You can listen to the first episode of the Downsize DC Conference Call, our new radio show by clicking on the archived mp3 file attached to this message (below). I sizzled, if I may say so myself. We had two callers and one emailer for the one hour program.
We talked about the Read the Bills Act, our No REGULATION Without Representation Act (coming soon), and ideas like these to reign in Congress — to, “Take the Fun Out of Political Plunder.”
I suggested a Sunset rule for all government programs — which would go great with RTBA, since even sunsetting bills would need to be read before they can be re-authorized — as well as a single subject rule.
Before the show was over, I suggested there should be a Sarbanes-Oxley rule for GOVERNMENT. If Enron, Worldcomm, and Martha Stewart committed crimes, then what do you call it when a government employee tells Congress a bill will cost $400 billion over 10 years, and it turns out he knew that number was wrong because it should’ve been $550 billion but his boss told him to lie? And then, within two years of passage, the government adjusts the number up to nearly $700 billion. That single fraud all by itself dwarfs all the corporate scandals combined! And someone should be held accountable.
One of the callers suggested a word limit for bills.
We’ll hit this popular subject again in the future.
We also discussed Congressman Ron Paul’s on-again — off-again sponsorship of the bill. I won’t elaborate on what I said — you can listen for yourself.
Today’s GOA Update was an op-ed posted at the GOA website about John McCain. Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America understands how damaging John McCain’s reform ideas are to everyday American’s First Amendment rights. The essay, by former FEC Commissioner Brad Smith, is posted on the gunowners.org site and you can read it here. PLEASE, PLEASE READ IT.