How to Take Back Your Constitution by Holding Local Politicians Accountable
John R. McAlister
Gahanna City Councilman
We all know that Congress and the President consistently violate their oath to “uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States.” But did you know that every local politician also takes an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution and of their state?
As a local official, I decided that I would uphold that oath by voting NO on certain city ordinances funded by unconstitutional federal money.
Before a city can spend money, the Council has to vote on the ordinance authorizing the expenditure. In order to uphold my oath, I have had to vote NO on many such ordinances which were politically difficult. I’ve had to vote NO on buying three police cruisers with “drug money” taken in a drug raid. Why? Because the “war on drugs” is a totally unconstitutional policy.
I’ve even had to vote NO on a “safe sidewalks to schools” grant. Why? Because there is no authority in the enumerated powers of Congress, which grants the federal government the right to give money to cities.
Why are so many local politicians violating their oath? It’s because the average citizen is not calling them on it. If we the people are ever going to have a Constitution that has any teeth, then we will have to give it meaning by confronting local politicians who violate their oath. When the next local election comes up, the Constitution can be made the issue by making it known how many times an incumbent violated his or her oath.
How to Take Back Your Constitution
Regaining Limited Federal Government By Holding Local Politicians Accountable
by John R. McAlister
City Councilman, Gahanna, OH
http://gahanna.gov
Introduction
Would you like to see a limited federal government bound by the chains of the Constitution? Would you like to see politicians upholding their oath to the Constitution? It is possible to see these two principles of good government instituted. It all starts at the local level by confronting the politicians who live in your neighborhood. This essay points the way but it is up to “We the People”, i.e., you to make it happen.
Holding local politicians accountable to their oath to the Constitution
We all know that Congress and the President consistently violate their oath to “uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States.” But did you know that every local politician, mayor, city or village council representative, township trustee, county commissioner, etc., also takes an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of their state?
As a City Councilman in the Columbus suburb of Gahanna, OH, (http://gahanna.gov) I decided that I would uphold that oath by voting NO on certain city ordinances funded by unconstitutional federal money. Before a city can spend money Council has to vote on a city ordinance authorizing the expenditure.
In order to uphold my oath I have had to vote NO on buying three police cruisers with “drug money” taken in a drug raid. Why? Because the “war on drugs” is a totally unconstitutional policy.
I had to vote NO on a “safe sidewalks to schools” grant. Why? Because there is no authority in the Constitution’s Article I, sec 8, the enumerated powers of Congress, which grants the federal government the right to give money to cities. All one has to do is look each month at how many money spending ordinances are being voted on by local politicians and see which ordinances violate Article I, section 8.
Why are these local politicians violating their oath? It’s because the average citizen is not calling them on it. What if two, then ten, then 20, then 40, etc, people started showing up at their local government meetings and started monitoring the unconstitutional votes of their local politicians? What if these citizens started voicing their opposition to these votes during the council’s “hearing of visitors” part of the meeting? What if these people started becoming as outraged over their local politicians dishonoring their oath to the constitution as NIMBY’s become outraged over a zoning issue?
If “we the people” are ever going to have a Constitution that has any teeth in it, then “we the people” will have to give it meaning by acting at the local level and confronting local politicians who violate their oath. When the next local election comes up, the Constitution can be made the issue by making it known how many times an incumbent violated his or her oath.
