Free Republic

I recently got into a discussion about free trade in which the other person was absolutely convinced that free trade destroyed the british empire. Which makes no sense. Who here remembers the post ww2 german years and the Wirtschaftswunder? As Reagan noted at the Brandenberg gate,(link below) free trade was an important part of the Wirtschaftswunder. Now, onto the flip side. Big government. It destroys everything. It destroyed the roman empire. Yes, the nazis were big government. Big government is currently destroying the United States under Barack Hussein Obama.(Mmm! Mmm! MMMM!!!) Now, the free trade doom and gloomers will routinely...

If there’s anything the Obama Administration came into office heralding, it’s transparency. However, after government spending has exploded with little to no accountability, open government advocates were less than elated halfway through the President’s first term. Today, heralding the “success” of recovery transparency, Vice President Biden announced a new executive order that, for all intents and purposes, restates the Obama Administration’s Open Government Directive and codifies the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board (RATB) into a permanent body. Ahead of the White House’s announcement, the House Oversight Committee announced its own plan to actually shine the light on government finances. The...

...Coburn and Thune on the floor: THUNE: “One of our colleagues from South Carolina has introduced an amendment to this bill which would end that, and I assume -- I don't know this for a fact -- that my colleague from Oklahoma would support that amendment. Which would do away with the Renewable Fuel Standard. Certainly.” COBURN: “You obviously didn't hear what I was saying as you were conversing. I said I support ethanol. I wouldn't support that. And I said that. And I’ve been very up front with you in the past. You know what my position is on...

Early Adjournment. Work on more Federal Plan. IN CONVENTION Mr. PATTERSON, observed to the Convention that it was the wish of several deputations, particularly that of N. Jersey, that further time might be allowed them to contemplate the plan reported from the Committee of the Whole, and to digest one purely federal, and contradistinguished from the reported plan. He said they hoped to have such an one ready by tomorrow to be laid before the Convention: And the Convention adjourned that leisure might be given for the purpose.

In what amounts to a rather ironic case of government waste, Earl Devaney, the chairman of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board (RATB), said this week that simply streamlining the government’s accountability system could save taxpayers $50 million a year. As the chief watchdog over “stimulus” spending, Devaney told the Center for Public Integrity that the government currently spends well over $100 million on 25 to 30 different expenditure websites. Devaney is scheduled to testify next week before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that $50 million could be saved simply by combining redundant accountability efforts into one efficient...

Supreme Court Jurisdiction. Second branch to appoint Judges. Money bills to originate in first branch. Report of the Committee of the Whole on Randolph Plan. IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Resol: 9 [FN1] being resumed. The latter parts of the clause relating to the jurisdiction of the Natil. tribunals, was struck out nem. con in order to leave full room for their organization. Mr. RANDOLPH & Mr. MADISON, then moved the following resolution respecting a National Judiciary, viz "that the jurisdiction of the National Judiciary shall extend to cases, which respect the collection of the national revenue, impeachments of any...

Three year terms and minimum age in first branch. Fixed salaries paid by National Government. Dual service in National Legislature and as officer of US. Term limits. Seven year Senatorial terms. No salary for Senators. IN COMMITTEE OF THE [FN1] WHOLE The Question [FN2] taken on Resolution 15, [FN3] to wit, referring the new system to the people of the [FN4] States for ratification it passed in the affirmative: Massts. ay. Cont. no. N. Y. no. N. J. no. Pa. [FN5] ay. Del. divd. Md. divd. Va. ay. N. C. ay. S. C. ay. Geo. ay. [FN6] Mr. SHARMAN &...

Topics: Proportional Representation in the House. Representation based on taxes paid. Representation based on population. Slaves, Cattle & Horses. Equality of State Suffrage in the Senate. Proportional Representation in the Senate. Republican Government. Amendment provision. Oaths of office. Ben Franklin speech. Do away with states? MR. ABRAHAM BALDWIN from Georgia took his seat in the committee of the whole. The clause concerning the rule of suffrage in the natl. Legislature postponed on Saturday was resumed. Mr. SHARMAN proposed that the proportion of suffrage in the 1st. branch should be according to the respective numbers of free inhabitants; and that in...

Next time your elected officials try to tell you that a tax increase will be temporary, don’t buy it. In California, Gov. Jerry Brown has made extending that largest state tax increase in U.S. history his top legilsative priority. The higher rates on sales, cars, and income, sold as temporary and signed into law by then Gov. Schwarzenegger in 2009, are scheduled to expire at the end of this month (the higher rate on income actually expired in January). Gov. Brown is pressing lawmakers to put a five year extension on the ballot. With Brown’s budget calling for a 27%...

Today being Sunday, the Convention did not meet. This is not to say important work was not done. Roger Sherman and some Small State delegates probably met to discuss a compromise, a proportionally based House and equal State representation in the Senate, which will be discussed tomorrow. Despite authoring and nurturing the compromise that saved the Convention and most likely his country, Roger Sherman is one of the most neglected Framers. I call him the Principled Pragmatist. He either signed/attended or helped write the 1774 Declaration of Resolves, the First and Second Congresses, the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation,...

When the federal government stepped in to prevent Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from collapsing in 2008, it stuck the taxpayers with a hefty bill. Since 2008, the federal government has sunk $162.4 billion into these government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) without any form of taxpayer protection. But the true magnitude of the cost this bailout has foisted upon the taxpayer is actually far greater, according to a report released by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) last week. By putting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship, the federal government effectively became the owner of both entities. Yet the government’s accounting...

...This is why a VAT is so dangerous. According to Hollings, a VAT with a rate as low as 6% would be enough to eliminate the entire corporate income tax and still leave the government with $506 billion left to spend. Over a decade (which is how tax hikes are scored), this would probably be a net tax hike approaching $6 trillion. This with a very low-rate tax system. The government would do with this extra tax money what they do with all extra tax money--spend it. A VAT is a horrible idea for America, and precisely for the reasons...

Governors Elect National Executive. Senate Suffrage. William Patterson Speech. Small State Revolt. Mr. Luther Martin from Maryland took up his seat in committee of the whole. Mr. GERRY, according to previous notice given by him, moved "that the National Executive should be elected by the Executives of the States whose proportion of votes should be the same with that allowed to the States in the election of the Senate." If the appointmt. should be made by the Natl. Legislature, it would lessen that independence of the Executive which ought to prevail, would give birth to intrigue and corruption between the...

Large State/Small State Rift. National Legislative Veto of State Laws. National Executive. Proportional Representation in First Branch. IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE On a reconsideration of the clause giving the Natl. Legislature a negative on such laws of the States as might be contrary to the articles of Union, or Treaties with foreign nations, Mr. PINKNEY moved "that the National Legislature shd. have authority to negative all laws which they shd. judge to be improper." He urged that such a universality of the power was indispensably necessary to render it effectual; that the States must be kept in due subordination...

At the height of the housing crash, developers found themselves strapped for cash to build new developments. Over the last few years, a few financial firms rode to the rescue of developers, but with a questionable catch. In exchange for a percentage of the take and other undisclosed benefits, the developers agreed to insert provisions into home sale contracts that required that every time the home is sold for the next 99 years, a percentage of the sale price (usually 1%) would be paid to a third party. Covenants in home sale contracts are nothing new: for instance, homeowners’ and...

The days of wearing an Obama t-shirt to a frat party might be over. According to The Atlantic, people age 19-29 are supporting Obama less than they were in 2008. Now only 56-percent of this voter group says they support President Obama, a drop of 10-percent. Informal surveys point the same direction, even more dramatically. The Daily Caller reports that only 27-percent of likely voters ages 18-28 say they are committed to vote for Obama again, down from the 83-percent that say they did vote for him. Why the shift? Obama wants to tax and spend, leaving this young generation...

As policy makers search for ways to decrease spending in Washington, they should not ignore the public payroll. For our part, we have long suggested that any serious spending reduction must include cuts to the federal payroll and more evidence has surfaced that suggests explosive public compensation needs to be addressed. A new report from the Congressional Research Service shows over 77,000 federal employees make more than the governors of their states. CRS found that in 2009, 77,057 federal employees across every area of employment made more than their respective governors. In Colorado, 10,875 federal employees made more than Governor...

State Legislatures Appoint Senators. Proportional, Popular Election to Senate. State Governor Election of National Executive. IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Mr. PINKNEY according to notice moved to reconsider the clause respecting the negative on State laws, which was agreed to and tomorrow for fixed [FN2] the purpose. The Clause providing for ye. appointment of the 2d. branch of the national Legislature, having lain blank since the last vote on the mode of electing it, to wit, by the 1st. branch, Mr. DICKINSON now moved "that the members of the 2d. branch ought to be chosen by the individual Legislatures." Mr....

...During a C-SPAN Newsmakers interview aired on Sunday, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) repeatedly reiterated his support for tax increases. The guest reporters for this edition of Newsmakers were Lori Montgomery of the Washington Post and Andrew Taylor of the Associated Press. Below are key excerpts from the interview: ... Coburn: “I would much rather have a smaller government. Not everybody would. But I would much rather have a smaller government. But I know we have to pay more for what we have if we are ever going to get reform and some of the other things. It’s called a compromise....

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) today published the now infamous “gainful employment” rule, written by the Department of Education. This new rule, which emerged amidst a cloud of scandal and controversy, places incredible and unfair burdens on the nation’s bustling for-profit higher education sector. It requires that for-profit schools meet at least one of three criteria for their students to qualify for federal aid: at least 35% of graduates must actively be paying down their loans; graduates must spend less than 30% of their discretionary income on paying off loans; finally, graduates must spend 12% or less of...