Tenth Amendment to be focus of rally

Salina Journal ^ | 8/21/09 | MICHAEL STRAND

[kathsua]

The Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

To educate people on the Tenth Amendment and what it means in terms of balancing power between the states and the federal government, the Salina TEA Party organization is hosting a rally Saturday.

The rally starts at noon in Robert Caldwell Plaza, between the City-County Building and the Salina Public Library.

Dr. Charles Romm, one of the TEA Party organizers, said that in reading various historical documents, such as the Federalist Papers, "it's clear that (the Constitution's signers) saw the federal government being mostly involved in external matters, such as war and peace and dealings with foreign powers."

Individual states, meanwhile, would be largely sovereign internally.

"That balance has been way, way tipped in favor of the federal government" over the years, Romm said.

Examples could include a federal 55 mph speed limit or No Child Left Behind, but Romm said, "It's not just those unfunded mandates but the federal government going beyond those limited and defined powers granted -- and I stress granted -- by the people."

The Tenth Amendment, Romm said, "is part of the Bill of Rights, part of a document that tells the federal government 'these are the things you cannot do.' "

In more than 30 states, resolutions have been introduced in legislatures supporting state sovereignty and have been passed in several.

Romm said those attending the Saturday event will have an opportunity to sign a petition favoring the Kansas version of the resolution, introduced this past legislative session by Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook, R-Shawnee.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 1615 states, in part: "the federal government was created by the states for the specific purpose of being an agent of the states," but "in 2009, the states are demonstrably treated as agents of the federal government."

The resolution calls for "all compulsory federal legislation which directs states to comply under threat of civil or criminal penalties or sanctions or requires states to pass legislation or lose federal funding be prohibited or repealed."

Romm said he expects the program to last about an hour.

"It's just another way the TEA Party groups can work to limit the power of the federal government," he said.

[kathsua]

Unfunded mandates are anti-democratic because it hides the reason for taxes. voters shouldn't have to replace members of Congress, state officials and local officials just to reduce local taxes.

[AliVeritas]

Thanks.

[Man50D]

They should also discuss Article 1 Section 8 since it dovetails with the 10th Amendment.