provide any news you hear about this.