Mr. President, "Disaster Relief" Is Not Yours to Give

Peroutka 2004 ^ | 12/30/2004 | Peroutka

[worldclass]

The real issue here is whether such so-called Federally-funded disaster “relief” is Constitutional. And the answer is very clear: No, it is not. There isn’t the slightest Constitutional authority for Federal tax dollars to be spent for disaster “relief.” Thus, any such expenditure of Federal tax dollars for disaster “relief” --- foreign or domestic --- is illegal, unlawful.

[HitmanLV]

No it's not heartless but a legit question.

I am only saying that those crying a constitutional foul on matters like this don't know the USC, history, or legal tradition.

I never suggested we must exert assistance in times like this. I am just saying there is no constitutional bar to it.

Anyone who argues that there is a bar is just wrong.

[BJungNan]

It means exactly what it says. I have decided to pay close attention to neutrino's posts.

I guess I should have asked why. But, I will go have a look at their past posts - thinking I may have an idea on this one.

[Miss Marple]

If you like, I will explain in private.

[Howlin]

I sometimes wonder how many of them are just nutbar leftists making outrageous posts in order to make conservatives look bad.

Go to the head of the class.

I have NEVER personally known anyone who fits the ridiculous stereotypes of conservatives the way that some posters here do

Because there are only about 20 of them in the entire world -- but, of course, they are all registered here.

[HitmanLV]

We have a 200 year history behind what I am saying. What's behind what you are saying, historically, pragmatically, and morally?

Get with it.

[calex59]

I think that for a forum that is supposed to let people express their thoughts and for people who are for individual freedom a lot of you spend a lot of time dissing other peoples thoughts. This guy has said what he feels. If you agree ok, if you don't agree, do it in a respectful manner. Calling people insane or other names and making insulting remarks really isn't my idea of being a good conservative or Christian. I agree with some of what this guy says. I certainly don't agree with what some of his disenters are saying, I.E.: if it isn't written in the Constitution then the feds can do what they want. The constitution says other wise. In this case however I think the people would go along with the aid, I know I do. I do however want to curtail taxes and spending in this country, as for individual freedom, we have no freedom without individual freedom. Collective freedom isn't freedom because the individual is thrown aside. The state isn't the supreme body, the people are and we need to get back to that.

[snowsislander]

A quick trip to Governor Bush's Florida Hurricane Relief Fund's website gives a list of corporate donors:

New! Year-End Report.
Click here.

Donors

Corporate Donations, $25k and above

Corp. Donations, Alphabetical Order, as of 12/10/04
A.G. Spanos Companies	$100,000
ABB, Inc.	$25,000
Abbott Laboratories	$100,000
Affiliated Computer Services	$50,000
Ahmanson Foundation	$100,000
Allstate Insurance Company	$50,000
Altria Group, Inc.	$100,000
Altria Group, Inc.	$50,000
Anheuser-Busch Foundation	$500,000
Apollo Group, Inc.	$50,000
Aramark	$100,000
Archer, Daniels, Midland	$100,000
ASTAR Air Cargo, Inc.	$25,000
AXA Advisors, LLC	$25,000
BancServ, Inc.	$50,000
Bank of America	$1,000,000
Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.	$25,000
Bell South Telecommunications	$150,000
Bell South Telecommunications	$50,000
Benfield	$25,000
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida	$100,000
BlueCross BlueShield of Florida	$100,000
BP Foundation	$25,000
BP Foundation	$25,000
BP Foundation	$25,000
BP Foundation	$25,000
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company	$100,000
California Community Foundation	$93,073
Carnival Cruise Lines Foundation	$500,000
CBS Productions "CSI: Miami"	$25,000
Chubb Corporation	$100,000
Cingular	$75,000
Citigroup	$40,000
Community Foundation	$50,000
Convergys	$25,000
CSX Corporation, Inc.	$203,000
Darden Restaurants	$1,000,000
Darden Restaurants Foundation	$25,000
DEDC, Inc. d/b/a Dow Electronics	$25,000
Delaware North Companies, Inc.	$25,000
El Paso Corporate Foundation	$50,000
Fannie Mae's HDC	$25,000
Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta	$100,000
Fidelity Investments	$26,250
Florida Bankers Association	$25,000
Florida Coca-Cola Bottling Company	$50,000
Florida Engineering Society	$100,000
Florida League of Cities	$25,000
Florida Phosphate Council	$52,214
Florida Power and Light	$52,214
Florida Power and Light	$64,062
Florida Power and Light Customers	$64,062
Florida Power and Light Customers	$277,000
Florida Power and Light, Inc.	$25,000
Florida Realtors Disaster Relief Fund	$50,000
Florida Select Insurance Agency	$100,000
GlaxoSmithKline	$25,000
GMAC Commercial Holding Corporation	$25,000
Hough Family Foundation, Inc.	$40,000
Houghton Mifflin Company	$1,000,000
Huizenga Family Foundation and Miami Dolphins	$300,000
Humana, Inc. - Humana Foundation	$25,000
Independent Colleges & Universities of Florida	$637,000
James W. Buffett Trust	$50,000
Kimball Hill Homes Fund of the Homebuilding	$500,000
Lennar	$100,000
Lowe's	$25,000
Marathon Ashland Petroleum, LLC	$100,000
Merck	$25,000
Mutual of America	$100,000
Nationwide Insurance Operations	$50,000
New York Life Foundation	$50,000
Ocean Bank	$50,000
PBS and J	$25,679
Pepsi Bottling Group	$25,000
Perkins Headquarters	$50,000
Perseco, A Division of The HAVI Group LP	$25,000
Prudential Financial	$100,000
Raymond James Financial	$25,000
Raymond James Financial, Inc.	$925,655
Reed Exhibitions	$25,000
Royal Caribbean International & Celebrity Cruises	$100,000
Ryder Logistics	$50,000
Schering-Plough Foundation, Inc.	$50,000
Shell Oil Company	$50,000
Shell Oil Products	$100,000
Shell Oil Products U.S.	$25,000
Southern Company Charitable Foundation and Gulf Power Company	$25,000
St. Joe Company	$150,000
Starbucks Coffee Company	$100,000
Starr Foundation	$50,000
State Farm Insurance	$50,000
State Street Corporation	$500,000
SunTrust Bank	$50,000
T.L.L. Temple Foundation	$50,000
Taipei Economical and Cultural Office in Miami	$1,009,957
United Health Foundation	$2,000,000
University of Florida Athletic Association, Inc.	$54,192
UPS-Southeast Region	$100,000
Wachovia	$50,000
Wal-Mart Foundation	$100,000
Wal-Mart Foundation	$30,000
Wal-Mart Foundation	$50,000
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.	$25,000
Walt Disney World	$25,000
Washington Mutual Bank	$50,000
WCI Communities, Inc.	$100,000
Westport Corporation	$50,000

Across Florida thousands of lives have been devastated this hurricane season.

Floridians in crisis need your help. Please donate to Florida Hurricane Relief Fund to help the thousands whose lives have been devastated.

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. REGISTRATION NUMBER IS CH8536.

You might notice the Taipei contribution.

If memory serves, Toyota also contributed $1 million, as did one of their distributorships.

[worldclass]

Keep in mind that whoever controls the purse controls the agenda. We have seen this in schools, for example. Give the secular government authority to fund the schools and to tax us for it, then the next thing is that God might be kicked out. Oh, already happened.

I would rather see lower taxes with Christian charities providing the aid. Better all around.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Can you provide some Biblical principles to back up your main points? Thank you for posting, by the way.

[HitmanLV]

No, that's not correct. Elective action not expressly forbidden by the USC, nor expressly mandated bu the USC either, is not by definition unconstitutional.

It never has been.

[HitmanLV]

There is a 200 year history behind what I said. I's been the law for as long as the nation. The 10th Amendment is not necessarily a bar to elective action like this.

Period.

[KoRn]

blah blah blah........blah


As conservatives we should also do away with publicly funded highways too right? No government official has constitutional authority to fund such things.

There should be an island somewhere for people with views such as yours. Then again, the rest of us may have to move there with you someday, who knows. lol.

[alnick]

But....but.....but.......we've been told repeatedly for the last two days by these very people that they are, in fact, the "real, true" conservatives, all knowing, of course, and we are WRONG to agree with President Bush that this country show respect for 141,000 deaths.

After three years as a Freeper, all I can say is thank God the "true conservatives" aren't running this country, because if they were, life would be bleak.

[Racehorse]

All I am saying is that the Constitutional Quarterbacks on the board tend to have a very flawed view of things at times. There is simply, flatly, nothing (necessarily) notably unconstitutional about elective action (not forbidden nor mandated by the USC) that the Feds take in a situation like this.

Actually, it is not all that hard to find a Constitutional authority to send disaster aid to tsunami stricken countries.

Are not India and Thailand members of SEATO?  The U.S. then acts under cover of a Treaty in collaboration with other treaty countries.  Heck, at home, the first disaster aid to the Creeks in 1792 was done on this basis by the Secretary of War.

[Robert DeLong]

Apparently most Freepers think that the President does have the power to give millions away even if the cause may be just. However, it is not stated in the Constitution anywhere that the President indeed does have this power. Therefore, he does not have the Constitutional right to do so, if you disagree show me where you think the Constitution does give him that power. The American people have always been among the most generous in the world, and therefore, it should be left up solely to the American people to provide for disaster relief, both abroad and at home. If we were to make it an explicit Constitutional amendment then the amount America donated for disaster relief could not be used as a weapon by either foreign entities (Bush and America are stingy etc.) or political parties (Republicans are mean people). Sad that so many Freepers really don't get the fact that they are CINO's (conservative in name only). Because basically they are good people whom I often agree with, but not on this issue. SORRY, that's my view and I am sticking to it.

[alnick]

One guy even said that a woman who lost her seven children didn't need any money BECAUSE HER FAMILY WAS DEAD and she didn't have any expenses.

Dear God, to lose seven children in one day. I don't know how she can bear it.

[Goodgirlinred]

Let's put some tee shirts with Bush's face and the American flag on them in with those relief packages. :)

[Goodgirlinred]

Let's put some tee shirts with Bush's face and the American flag on them in with those relief packages. :)

[rintense]

Perhaps. But when giving is done with an underlying motive or the expectation of something in return, then it is utterly pointless and selfish in nature.