NOTE: Downsize DC President Jim Babka guest hosts a syndicated radio show tomorrow (Wednesday). Details in the P.S.
Quote of the Day: “A free and prosperous society has no fear of anyone entering it. But a welfare state is scared to death of every poor person who tries to get in and every rich person who tries to get out.” – Harry Browne
There’s a new highway funding bill.
It’s full of measures unrelated to highway funding. Some parts are draconian.
This bill, called MAP-21, passed the Senate.
This is exactly the kind of bill that prompted DownsizeDC.org to develop the One Subject at a Time Act (OSTA).
OSTA was introduced in Congress by Rep. Tom Marino and now has seven cosponsors.
I wrote a letter telling Congress to pass OSTA and urge you to do the same.
The hard-wired message says,
I would notice and appreciate your co-sponsorship of the “One Subject at a Time Act” (OSTA), HR 3806.
I added these comments, from which you may borrow or copy…
The “MAP-21” bill (S.1813) is the type of legislation that makes OSTA necessary. OSTA requires that…
* each bill or joint resolution shall embrace no more than one subject.
* the subject of a bill or joint resolution shall be clearly and descriptively expressed in the title.In contrast, MAP-21 …
* has a title that is as vague and un-descriptive as you can get — “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act.”
* is mainly about highway funding, but has other dangerous measures buried in its 1,676 pages.Such as…
* Authorizing the IRS to confiscate passports from those who ALLEGEDLY owe $50,000 or more in back taxes.
* Requiring all new cars have “black box” data recordersThe passport confiscation (Sec.40304) offends me…
* Confiscating a passport without due process is a violation of the fundamental liberty of the right to move, a violation of the Fifth Amendment; anyone who is NOT charged with a crime should be free to leave the country.
* In a 77,000 page tax code, not even IRS officials can know all the laws or know exactly how much each person owes. (http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/american-income-tax-tyranny)
* This will lead to selective enforcement, such as targeting critics of the Federal State.
* This will create a precedent, where the $50,000 standard will fall to $10,000 and then to $1,000 or less.The “black box” requirement (Sec.31406) is also disturbing…
* It will jack up the price of cars that don’t already have them.
* It will pretend to protect our personal information – except when the government claims it needs it.Besides, where does the Constitution say that traffic accidents are a federal responsibility?
Keep in mind…
* The idea of not letting people leave the country is repugnant. Do you share the ideology of those who built the Berlin Wall?
* If black boxes are essential, then auto manufacturers and/or insurance companies would make sure every car had them. The Megastate’s intervention wouldn’t be needed, right?I demand that you oppose “MAP-21” as presently written, and that you pass the One Subject at a Time Act to prevent bills like it in the future.
END LETTER
You can send your letter using DownsizeDC.org’s Educate the Powerful System.
Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
P.S. Tomorrow (Wednesday), I have two guests, both columnists, as I guest-host Straight Talk w/Jerry Hughes, on the Accent Radio Network.
* What should Ron Paul do next, especially if the regime media is right that Romney is the nominee? Ron Holland joins us to share his opinion.
* Suicide. Is it your right? Garry Reed finds cultural response to various types of suicide interesting. For example, one group says it’s wrong, yet applauds certain practitioners as heroic. How is this possible?
You can listen live at 2:07 PM Eastern (1:07 PM Central, 12:07 PM Mountain, and 11:07 PM Pacific).
To hear the show on the web, or to find a local station, visit the network’s website.
Affiliates can be found in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Oregon.
You can also listen on your phone! Toll free at 1-386-524-0333.