Five Fixes

COMMENTARY - Top Five Fixes
Originally Published 03:12 PM Friday, March 27, 2009

These days, almost everyone I talk to is enraged over the state of our economy and the direction in which our country is being driven by our elected officials. It doesn’t matter who I talk to – Republican, Democrat, conservative, or liberal – almost everyone is saying the same thing. “What the heck are they thinking?”

Most people feel completely disconnected from our political leadership. They feel that our money is being spent by Congress like a teenager at the mall with Dad’s credit card. They feel that legislation being enacted is increasingly restrictive, and does not reflect their values.
I agree. I’m neither a Democrat, nor a Republican. I feel as if neither party has anything to offer me, as both parties’ platforms are completely removed from what I consider reality. Of course, my version of reality may be very different from yours because I’m that dreaded, conservative Libertarian.

I believe that government should be as small as possible – only big enough to prevent us from falling into total anarchy. I think that the worst phrase anyone can utter is, “There oughta be a law about…” People should be allowed to suffer the consequences of their own stupidity without being subject to a bunch of laws instituted “for our own good.” For example, if you want to ride a motorcycle without a helmet, you should be allowed to do so. As a rider, you are accepting responsibility for the head injury you’re going to suffer if you are involved in a collision.
I’m also big on gun owners’ rights, personal responsibility, personal freedom, and smaller taxes. I’m all about the Bill of Rights, and am a strict constructionist regarding interpretation of the Constitution.

That said, if I could implement policy changes or influence the effect that government has on our economy, rights, and responsibilities, I would target five specific areas: smaller Federal government, a more equitable tax structure, immigration reform, energy, and manufacturing.

1. Stop or curtail the encroachment of the Federal Government onto powers reserved for the States and the People by doing the following:

a. Prohibit further use by the Federal Government of the Commerce Clause into areas that have very little reasonable connection to the physical conduct of commerce or trade. The clause was originally intended to prohibit states from imposing duties on goods imported from another state, or from assuming a protectionist or isolationist stance as regards to trade. It was not intended to enable the Federal Government to use the clause as an "umbrella instrument" to extend broad police powers throughout the nation, or to enable the growth of said government to support said powers. For a good analysis, please see:
http://federalistblog.us/2006/08/busting_congress_interstate_commerce_myth.html

b. Repeal the 16th Amendment and institute the Fair Tax.

c. Remove or dismantle the following federal agencies, and return those responsibilities to the states: The Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Health and Human Services. These departments deal with matters that can be best administered, implemented, and enforced at the State and Local Government levels.

d. While I won't advocate overturning Roe v. Wade, I will say that this decision was one of the most overreaching acts of the Supreme Court, and is one of the most egregious examples of the usurpation of States' rights by judicial fiat. This decision opened the door that has allowed the Court to change its view from that of constructionist constitutionality to that of "popular" constitutionality. We must be vigilant in watching for these types of decisions, even though there is very little recourse available to us once a decision has been penned.

2. Institute term limits for those elected to the House and Senate - 4 terms cumulative.

3. Exhaustive and extensive overhaul of the immigration system to include the following:

a. Design, implement, and build physical and technological barriers to entry at our northern and southern borders. This process, from inception to completion, must be implemented within 18 months. We have the means, the knowledge, and the manpower to do so. Our border security (or lack thereof) represents the largest threat to our national security. Our most clear and present danger is from a Central American diaspora, as evidenced by the waves of illegal immigrants entering via our southern border. This is nothing new. Blanket amnesty was issued during the Reagan administration, and we were supposed to fix the problem at that time. We did not, and are now suffering the consequences. We have organized crime syndicates and gangs from Central America operating the drug trade with impunity all over the country – not just in the southwest. Worse, though, is the crushing weight that our social services, healthcare facilities, law enforcement agencies and schools are carrying. Providing services for upwards of 20 million people who do not pay taxes is bankrupting many states, and there is no long term fix. This is a case of the Federal government failing to exercise one of its enumerated powers, but expecting State governments to foot the bill.

b. At this point in time, it is logistically and administratively improbable that we can collect and eject all persons residing and working illegally in our country. However, some sort of interim status needs to be granted to those persons who are otherwise living peaceably (albeit illegally) within our borders until final disposition of their status can be made. Identification of those who wish to stay is a must, as is identification of those whose reasons for residing here are purely criminal. Rather than tapping the State Department to issue Visas, we should immediately empower Immigration and Customs Enforcement to issue identification numbers (not SSNs) to those who voluntarily present themselves with definitive proof of identity, and collect fingerprint and DNA data to be married to said identification. Issue 12 month temporary worker status to said people, and tax their earnings in accordance with IRS guidelines. Further, those who are here illegally, albeit with temporary status, must pay a penalty of $5000 per person per annum, to be collected with their taxes. This $5000 is to be collected at the State level, to help pay for services provided by the State. c. After announcement of the temporary worker program, all persons resident in this country illegally have 90 days to report and be issued identification. Thereafter, any person detained by law enforcement or contacted by social services who cannot or will not provide verification of their identity will be subject to criminal prosecution for illegal entry (in addition to any other charges) and eventual deportation.

4. Immediately institute an “energy blitz” with no government interference or subsidies. We desperately need to obtain energy independence, so that hostile nations whose interests have nothing to do with the success of the United States can’t dictate to us what we will and will not do. There is plenty of money to be made in energy, whether in conventional fuels or renewables. If government will get out of the way, we will achieve the independence we require.

5. Re-empower domestic manufacturing concerns by eliminating or decreasing the cost of conducting business in the United States. Domestic manufacturers are at a 32% competitive disadvantage when compared to the other nine countries who are our direct manufacturing competitors. The costs driving that disadvantage are comprised entirely of taxes, regulatory compliance, torts, and labor. Every one of those costs can be controlled or mitigated by favorable actions implemented by our Congress, such as reducing or eliminating the taxes levied on products sold as exports, implementing tort reform, and passing or enforcing right to work statutes.

I think I'll stop there. I have plenty of other ideas, but these would be an excellent start.