Saving Medicare

Scare and distort. That would sum up what Democrats have to offer on Medicare. Thankfully the party with a plan has Paul Ryan: http://youtu.be/DJIC7kEq6kw

Abandoning Our Constitution

By Tara Ross

In a shocking twist, ex-Senator Fred Thompson has joined the effort to abolish the Electoral College. He claims that the National Popular Vote movement is “totally consistent with our constitutional principles.”

I like Thompson. I voted for him in the 2008 presidential primaries. But his endorsement of NPV simply cannot be reconciled with the Constitution. It is a pity, because he has spent so much of his public life defending these important principles. It is puzzling that he has abandoned them now.

NPV is consistent with the Constitution?

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention explicitly rejected a nationwide popular vote for President. The small states would never have ratified the Constitution with such a system in place, for fear that they would be constantly outvoted by big states such as Virginia and New York. NPV implements the system that was rejected and pretends that it is somehow consistent with this constitutional history.

The Constitution requires approval from three-quarters (38) of the states before radical change can be made to constitutional processes. NPV is on track to change the method of electing a President with the approval of fewer than 20 states.

The Constitution implements a system that combines the best elements of federalism, republicanism, and democracy. The Founders understood from their study of history that a pure democracy “is one of the greatest of evils” that “soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself.” It is “very subject to caprice and the madness of popular rage.”

NPV shuns the lessons of history—so important to the Founders—and replaces America’s federalist, republican, democratic presidential election process with a purely democratic one.

There is more: NPV will likely cause Equal Protection, legal and logistical problems that I have discussed at length elsewhere. But even these few examples should show that Thompson and others need to more thoroughly study the history of our Constitution and the Electoral College before casually claiming that NPV is consistent with America’s founding principles.

Please visit and join the Freedom Foundation’s Save Our States Project dedicated to preserving our Constitution and Electoral College for the sake of our liberty, security, and prosperity.

Excess Federal Properties in WA State

Puget Sound Business Journal

The White House has released a massive database of all federal properties deemed “excess” and no longer needed by the government, including 491 in Washington state.

The White House statement:

“The Federal Government is the biggest property owner in the U.S., and billions of taxpayer dollars are wasted each year on government properties that are no longer needed. The President has proposed a Civilian Property Realignment Board to help the Federal Government cut through red tape and politics to sell or get rid of property it no longer needs, saving taxpayers $15 billion over the first three years after the Board is fully up and running.”

“There are roughly 14,000 buildings and structures currently designated as excess and thousands of others that are underutilized. These properties range from sheds to underutilized office buildings and empty warehouses.”

Nationally, there is a database of 12,218 properties listed by federal agency, state and city where you can find detailed information regarding specific properties. Click here to see that list.

Another Federal "Capture Revenue" Proposal

The Obama administration is floating another tax scheme that should be sunk immediately - taxing drivers by the mile.

The plan is part of a 498 page White House proposal called - and this is rich - the Transportation Opportunity Act. The "opportunity" referred to is the opportunity to take more of the money you earn through a VMT, or vehicle milage tax.

Specialized tracking equippment would need to be installed in every vehicle to electronically track miles driven. In other words, the government could potentially track not only how far you drive but where you go.

Knowing this might not sit too well with the public The Hill reports that an "awareness comunications" plan (translation: plan to indoctrinate the public) would likely be set up first.

While technically a draft, and not an actual bill, this proposal is clearly on the path to become another hideous reality of the desperate left.

It is just a bit comical to note that this proposal comes as a result of bullying the public into purchasing hybrid and electric cars. Bummer...those vehicles inadvertently result in less revenue for the tax-guzzling government to spend. No "mon" no fun!

Democratic Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota owned that in this statement reported by The Hill:

"Do we do gas tax?" Conrad asked. "Do we move to some kind of an assessment that is based on how many miles vehicles go, so that we capture revenue from those who are going to be using the roads who aren't going to be paying any gas tax, or very little, with hybrids and electric cars?"

The people's recourse is to loudly reject this proposal, and to "capture" power back from the left. November 2011 will be a great place to start.