Team Delph is prepping for its march in Clermont later this morning at its annual parade.  We have recently celebrated Constitution day.  Yep, we have a day for our founding document.  Rather than celebrate the constitution, let's demand that we all read it.  That we follow it.  That we understand why the courts have gotten us so far away from the plain meaning and original intent of our Founders.  Let's remind ourselves that our Federal government was designed to be one of LIMITED and ENUMERATED power with most reserved to the States or the People themselves under our 10th Amendment.  Article I, Section 8 enumerates those limited powers with the Necessary and Proper clause giving Congress some wiggle room to do things necessary and proper to carry out the listed or enumerated powers.  That's right all else is for the States.  At least that was the intent.  Today we allow the Federal government to use our own tax dollars to coerce our behavior at the State level of government in the area of Education.  No mention of Education in Art. I section 8.  Just watched a legal analyst suggest that the new healthcare proposal, which for the first time in American history has our national government mandate its citizens purchase something, is appropropriate under the General Welfare clause.  Folks, this is why there is such a disconnect between the words you read in the Constitution and modern day application.  We have allowed the courts to interpret away original meaning.  We have allowed the Commerce Clause to be a general bucket which grants the Feds virtually unlimited power.  Who did that?  Our judges in the judicial branch of government.  The most egregious case that comes to mind is from around the Depression era when the court said a wheat farmer who grew his own wheat to feed his livestock couldn't do it because it had an impact on interstate commerce.  My friends in the Tea Party movement with their soon to be launched Contract from America are going to try to force Congress to name the enumerated power which grants them the authority for whatever it is they are debating and passing into law.  Excellent idea!  But we need to go further and stop idolizing the judicial branch.  We have allowed a slow erosion of our Founding documents by individuals many of whom hold a lifetime appointment.  Which gets me to my last point.  Art II, Section II grants the United States Senate the power to give Advice and Consent on all Judicial nominees.  Nowhere in that section does it suggest that power was cursory or a foregone conclusion.  No where does it say that Senators should rubberstamp any President's nominees.  As you can see from our history, who we put on the bench representing us in the Judicial Branch of government has a tremendous impact on how we are governed.  Now go pick up your constitution and start asking your Federal lawmakers, where in the constitution do they have the authority to do what they are doing.  Happy Constitution Day! 

National Spending Revolt came to Indianapolis over the Labor Day weekend.  I was invited to participate in a panel discussion broadcast nationally via the web.  WXNT Radio Talk Show Host, Abdul Hakim Shabazz, moderated and we took questions from the live audience and from callers.  My basic message was simple.  Our Founding Fathers cared about future generations, our posterity.  Do we?  Just consider the numbers that Revolt discussed and one can easily understand how this is simply not sustainable:

Indianapolis, IN – New data from the U.S. Department of Labor show that 48 of 50 U.S. states are still losing jobs, while the federal government continues to spend at a rate of nearly $400 million an hour.  In response to this looming crisis, the new Spending Revolt coalition – made up of taxpayers, families, business owners, and policy organizations – is working to educate citizens about how mounting federal spending is jeopardizing America’s future, and engage them in taking action against this reckless spending.   

The federal government is currently spending $112,000 every second.  This amounts to $67 million in the 10 minutes needed to take a shower and more than $1 billion in the 162 minutes that the average American spends watching television each day.  The national debt has ballooned to more than $13 trillion, and America’s debt is now projected to surpass GDP by 2012 – placing the U.S. closer to the crushing debt load that has engulfed Greece. 

“America faces a severe spending crisis that is rapidly bankrupting our nation,” said a coalition statement.  “Current spending levels are unsustainable, irresponsible, and negligent – and show that Washington is failing in its responsibility to safeguard the people’s resources.  We need real, permanent, and immediate spending reform in Washington to protect the economic security of all Americans.  We will fight for the taxpayers of Indiana and across America to stop this reckless spending.”

The Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute has suggested Indiana needs to raise taxes to balance its budget.  My response is simple.  No!  Government needs to live within its and our means.  We are in the worst economy that I can recall.  Raising taxes will only slow our economic recovery.  John Maynard Keynes was a very influential economist that promoted the idea that government can borrow and spend itself out of economic recession.  This is a failed philosophy in my view, but it nevertheless still haunts us all from his grave.  If we need to make up a budget gap, it will have to be first through spending cuts.  This is what most Hoosier households have to do when faced with similar circumstances.  We call it Hoosier Common Sense!