Springtime is a time to clean the house, fertilize the yard, enjoy the outdoors, and start working on our beach bodies.
Another tradition has become far too common. The wrangling in Washington, D.C., over the funding of the federal government, the looming threat of a government shutdown, and passing of continuing resolutions have become commonplace.
There was a new factor in this year’s negotiation: tax reform. A Republican majority, most of whom campaigned on tax reform and tax reductions, were in one camp. A Democratic minority, who campaigned on making the tax code “fairer” and expanding government services, are in the other.
Both parties engage in this tug of war, with our livelihoods hanging in the balance.
Despite these opposing viewpoints, there are a few commonalities that both parties exhibit. First, the discussion revolves around how much of our money we should be able to keep. Can the federal government afford for individuals to keep 60%, 70% or 80% of the income they earn?
How many people should pay no federal income tax at all? Under which conditions should an individual receive a net payment from the treasury? What about deductions for certain behaviors? What value should be placed on each behavior?
This mindset promotes politicians pandering to constituencies, pitting one group against another, with the ultimate goal of being re-elected. All these discussions share the premise that individual income belongs to the federal government, and it is their role to determine how earned income is best allocated.
That brings us to a second common characteristic. The size of the federal government is never discussed. A Senator or Representative may occasionally go astray and suggest rationalization of the federal government, but such a peculiar suggestion is rebuffed.
The conversation is focused on revenue with no attention given to the spending side of the equation. The assumption is that the federal government will grow by a certain rate every year. A rate of growth less than the assumed amount is considered a cut. Make no mistake, the assumption in D.C. is that the federal government will grow every year, regardless of which party holds the White House or Congress.
So, what can we do about this?
Do we elect the “right people" to office? Certainly, it is important to choose our elected representatives wisely. However, that has proven to be insufficient. The federal government has grown too large for any one person or party to affect meaning change, to restore Constitutional governance. The evidence of this is irrefutable.
The Framers understood the natural tendency of a central government to accumulate more power. Not many things in life are zero-sum games. Liberty is one of those things. As the federal government expands, liberty contracts.
To protect individual liberty against a tyrannical government, the Framers provided remedies in Article V of the Constitution.
The Convention of States process provides the people, acting through their state legislatures, the ability to rein in the federal government. This process bypasses Congress, the President, and Governors to propose reforms to the federal government. The resolution, once passed by at least 34 state legislatures, sets the agenda for the interstate meeting.
The Convention of States Action resolution allows for discussion in three areas: limiting the size and scope of the federal government, term limits for federal officials, and restoring fiscal restraint. Each area, if addressed individually, is insufficient to solve the problems we face.
If amendments are proposed that address all three subject matter areas, we have a chance to reverse the trend and put ourselves back on the path toward constitutional governance.
This is the ultimate act of federalism. To ignore this and not utilize the tools the Framers provided to protect our republic is irresponsible.
This effort depends upon you. Citizen apathy has helped get us to this point. Citizen engagement is essential for correcting our course.
If you want to learn more, browse our website. If you are a supporter, thank you. Consider being a volunteer. Be a leader among leaders.
Our nation is at stake. We The People can save it.
