The Liberty Voice » state sovereignty http://www.thelibertyvoice.com A Fiercely Independent Newspaper Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:17:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Don’t Tread On Me! States Explore the Tenth Amendment http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/dont-tread-on-me-states-explore-the-tenth-amendment http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/dont-tread-on-me-states-explore-the-tenth-amendment#comments Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:38:41 +0000 sm http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/?p=3179 By Debbie Morgan hat tip: TakeBackWashington.com March 26, 2010 Watching the debate on healthcare was like having a nightmare while living in the circus. The clowns never hear those they "entertain," yet they continue to throw nasty legislation at the public. In one of the better moments from the debate, a Representative said the bill was totally unconstitutional, as the Federal Government does not have the authority to force the public to purchase anything. In an online forum, one gentleman stated that the bill is tantamount to extortion. It is apparent that we are down to the only peaceful recourse available...Support local State Sovereignty bills; the only way to overturn the healthcare nightmare, as well as all other over-reaching federal legislation! When the subject of the Tenth Amendment has been raised in past conversation, some have laughed and some have said, "Oh, that will never work." Since its passage, many States have tried to invoke their Tenth Amendment rights on several occasions. The largest combined effort, before now, was during the Civil War, when eleven states sought to secede from the united States. Interestingly enough, the last time people got truly fired up about their States rights was during the Roosevelt Administration's "New Deal." Why do we have such a magnificent amendment to protect the states if we are not going to use it? The February 2008 CRS Report for Congress, after quoting the Tenth Amendment, states, "While this language would appear to represent one of the most clear examples of a federalist principle in the Constitution, it has not had a significant impact in limiting federal powers. Initially, the Supreme Court interpreted the Tenth Amendment to have substantive content, so that certain 'core' state functions would be beyond the authority of the federal government to regulate." Yet, in the past, as now, the Federal Government continues to take what it wants, expecting the states to bow down in servitude. ]]> http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/dont-tread-on-me-states-explore-the-tenth-amendment/feed 0 Anger with federal government not enough http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/anger-with-federal-government-not-enough http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/anger-with-federal-government-not-enough#comments Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:41:27 +0000 sm http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/?p=1185 Chuck Baldwin December 18, 2009 According to Rasmussen Reports, "Seventy-one percent (71%) of voters nationwide say they're at least somewhat angry about the current policies of the federal government. That figure includes 46% who are Very Angry. "The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 27% are not angry about the government's policies, including 10% who are Not at All Angry." The report goes on to say, "The data suggests that the level of anger is growing. The 71% who are angry at federal government policies today is up five percentage points since September. "Even more stunning, the 46% who are Very Angry is up 10 percentage points from September." The report also states, "The latest numbers show that only nine percent (9%) of voters trust the judgment of America's political leaders more than the judgment of the American people." It further states, "Seventy-one percent (71%) believe the federal government has become a special interest group that looks out primarily for its own interests. Sixty-eight percent (68%) believe that government and big business work together in ways that hurt consumers and investors." Rasmussen Reports goes on to say that voter opposition to the proposed health care plan, government bailouts, and higher taxes is especially high. See the report here. That Americans are angry with the federal government is nothing new. As a general rule, Americans STAY angry with the federal government. So what? Nothing changes, anger and discontentment notwithstanding. Read more. ]]> http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/anger-with-federal-government-not-enough/feed 0 The State Sovereignty Movement: Wildfire Across America http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/the-state-sovereignty-movement-wildfire-across-america http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/the-state-sovereignty-movement-wildfire-across-america#comments Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:51:36 +0000 sm http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/?p=1010 By Harold Thomas
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to it by the states, are reserved to the states, respectively, or to the people.”
-- Tenth Amendment, Constitution of the United States
Since the beginning of the year, 39 states have introduced state sovereignty resolutions in at least one house of their legislatures. Of those (as of July 28), seven have been enacted (Alaska, Idaho, Louisiana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Tennessee), four (including New Hampshire’s) have either been defeated or are expected to be defeated; and the other 23 are still under consideration. Not all of them are “red states”: Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are all states leaning Democratic or are highly competitive. Why are so many states introducing such resolutions? One reason is that the federal government is raiding state treasuries to run its programs. State legislators know this better than anyone. Here’s the dirty little secret: There is no such thing as “federal funds.” “Federal funds” and “stimulus money” are the tax dollars you and I send in by April 15 every year. Some of that money is taken out to pay for national defense and the federal bureaucracy. The rest is returned to the states as grants – with strings attached. State governments find it politically impossible to turn them down, because the end result would be to give away its taxpayers’ dollars to a more compliant state. In this way your dollars are being held hostage by Washington to carry out its will. It doesn’t end there. Most federal grants come with a requirement for matching funds – that come from your state tax dollars! Now, state governments face a dilemma: do we try to qualify for federal grants, or do we try to carry out our own priorities, such as education and public safety, without raising taxes and further depressing the state’s economy? In addition, a growing number of state officials are becoming alarmed at federal intrusions on the rights of state governments and the citizens. For example, proposed federal laws restricting ownership of firearms are meeting resistance from the legislatures of Idaho and Montana. Missouri is chafing under expansions of abortion rights, and Michigan doesn’t want Real ID. The USA PATRIOT Act and other federal legislation in the years since 9-11 have greatly narrowed the rights that are reserved to the states and to the people. Read more. ]]> http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/the-state-sovereignty-movement-wildfire-across-america/feed 3 Ohio Representative Jarrod B. Martin (70th House District) Sponsor Testimony for House Concurrent Resolution 11 http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/ohio-representative-jarrod-b-martin-70th-house-district-sponsor-testimony-for-house-concurrent-resolution-11 http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/ohio-representative-jarrod-b-martin-70th-house-district-sponsor-testimony-for-house-concurrent-resolution-11#comments Wed, 13 May 2009 23:23:59 +0000 sm http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/?p=817 Today, April 13 at the Ohio State House in Senate Hearing Room 17, a number of concerned Ohio citizens had the rare privilege to hear eloquent testimony in defense of our US Constitution. Representatives Jarrod B. Martin and Kris Jordon, sponsors of HJR 11 both spoke on behalf of the Concurrent Resolution. The following is the testimony given by Representative Jarrod Martin. Chairman Gerberry, Ranking member Daniels, members of the State Government Committee, I appreciate the opportunity to come and present sponsor testimony for House Concurrent Resolution 11. I also would like to thank Representative Jordan for his collaboration and sponsorship of this resolution. We all are aware of the importance of the U.S. Constitution as the legal foundation of our republic, I do not have to tell you the dire implications of one level of government ignoring some, or all, of this document. Our Constitution has served us well for over two hundred and twenty years, in part, because of the great respect and adherence to it by both the federal government and the respective states. It is true that since it’s ratification in 1789, the U.S. Constitution has been interpreted by some of the most brilliant minds in our nation’s history. One question that deeply divided the political thought of the founders was how many powers were to be granted to a centralized government and what authorities were to be retained by the states. This discussion has continued through the course of history and it continues still today. The fear of a strong centralized government arose, in part, from the unfair policies and taxation established by the rule of the British crown. Policies and taxation over which the American colonists had no say. Some of the founders such as James Madison believed that the federal government would never become too powerful because the people, with these memories so vividly in their minds, would not allow it. After many months of debate, the Constitution was ratified, but not before it was agreed that a Bill of Rights be immediately added. What resulted were ten amendments to the Constitution that guarantees the rights of individual citizens and states alike. These included the security and guarantee of our most precious freedoms; those of speech, religion, press, and fair trials among others. Included in this same Bill of Rights is the Tenth Amendment, which 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”
I firmly believe the Constitution sought to ensure that all levels of government in our republic derive its power from the people, and the Tenth Amendment preserves this local control even in the face of the federal government. Read more. ]]> http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/ohio-representative-jarrod-b-martin-70th-house-district-sponsor-testimony-for-house-concurrent-resolution-11/feed 1 TURNING THE TABLES ON WALL STREET: NORTH DAKOTA SHOWS CASH-STARVED STATES HOW THEY CAN CREATE THEIR OWN CREDIT http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/turning-the-tables-on-wall-street-north-dakota-shows-cash-starved-states-how-they-can-create-their-own-credit http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/turning-the-tables-on-wall-street-north-dakota-shows-cash-starved-states-how-they-can-create-their-own-credit#comments Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:53:47 +0000 sm http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/?p=691 Hat tip: Web of Debt Ellen Brown “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” – Albert Einstein Forty-six of fifty states are now reported to be so insolvent that they could be filing Chapter 9 bankruptcy proceedings within the next two years.1 Of the four that are not in that category, one is the isolated farming state of North Dakota. What does it have that other states don’t? The answer seems to be: its own bank. In fact, North Dakota has the only state-owned bank in the nation. It has avoided the credit freeze caused by the derivative schemes of the Wall Street bankers by creating its own credit, leading the nation in establishing state economic sovereignty. North Dakota is an unlikely candidate for the distinction. As Michigan management consultant Charles Fleetham observed last month in an article distributed to his local media:
“North Dakota is a sparsely populated state of less than 700,000, known for cold weather, isolated farmers and a hit movie – Fargo. Yet, for some reason it defies the real estate cliché of location, location, location. Since 2000, the state’s GNP has grown 56%, personal income has grown 43%, and wages have grown 34%. This year the state has a budget surplus of $1.2 billion!”
The secret of its success seems to be the state-owned Bank of North Dakota, which was established by the state legislature in 1919 specifically to free farmers and small businessmen from the clutches of out-of-state bankers and railroad men. By law, the state must deposit all its funds in the bank, and the state guarantees its deposits. The bank’s stated mission is to deliver sound financial services that promote agriculture, commerce and industry in North Dakota. The bank operates as a bankers’ bank, partnering with private banks to loan money to farmers, real estate developers, schools and small businesses. It loans money to students (over 184,000 outstanding loans), and it purchases municipal bonds from public institutions. Read more. ]]> http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/turning-the-tables-on-wall-street-north-dakota-shows-cash-starved-states-how-they-can-create-their-own-credit/feed 0 Thirty State Sovereignty Resolutions http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/thirty-state-sovereignty-resolutions http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/thirty-state-sovereignty-resolutions#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:05:09 +0000 sm http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/?p=661 Hat tip:Tenth Amendment Center Many of you have asked for a central location to stay up to date with state sovereignty bills. While the idea of centralizing information and/or control over a movement of this kind seems to fly in the face of the principles of decentralization that the Tenth Amendment Center stands for, we have gladly succumbed to popular demand with this informational post. We’ll do our best to keep this post updated when new bills are introduced. If you feel something is missing from the list, please don’t hesitate to contact us to let us know. It’s essential that people on the front lines in the individual states drive these efforts. Wisconsin Illinois West Virginia North Carolina North Dakota (passed house 52-40 on 04-07-09) Ohio Nevada Oregon Alabama (2nd Resolution, HJR403, introduced 03-24-09) Mississippi (senate resolution introduced 03-10-09) Pennsylvania (senate resolution introduced 03-19-09) Read more. ]]> http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/thirty-state-sovereignty-resolutions/feed 1 States rebel against Washington http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/states-rebel-against-washington http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/states-rebel-against-washington#comments Sun, 29 Mar 2009 15:54:42 +0000 sm http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/?p=564 The pushback against federal power began under Bush, but may now be accelerating. By Patrik Jonsson Hat tip: The Christian Science Monitor from the March 27, 2009 edition CSM Reporter Patrik Jonsson discusses what's behind the states' revolt against Washington's mandates. There's an old joke in South Carolina: Confederate President Jefferson Davis may have surrendered at the Burt-Stark mansion in Abbeville, S.C., in 1865, but the people of state Rep. Michael Pitts's district never did. With revolutionary die-hards behind him, Mr. Pitts has fired a warning shot across the bow of the Washington establishment. As the writer of one of 28 state "sovereignty bills" – one even calls for outright dissolution of the Union if Washington doesn't rein itself in – Pitts is at the forefront of a states' rights revival, reasserting their say on everything from stem cell research to the Second Amendment. "Washington can be a bully, but there's evidence right now that there are people willing to resist our bully," said Pitts, by phone from the state capitol of Columbia. ]]> http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/states-rebel-against-washington/feed 1 Why South Carolina Doesn’t Want ‘Stimulus’ http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/why-south-carolina-doesnt-want-stimulus http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/why-south-carolina-doesnt-want-stimulus#comments Sun, 29 Mar 2009 14:35:00 +0000 sm http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/?p=560 By Mark Sanford Governor of South Carolina America's states are laboratories of democracy. They are both affected by, and relevant to, the larger national debate. What we've found in our own corner of the country is that carrying a substantial debt load limits our options when it comes to running government. A recent report by the American Legislative Exchange Council ranked us 47th worst in the nation for annual debt service as a percentage of tax revenue. Our state dedicates nearly 11% of its annual tax revenue to paying debt. On top of that, South Carolina has another $20 billion in unfunded, long-term political promises for pensions and other liabilities. The state budget has already been cut four times in recent months as the national economic downturn has impacted South Carolina and driven down tax revenue. President Barack Obama recently signed a "stimulus" bill that will spend about $2 billion through "programmatic means" in South Carolina. In other words, the federal government will put this money directly into existing funding formulas and programs such as Medicaid. But there is an additional $700 million that I as governor have influence over, and it is the disposition of this money that has drawn the national spotlight to South Carolina. Read more.]]> http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/why-south-carolina-doesnt-want-stimulus/feed 0 Ohio Now Among Growing list of State Sovereignty Seekers http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/ohio-now-among-growing-list-of-state-sovereignty-seekers http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/ohio-now-among-growing-list-of-state-sovereignty-seekers#comments Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:14:58 +0000 sm http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/?p=535 Read more.]]> http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/ohio-now-among-growing-list-of-state-sovereignty-seekers/feed 0 States Push to Take Back National Guard http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/states-push-to-take-back-national-guard http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/states-push-to-take-back-national-guard#comments Mon, 02 Mar 2009 12:10:46 +0000 sm http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/?p=440 February 11, 2009 Maya Schenwar, t r u t h o u t excerpts Going on its seventh year, the Iraq war has taken its toll on not only the US military, but also on the states' National Guard units, which were called up when Congress passed the 2002 Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF) against Iraq. Now a growing state-level movement is working to keep the Guard at home. Its logic: The AUMF's goals have been fulfilled. The authorization's explicit purposes were to defend the US against the "threat posed by Iraq" and to enforce UN Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq's alleged ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction. Saddam Hussein — along with his supposed threat — is gone, and the UN resolutions are no longer relevant, so there's no longer a mandate to keep troops in Iraq. The president can call up the states' Guard units in a time of war. But when the mandate for war becomes obsolete, say members of the Bring the Guard Home: It's the Law (BTGH) campaign, sending those troops overseas is illegal. BTGH members and their allies are now sponsoring a chain of bills and resolutions in states across the country, demanding an investigation into the legality of deploying the Guard to Iraq, and a refusal to comply with any illegal federal orders. "There is not Congressional authorization for the use of the Guard today," Vermont State Rep. Mike Fisher told Truthout. "One Guard member improperly called into federal service to fight a war — that's a real problem. Choosing to go to war is one of the most serious decisions that we make. The very least we can do is follow the Constitution." Read more.]]> http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/states-push-to-take-back-national-guard/feed 1