Free Republic

Madison Speech. End of NJ/Patterson Plan. Randolph Plan as Amended. In Committee of the Whole On the Propositions of Mr. Patterson [FN1] The substitute offered yesterday by Mr. Dickenson being rejected by a vote now taken on it; Con. N. Y. N. J. Del. ay. [FN2] Mas. Pa. V. N. C. S. C. Geo. no. [FN3] Mayd. divided. Mr. PATTERSON's plan was again at large before the Committee. Mr. MADISON. Much stress had [FN4] been laid by some gentlemen on the want of power in the Convention to propose any other than a federal plan. To what had been answered...

IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ON THE PROPOSITIONS OF Mr. PATTERSON & Mr. RANDOLPH On motion of Mr. DICKINSON to postpone the 1st. Resolution in Mr. Patterson's plan, in order to take up the following viz-"that the Articles of Confederation ought to be revised and amended, so as to render the Government of the U.S. adequate to the exigences, the preservation and the prosperity of the Union" the postponement was agreed to by 10 States, Pen: divided. Mr. HAMILTON, had been hitherto silent on the business before the Convention, partly from respect to others whose superior abilities age & experience...

The leadership at the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission interpreted the Dodd-Frank financial-overhaul law last July to mean that the SEC would secure funding to spend money however the SEC saw fit. This included signing a 900,000 square foot lease with no Program of Requirements in three days for an elegant, downtown Washington DC office building. Thankfully, the money to fund the 900,000 square foot lease was shot down in the Fiscal Year 2011 Budget that passed earlier this year. However, the SEC still jumped the gun back in July 2010 by signing the 900,000 square foot lease at the taxpayers...

Throughout the course of this year’s Louisiana budget debate, a storm has been brewing over how to resolve the state’s $1.2 billion overspending problem. At various points an internet sales tax, 194% tax hike on cigarettes, and restoring spending cuts were all floated as partial resolutions. Fortunately, Gov. Jindal’s pledge to “oppose and veto any and all efforts to raise taxes” has helped keep legislators focused on their primary task – reining in spending - with the exception of HB 591: a $12 million cigarette tax increase that Gov. Jindal promptly vetoed today. To override the governor’s veto, which hasn’t...

After a decade of experimenting with mandates, tax credits and tariffs, a national consensus has been reached that ethanol is just not worth it. Late to arrive at this conclusion are farmers, their Congressional representatives, and presidential candidates eager to win over primary voters—a coalition that has made it nearly impossible to begin unwinding the various policies designed to prop-up ethanol. The driving force behind U.S. ethanol consumption is the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), otherwise known as the ethanol mandate, which was established with the enactment of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.The RFS mandated that a minimum of 4...

Patterson Plan Debate. Lansing Speech. Federal v. National. Articles as Treaty. Comparison of Plans. Wilson Speech. IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ON [FN1] RESOLUTIONS PROPOSD. BY MR. P. & MR. R Mr. LANSING called for the reading of the 1st. resolution of each plan, which he considered as involving principles directly in contrast; that of Mr. Patterson says he sustains the sovereignty of the respective States, that of Mr. Randolph distroys it: the latter requires a negative on all the laws of the particular States; the former, only certain general powers for the general good. The plan of Mr. R....

NJ/Patterson Plan. Imposts and Stamp Tax. Regulate Trade. Tax Requisitions. Force to Collect Taxes. Multiple Supreme Executives. Judicial Branch & Jurisdiction. Compel State Compliance. New States. [FN2]Mr. PATTERSON, laid before the Convention the plan which he said several of the deputations wished to be substituted in place of that proposed by Mr. Randolph. After some little discussion of the most proper mode of giving it a fair deliberation it was agreed that it should be referred to a Committee of the whole, and that in order to place the two plans in due comparison, the other should be recommitted. At...

Most are familiar with her story. In April of 2009, Susan Boyle’s audition for Britain’s Got Talent went viral. Nor is the modest Scottish singer from a wee village a one-hit wonder with two bestselling albums behind her now. The media, however, still hasn’t warmed to Boyle’s 2010 autobiography. One clue (page 13): When my mother arrived there in labour, the hillside was bright with golden daffodils and the sight of spring lifted her spirits for a moment. She was apprehensive. Having given birth to eight children over a period of twenty-three years, she had been advised not to have...

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...