But we did not vote to give up our 1^st Amendment rights to freedom of speech. Today we may be witnessing the backlash caused by the cavalier, elitist – "big brother knows best" mind-set of the past decade coming full circle. We still have one of the greatest economic engines on the planet and our people resources are second to none. So, what's our problem? My thought is a great deal of the problem comes from the fact that our representatives in Washington believe we elected them so they could mortgage our future and by their placing additional tax burdens on the already struggling masses it will magically stimulate our economy. Not only has this very approach been shown to be folly in every historic context; it can only result in further erosion of the already weakened public confidence in our economy. These actions will also lead to decreased confidence in the world markets.

T. Boone Pickens had a series of commercials during the 2008 election cycle which spoke of the "largest transfer of American wealth in history". He was talking about the price of energy & how American dollars would be going out of our pockets and into the bank accounts of the world's oil cartel. When he made those commercials, little did he know what President Obama and the 111^th Congress of the United States had in store for our citizenry.

By now, you've probably heard about the TRILLIONS of dollars the government is approving for bailouts, economic stimulus and infrastructure, not to mention more "pork" than any time in history. What does it all mean, how does it affect us & what can we do about it if we don't agree with the direction things are going? Well, obviously, 55 million Americans voted for someone other than the current president – but did anyone hear them in Washington? Nope, the new order figures they've silenced their opposition.

Last week we witnessed may have witnessed the beginning of an uprising, it was not huge but it was noisy. I say we need more "tea parties" & we need more folks committed to less government. I live in the State with the highest personal income and sales taxes in the nation – yep California! Some of us out here are sick and tired of a slight majority in Sacramento and Washington taking for granted that winning an election by a few votes means that everyone agrees with the direction they want to take us.

Here are a few thoughts on how to solve our problems:

• Reviving our belief in the 10^th Amendment. It's simple but succinct language is often the subject of intense debate but a return to States rights is imperative to slowing the flow of power and revenue to the Federal government. After all, who is really best equipped to manage your tax dollars? Even our State governments are often not the best stewards of our money. Frequently, the county and local governments provide much more value for our tax dollars than the Federal Government. The waste at the Federal level is already well documented and it is only increasing under the new regime. The 10^th Amendment to the United States Constitution simply states:

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Gov. Perry Backs Resolution Affirming Texas' Sovereignty Under 10th Amendment

• Reviving our belief in a TRUE two party system. It seems that today there is hardly any discernable difference between the D's and the R's. We are not getting what we pay for in our representatives. Who do we have to blame? Ourselves, as long as we keep voting for people who do not do our bidding we'll continue to get the tax & spend results.
• Support for all the principles of our founding fathers. It seems that the entire Federal government is working against the people, our businesses and even our state and local government are not really our servants.
• Consider this, when the country was young we needed lawmakers to set up the framework for our country. They wrote a constitution which serves as our foundation. Over the years, we the people, allowed for amendments to that original document. There have been a total of 27 amendments proposed, ratified and/or repealed. There have been 6 more which have never been ratified. Over the 223 years of our history, the amount of laws passed by the Congress and our regulatory bodies in incomprehensible. Is all that paper really necessary to civil order and a reasonable rule of law? Many would argue that with the constant nature of change in the world, we need full time regulators and lawmakers just to keep up. I maintain that there are so many laws on the books already that our legal system and administrative law functions are being crushed by the sheer weight of the burdens of enforcement of the existing law. Many of our current laws are not even being enforced.
• Our Tax System must be reformed to provide a fair and even handed tax system. If we cannot reach a conclusion which resolves the breakdown of our Federal System we need to lobby for change. A grass-roots revolt may be in the early stages; ala Tax Day Tea Party. Our Leaders need to remember who they work for & if they cannot solve these problems in the current system of government we need to really consider the possibility of a Constitutional Convention to rewrite the constitution to reset the priority of the government as being Of the People, By the People & for the People. If you are not familiar with the implications of a Constitutional Convention and our rights as citizens to insist that our government listen to our wishes please visit this website for some background. Sweet Liberty  This particular subject is as sensitive as our 1^st and 2^nd Amendment rights. Why? Well, because the power which would be granted to such a body could have just the opposite effect we desire. It could result in a more powerful central government and even less personal freedom for all of us. If you haven't noticed the alarming events on this front you should take some time to form your own opinion and voice it before it is too late.
• "Let us face reality. The framers have simply been too shrewd for us. They have outwitted us. They designed separated institutions that cannot be unified by mechanical linkages, frail bridges, tinkering. If we are to 'turn the founders upside down' – to put together what they put asunder – we must directly confront the Constitutional structure they erected … "

- James M Burns, p.160 Reforming American Government

• "In the event you would be inclined to dismiss the relevance of the proposed new constitution, bear in mind that it is the product of a tax-exempt think-tank which took ten years, $25,000,000.00 and the collaboration of over one-hundred like-minded individuals. "It would be folly to believe this investment is intended to be merely an exercise in political theory. The frightening reality is, the planners are serious in their efforts to impose a new constitution upon the people of America as we enter the 21st Century."

- Col. Arch Roberts, Committee to Restore the Constitution

• Wall Street Journal, December 19, 2008: Could this crisis be a catalyst to dupe state legislators into passing resolutions calling for a Constitutional Convention (Con-Con) for the ostensible purpose of adding a "Balanced Budget Amendment"? Little do most of them know that the elite proponents of a Constitutional -Convention intend to re-write the constitution or drastically amend the BILL OF RIGHTS, weakening individual protections and state sovereignty!!

Regardless of where you stand on these matters, they are of grave concern to all citizens. We ALL have a right to be heard and represented. If we do not take an active part in voicing your opinion, you will have no reason to complain when the results are not to your liking. If you would like to hear more from this author please visit XITNOW – where you can subscribe to the posts on his blog. About the Author – Steve Vicory is a veteran business development consultant, freelance writer, and author of XITNOW How to Liberate Your Equity – Keep More for You & Retire In Style. He has over 30 years experience running companies and helping people to maximize their return on investment in their business. Steve@TheBalancedGroup or by visiting www.TheBalancedGroup.com

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