Time for change!
James Madison once wrote,
“The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite.”
– Federalist No. 45
In arguing for the ratification of the Constitution, Madison assured the people that the powers of the federal government would be focused primarily on external matters, such as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce, and that the federal power of taxation would be mostly concerned with foreign commerce.
He was certain that, in the ordinary course of affairs, it was the powers reserved to the States that would govern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people, and “the internal order, improvement, and prosperity of the State.”
But that is not what has happened over the past 200 years.
Today the federal government is involved in practically every aspect of the lives, liberties, and properties of the people. From birth to death, the federal power of taxation reaches every endeavor of its citizens everywhere around the world.
That is not how it was supposed to be, and it does not have to be.
It is time to return those numerous and indefinite powers to the States, and reduce the power of the Federal Government to dealing with those external objects, such as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce, as the Founders envisioned.
The States are perfectly capable of taxing their own citizens, and providing their own services directly. The federal government has become the world’s largest middle man – seizing its citizens’ earnings and redistributing those funds to the States. The federal government is not adding value and offers the States and the people few benefits they could not achieve themselves. Instead it is adding cost and complexity, and through the use of the ‘power of the purse’, the federal government now dictates the internal order, improvement, and prosperity of the States.
To state the patently obvious, different States have different needs. But the federal government applies a blanket approach to the entire country. What is good for the Pacific Northwest, or New England, may not be suitable for the Rust Belt, or the deep South. The States are best suited to determine what is in their respective best interests, without the interference of outsiders.
To make matters worse, the federal government is slow to respond to changing circumstances. For example, after a natural disaster, Congress must discuss and negotiate a response for weeks before aid can be directed to those in need. The affected States are in a much better position to respond to the peoples’ needs.
It is time to make a change. It is time to return power to the people.
Local people making local decisions
Your tax dollars at work solving problems in your community.
First, we need to remove the ability of the federal government to tax people directly through the repeal of the 16th Amendment to the United States Constitution. This will put an end to all federal personal and corporate income taxes, payroll taxes, and estate taxes, and most excise taxes.
So how will the federal government be funded?
By the States.
The federal budget will be paid directly by the States proportionally based on population. Each State will be free to determine the best way to collect the necessary revenue from their respective populations.
With great power comes great responsibility. In addition to returning power to the States, this approach demands the return of responsibility as well. There is no need for the federal government to act as a middle-man, and no need for the States to pay the federal government to do the things the States are capable of performing.
By eliminating and downsizing many federal departments, the federal budget will be significantly smaller than it currently is. Money that was directed to the federal government will now be available to the States to use directly. Each State will then be able to address the needs of its people in the manner it deems most appropriate.