The solution to growth in government is to put it on a DIET! It is time for all of us to demand an amendment to the US Constitution that will require the Federal Government to balance the budget every fiscal year except in time of Declared War. I live in Idaho and we have to balance our budget every year no matter how painful it becomes. Services are cut back, government workers are furloughed, and education gets less funding; it’s the reality all normal families live within. We cannot allow our country to face fiscal crises like the Greeks are attempting to deal with now nor follow the pattern of third world countries and devalue our currency to solve our lack of fiscal discipline. No matter how bravely one politician like Ron Paul struggles and rails against deficit spending, the majority of politicians’ follow the path of least resistance and spend our tax dollars to get reelected. Why? Well, because they can! We, the people, must tie their hands with this amendment and force them to be responsible. A balanced budget amendment is being sponsored in the House now by Congressman Simpson of Idaho among others, but it allows Congress to disregard it when “necessary” by a 3/5 vote…rendering the amendment next to useless. We need the amendment to be simple, direct, and unequivocal. I urge all of you to call on your friends and neighbors to support such an effort.

I agree with most of the comments posted here…. I also believe we need a massive downsizing of DC. This will only occur if we eliminate, entirely, the income tax. This will prevent politicians from both parties from their freewheeling spending of our hard earned income. The good old USA did just fine for almost 150 years without an income tax. I believe we can do just fine for another 150+ years by eliminating the income tax. Ask yourself this question, “Would I be willing to give up my favorite Federal Agency, not directed to exist in the Constitution, so I can keep my money, and keep the gov’t weenies out of my life?”

This is from our Declaration of Independance. Do you remember it? The basic rights are “Life, Liberty, and the persuit of hapiness”. The key word there is pursuit!!!! It doesn’t guarantee hapiness only your ability to pursue hapiness….Bigger government is an attempt to give copnstant and continuous hapiness to all which in turn breeds an entitlement attitude which in turn breeds more government, legislation, taxes etc. I had a relationship counselor once tell me that when you start having problems in your marriage then get back to the basics….why are you together, why did you fall in love? Yes my wife and I have had to do this from time to time. Well the relationship between a government and the people is a marriage…let’s get back to the basics…why was it established? Why did we want our independance from the British Crown?? Is our justification to replace our government for light and transient causes now or is it time????
I read documents such as this and a tear comes ot my eye when I look at what we have become!! The committee of five would also cry!!!

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Both Parties is way off course is the way I see it. I’ve been saying this for last Ten Years there is little fundamental difference between Both Parties. Paul is right… the Feds have way too much control over USA. He is also right about the two parties being one. I agree with Ron Paul 100% of the time. I would like, to see him running the White House. We all would be better off here in USA. It’s time for a change in the right direction. I would like to see Ron Paul Directing our County, (USA). We all would be better off then we have been in the last thirty years. Ron Paul is absolutely right! Both parties have created bigger and bigger government. It’s out of Control.

Hey Stupid. Where do you think no child left behind came from? From the Washington crowd.  That is why Dr. Paul wants to turn it back over to the states where it belongs. Obviously you are a product of our public education system.

Quote from Ron Paul:  “Teachers, parents, and local community leaders should be making decisions about exactly how our children should be taught, not Washington bureaucrats,” Paul said, explaining why he does not support the existence of the Department of Education.

Hey, Paul here is a very simple solution:   How about getting rid of “Leave No Child Behind” which has been very successful in accomplishing its intended purpose which is ”dumb down the general population so there are more drones to do the work for the rich.  
If you would button your lip and listen to what  1 or 2 or 100 teachers say, you would quickly learn one very important fact:  “Taking tests does not constitute getting an education.”.

Incidentally the Department of Education in every state in the United States of America will tell you the same thing as will the Federal Department of Education.  

I reviewed the responses to the questionaire, and realize the critical need for the American people to be educated to think and analyze.  Sad indeed … our Founding Fathers are turning over in their graves.

It is beyond comprehension that the party that claimed that it was all about reducing the size of government, changed course when a new captain was at the helm. George Bush and his new tone included giving liberals what they wanted in so many social programs such as farm subsidies and education, not to mention the largest health care entitlement since medicare. The Republicans (save for Dr. Paul) have lost that ideal so that they could be seen as the party that weren’t racist, bigoted , homophobic and sexist. They wanted to be liked by the likes of Katie Couric, and Chris Matthews. They need to get a reality check. The liberals in the mainstream media, much to their organization’s financial despair, were in the tank for the first black man to be the president of the United States. How differently they would have treated someone like Walter E. Williams whose preaching is about “the moral superiority of liberty.” Descriptions like Uncle Tom and other disgusting descriptions would have been carried on the airwaves.

If Republicans want to regain any ground from this devistating loss, they need to look in the mirror and ask; “Am I  a conservitive (or better a libertarian) first?” It is the one thing that can set the agenda against the Democrats who are for the most part liberal. Liberty will always win against liberal ideas. Liberals stack the deck by saying that if you are not supportive of “progressive ideas”- a bastardized use of that word if there ever was one – you are a heartless monster. Remember when libs were saying that conservatives said they wanted to end school lunch programs or Medicare? Instead of saying we aren’t going to end these programs, they should have said “we aren’t planning on ending them now, but we want to  find better ways than these”. Liberals believe that the only wise decisions are made in the hallowed halls of government. Conservatives know that the best decisions for ourselves are made by ourselves.

The only consistantly growth industry in the United states today is government. Congressman Paul is right when he points to the tenth amendment as the cornerstone in the foundation of reducing the size of the federal government. Bring it back to its limited and defined roles which are listed in the Constitution. A document that is brief in its text, but tremendous in its wisdom.

 It is without any reservation that leaders in the Republican Party continue to ignor the Platforms of the Party they profess to Lead. This is a shame and tragedy to a fine Platform and the Millions of silent citizens of this Great Nation which is being pulled down to it’s knees. However, while we are there, let’s use this time to remember who actually promoted our freedom. Reduction of all Government would benefit the scores that will come. But the needs of many can not be found in Government but with neighbors and the community they rest in. United we Stand, but divided We shall surely Fall!

I’d wager Washington’s put over on us ten times more regulations than
all the states put together.

Let’s see, is it legal to charge the same price as everyone else? No, that’s “collusion”.
Well, is it legal to charge more?  No, that would be “price gouging”.
The we have to charge less? No, that’s “unfair competition”.
WATCH OUT!
Pass enough laws and you’ll make everyone a criminal.
Then you’ve got everybody where you want them.
We are almost there…
Personally, I think that every military officer that has sworn
to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States
should think seriously of the need to protect our Constitution
from the three gangs in Washingt5on known as the 3 branches of
the U.S. Government. Some day those gangs will justify a coup
on the grounds of protecting the Constitution from them.

Did you know that in 1990 that the government took over the Mustang Ranch brothel in Nevada for tax evasion and couldn’t keep the place running?  Does that tell you anything about their management skills?

Having 50 sets of laws and regulations would guarantee that many companies would either go out of business or raise cost beyond reason, STUPID! Imagine 50 different regulations covering food safety, drug safety, automobile safety etc. Wiley, you are so full of shit, your blue eyes turned brown!

It would be so easy to let the federal government take care of us.  We forget that this universal care will cost us our money, and our freedom. 

I don’t think anyone can govern me better than I can govern myself. No one can govern my family better than me.  The mayor of my city (not the city manager) and the city counselors know the needs of the families in my community better than the state.  The State government knows the needs of the combined communities in the state better than the Feds.  That’s why the states were considered sovereign when the constitution was written. 

We have a wonderful arrangement of checks and balances in our government if we would just use them properly.  Limited government does not mean anarchy.  Limited government is less expensive and more free than the big expensive government we have today. 

How did the government get so big?  We let it get that way.  We want the government to take care of everything so we can concentrate on spending our credit.  Why not? the government will bail us out when we buy houses we can’t afford.  All the Fed has to do is print more money. 

If we got rid of half of the unnecessary government agencies, we would pay less tax.  We might even be able to do away with federal income tax.  Wow! Think of that!  Oops, we can’t do away with the IRS. That would put all those tax lawyers and tax accountants out of business.  Think of the rise in unemployment.

Silly me!  It would probably be better to print more money and spread it evenly around.  We could use it as fertilizer to grow more trees, make more paper, and print more money.  What a cool way to redistribute our wealth!  Old folks who can’t afford to pay their taxes, let alone keep their homes warm, could burn it in their fireplaces.  That should bring the price of natural gas down!

While we’re at it, we can outsource our education system.  Let the federal government send our kids (you know, the few who weren’t aborted) overseas to school.  Who knows, they might learn something about math and science.  All our homegrown teachers could stay home and help the old folks shovel dollar bills into the fireplace.  We could turn our school buildings into abortion clinics.  When the old folks run out of money, they can move to Oregon or Washington and be allowed to terminate themselves.  That would reduce the population even more, thus reducing the need for fuel to keep them warm, thus reduce the need for teachers……..

I think I’m on a roll!!!

Johnf:

The money that comes from the Federal governments is collected from the states and then sent back (mind you as a lessor amount– have to pay the feds and the federal employees) comes from the states?  Think about how much money would be saved just by bypassing the federal distribution.

The states with the highest taxes are in the NE and in the west and which have caused the greatest harm with the defunct housing situation.

You point out exactly what many people do not want— Redistribution of monies. 

JohhF– I am making and assumption, however- you must live on either the L(East) or Left coast.

I guess that also means the states don’t need the money from the federal government for education and energy. But that’s OK, it’s money that the individuals in the state have been taxed on, so states can just raise their taxes while the federal government lowers theirs.

Of course, some states get more per capita than others, so I guess those states will just have to raise their taxes higher than the rest.

Ron Paul is absolutely right!  Both parties have created bigger government.  Both parties have taxed and spent us into the situation we are facing today.  We need government to stay out of our free markets.  What have they ever run successfully?  Look at Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac?

Why not recognize the eleventh, “Perform Thy Duty” and the twelfth “Make Thy Light Shine”, also.

Rep. Paul is right… the Feds have way too much control.  He is also right about the Republican party.  I’ve been saying for a very long time that there is little fundamental difference between the two parties. — Bob