Earl Heal: The Right Stuff

Last week we reviewed the primary concepts that Americas Founders developed in writing the Constitution. This week well review changed concepts and resulting effects made since the Constitution was ratified.

13th Amendment-Slavery Abolition: The first change was good. Some yet condemn the Founders for not abolishing slavery. The Founders took pragmatically available action toward limiting slaverys future. Had they insisted on abolition in the original Constitution, there would never had been a United States.

Sovereignty of the States: The first major violation of Founders intent was ratification of 17th Amendment directing that senators are chosen by state popular vote as opposed to appointment by state legislators. Senators are thus not obligated to represent interests of their state and, like representatives, serve the emotion of the masses. It was argued that the prior appointment system was fertile for corruption, but this change removed an important Founders check and balance concept separation of powers. James Mason explained in Federalist No. 51. The remedy . . . is to divide the legislature into different branches, and to render them, by different modes of election and different principles of action as little connected with each other. . . . Honestly, do you see Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Sen. Kamala Harris primarily acting in accordance with the Founders expectations?

Freedoms: Free speech zones where authorities say you may speak is not freedom. A conservative student on the Berkeley campus promoting membership in his group was beaten and sustaining brain damage that may be permanent. The offenders, though identified, are not being prosecuted. Religious freedom is now only to worship as others dictate. Oregon bakers were fined $115,000 for exercising their faith with no harm to anyone. Military chaplains, officers and enlisted have been formally disciplined, including discharge, for expressing religious beliefs. Conservative speakers have been barred from numerous events, in fear that Antifa and others will start yet another costly riot.

Government size: State governments were intended to be laboratories of government with each competing for better policies. The Great Depression decimated our nation. No nation anywhere had developed income insurance, an unforeseen result after the Industrial Revolution. By 1935, 30 states had implemented a form of economic insurance. Roosevelts federal Social Security program was actuarially sound. As the Supreme Court in 1937 granted approval to that first federal social program, it perhaps unwittingly opened the door for unlimited future federal social programs. Congress has frequently increased Social Security benefits and converted it from income insurance into a welfare and retirement program. Because employee/employer contributions were not proportionally increased, the Social Security piggy bank will soon be broke.

The Founders fear of centralized powers and government has been justified after 1937. A federal law to establish minimum wages instead of marketplace determination has, with one exception, had the unintended consequence of increasing unemployment among the target group, minimum wage workers. The War on Poverty, started in 1965, is the ultimate proof of the Founders wisdom and has cost $28 trillion to date.

Two-thirds of recent federal budgets are funding entitlement programs. The Heritage Foundation last year found the total number of federal government employees has increased by approximately 500,000 since 1965 yet it is difficult to name a federal program that has justified its expense. Poverty level remained at near 11% until 2009 when it increased toward 15%. Operation Head Start, an early preschool program, has serious problems: Every evaluation, including one requested by Congress in 2012, documented that any early advantage when entering elementary school disappear by the third year. Mental health issues have climbed dramatically since states were dismissed from primary responsibility. Fraud, distant supervision and incompetence is not unequivocally documented but enough smoking guns and logic suggest it is endemic.

Education, form of government and economic principles will be reviewed next week to identify those changes and results.

Earl Heal is a retired Air Force officer, Vacaville resident and a member of The Right Stuff Committee of the Solano County Republican Party. Reach him at [emailprotected].

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