Posted on 07/24/2002 3:47:01 PM PDT by Jim Robinson
REPUBLICAN LIBERTY CAUCUS
POSITION STATEMENT
As adopted by the General Membership of the Republican Liberty Caucus at its Biannual Meeting held December 8, 2000.
WHEREAS we believe that government has no money nor power not derived from the consent of the people;
WHEREAS we believe that people have the right to keep the fruits of their labor; and
WHEREAS we believe in upholding the U. S. Constitution as the supreme law of the land;
BE IT RESOLVED that the Republican Liberty Caucus endorses the following principles:
1.0 FEDERALISM
1.1 The power of the federal government should be limited, as per the tenth amendment to the U. S. Constitution.
2.0 EDUCATION
2.1 The U. S. Department of Education should be abolished, leaving education decision making at the state, local or personal level.
2.2 Parents have the right to spend their money on the school or method of schooling they deem appropriate for their children.3.0 HEALTH CARE
3.1 Free market health care alternatives, such as medical savings accounts, should be available to everyone, including senior citizens.
3.2 The federal entitlement to Medicare should be abolished, leaving health care decision making regarding the elderly at the state, local, or personal level.4.0 TAXATION
4.1 The tax system of the United States should be overhauled.
4.2 There should be a national debate discussing various alternative means of taxation including but not limited to a single flat income tax, repealing the income tax and replacing it with a national sales tax, and reducing spending to the point where the income tax can be repealed without the need to replace it with a national sales tax or any other form of taxation.
4.3 The capital gains tax should be *eliminated*.
4.4 The inheritance tax should be *eliminated*.
4.5 The new tax system should be implemented *promptly*.5.0 WELFARE
5.1 The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services should be abolished, leaving decision making on welfare and related matters at the state, local or personal level. All Americans have the right to keep the fruits of their labor to support themselves, their families and whatever charities they so choose, without interference from the federal government.
5.2 All able-bodied Americans have the responsibility to support themselves and their families.6.0 CRIMINAL JUSTICE
6.1 Every American has the right to keep and bear arms. We affirm our support for the second amendment of the U. S. Constitution.
6.2 All people, regardless of position in the public or private sector, should be held equally accountable under the law.
6.3 The *only* litmus test for Supreme Court or other judges should be their determination to accurately interpret, not amend, the Constitution. Judges have *no* authority to make new law.7.0 CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM
7.1 Election campaigns should not be subsidized by tax payers.
7.2 No individual should be compelled to support a political candidate he or she does not support. Government should not empower trade unions to collect funds from their members for use as political contributions without their members' expressed consent.
7.3 All limits on campaign contributions should be eliminated.
7.4 There should be full and timely public disclosure of all the sources and amounts of all campaign contributions upon their receipt.8.0 FEDERAL BUDGET
8.1 There should be an amendment to the U. S. Constitution to require a balanced budget, provided it includes a supermajority requirement to raise taxes and provided it does not empower the judiciary to unilaterally raise taxes.
8.2 Honest accounting dictates that all federal expenditures should be on budget.
8.3 Each budget should be derived based upon the justification for and needs of each program, with no program being either budgeted for or increased automatically.9.0 GOVERNMENT REFORM
9.1 The U. S. Department of Commerce should be abolished, per the tenth amendment of the U. S. Constitution.
9.2 The National Endowment for the Arts should be abolished, per the tenth amendment of the U. S. Constitution.
9.3 The National Endowment for the Humanities should be abolished, per the tenth amendment of the U. S. Constitution.
9.4 The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development should be abolished, per the tenth amendment of the U. S. Constitution.
9.5 Subsidies to agricultural and other businesses should be eliminated.
9.6 Corporate taxes should be eliminated simultaneously and proportionally with the elimination of subsidies to businesses.
9.7 Recommendations by the Grace Commission and the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) should be reviewed and implemented, where possible, beginning immediately.
9.8 Privatization of government assets, management and services should be implemented for cost-effectiveness wherever applicable.10.0 TRADE
10.1 The U. S. government should inhibit neither the exportation of U. S. goods and services worldwide, nor the importation of goods and services.
10.2 The United States should not be answerable to any governing body outside the United States for its trade policy.11.0 DEFENSE
11.1 U. S. military should be deployed only where there is a clear threat to vital U. S. interests and only with the consent of the U. S. Congress.
11.2 It is the duty of the federal government to provide a system to defend against missile attacks.
11.3 No branch of the military should be put in harm's way without a clear entrance and exit strategy and a goal, which when achieved, constitutes victory.
11.4 U. S military personnel should always be under U. S. command.
11.5 U. S. armed forces should be all-volunteer.
11.6 Military draft registration should be eliminated.
11.7 Foreign aid is often more harmful than helpful and should be curtailed.12.0 PROPERTY RIGHTS
12.1 The government should not take private property without just compensation.
12.2 All unconstitutional regulation of private property should be repealed.13.0 DRUGS
13.1 While recognizing the harm that drug abuse causes society, we also recognize that government drug policy has been ineffective and has led to frightening abuses of the Bill of Rights which could affect the personal freedom of any American. We, therefore, support alternatives to the War on Drugs.
13.2 Per the tenth amendment to the U. S. Constitution, matters such as drugs should be handled at the state or personal level.
13.3 All laws which give license to violate the Bill of Rights should be repealed.
Entered into the record December 8, 2000
I agree strongly with the statement in bold.
Mostly, yes. But I'd rather repeal the 16th and abolish the Income Tax and the IRS altogether. And I do not agree with disclosure of campaign contributions. This is a privacy issue. I'd also like to repeal the 17th. And I'd like to go through all of the ABC agencies and abolish those that are not authorized by the Constitution, ie, most of them. I would also like to see the RLC take a pro-life stance. In the very least, to recognize that the Federal Government has no say in the matter whatsoever. Oh, yeah, and I'd also like to repeal most of the so-called federal crimes. I believe the Constitution leaves crime fighting to the states. Also, eliminate any chance of double jeopardy thru overlapping federal and state jurisdictions.
Yeah, I'd like to see the RLC take a "Pro-Life Stance" too... but ultimately, I'd just like to see the RLC say "Abortion is a State Issue, like 80% of all current Federal Programs".
Abortion is Murder. MURDER LAW is defined and administered by the States. Anyone who says otherwise is supporting the idea that Common Law should be the prerogative of the Feds... which contravenes the basic idea of State Sovereignty incorporated in our Constitution.
No, the Federal Government can be "neutral" on the issue of Abortion. Just like they can be "neutral" on the issue of RAPE.
If the Federal Government is "neutral" on an issue, that does not constitute approval. It constitutes an admission of delegation.
Murder Law (which should certainly include Abortion) -- like Rape Law -- is delegated to the States.
If one believes in State Sovereignty, one delegates these issues to the States. All issues of common law are rightfully the prerogative of the Several States.
State Issue.
The Federal Government was not constituted for the purpose of instituting Morality among the Sovereign States; it was constituted for the mutual defense of the Sovereign States.
It is not the Governor of the States; it is their Servant.
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He has the right to bring up an issue concerning the RLC. He did so.
Yep, and we all heard him, & refuted him, the first time. Then he went on and on, spamming the thread.
There are plenty of abortion threads at FR. This is not one.
They support the murder of innocent children. Yes, yes, they are "neutral." There is NEVER true neutrality in this world, only ignoring issues.
You ignore this threads issue.
- So put a sock in it.
That's like saying that the Republican Liberty Caucus "doesn't care" about the sanctity of women's chastity.
Poppycock.
The RLC is not "uncaring" about the matter of Rape Laws; they just recognize that such Laws are defined and administered by the Sovereign States. Just like Murder Laws -- including Abortion-Murder.
They are a Partisan Political Action Committee.
Just like the Republican National Committee.
And since the Republican National Committee delivers millions of dollars a year to Pro-Abortion candidates, how is ANY so-called "Republican" fit to criticize the Republican Liberty Caucus for simply refusing to behave as hypocritically as take a the Republican National Committee?
The RLC does not take a position. By contrast, the Republican National Committee claims a "pro-life" position (one not entirely commensurate with State's Rights, at that), and then betrays it.
Which is worse?
I nearly voted Constitution in 2000.
I voted Libertarian, because I decided that it is silly to expect Morality to be preserved by Government. Government is the enemy of Morality at its best, because Government is Force and Forced Morality is not Morality, it is Hypocrisy.
Which is, itself, a Sin.
A Republic not founded upon an ethical and moral people, will indeed Die. But a Republic not founded upon an ethical and moral people deserves to Die. Trusting Government to forestall the dissolution only makes one party to an anti-Christian form of Messianic Statism.
Where God has failed us, Government will succeed?
God has not failed us, we have failed God. And Government will not succeed, nor bring us back to God, nor help one little bit. Government is an Idol, craves your obeisance, and will only make things worse.
The Government is your Enemy, and the Government desires your Worship. Think about it.
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