Progressive progress? – Fairfield Daily Republic

Facts and wisdom to contemplate:

Reviewing Americas development reveals significant changes. The founding principles were unique in that liberty was the primary objective. (See Fact No. 1 above). The Constitution was criticized by some as a negative document because it empowered the federal government to only perform 17enumerated functions and restricted all other functions to sovereignty of the states. The obvious belief being that government closer to the people is better. Amendments were applied as needed. The document remains valid because it recognized unchanging human nature.

The founders rejected the democratic concept in favor of the republic concept as explained in Federalist Papers No. 10. (Wisdom No. 2 above). America prospered for 150 years and became world famous for its liberties and growth. Progressive deviations from those original concepts of maximum liberty began legally in 1913 with the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, whichchanged election of senators from individual state legislatures to popular voting, thus nullifying the intent to protect states sovereignty.

The opening of Pandoras Box to progressive programs occurred in 1937 when the Supreme Court validated the first Social Security law by reversing interpretation of the general welfare clause. Until then all social programs were assumed responsibilities of the states. Since the new definition, the overwhelming amount of federal expenditures and congressional time are spent on welfare programs.

Lets review some results.

Social Security: This program was initially actuarially sound and justified because the court ruled contributors still owned their taxed input. Since then Congress has increased entitlements but refused corrections to avoid future insolvency. (See Wisdom No. 3)

War on poverty: Between 1965 and 2013, the federal government spent $22 trillion and accomplished nothing except after 2009 poverty increased from 11 percent to 13 percent.

Immigration: Immigration was obviously uncontrolled in early American history but controls were thereafter applied for economic and labor needs until 1965 when progressive concepts removed both quantity and quality controls. President Donald Trumps attempts to restore those controls used prior to 1965 have been temporarily denied by court decisions. When will political judges learn lives and liberty are more valuable than politics?

Business regulation: Government regulation on business had a total annual cost in 2014 of 21 percent of all company payroll. Many regulations are obviously superfluous, e.g., 1,500 hours of formal paid training or 3,000 hours of apprenticeship to be a barber in Solano County!

Gun control: Why do most cities with extreme murder rates (more than 30 per 100,000 population) usually have the most strict laws? Those cities usually have restrictive laws; cities sometimes experience reduced murders after loosening gun control.

Election controls: Why do progressives oppose election control laws? Now we know! The Veritas DVD identified a subcontractor of the Democratic Party explaining how he induces fraud and bragging of doing it for 50 years.

Californias decline: The formerly golden state has declined from the top to 41st in education, 45th in roads after50 years of progressive leadership and has driven more than9,000 businesses (remember Copart?) to other states in the past seven years.

So why, after 100 years of failures, do progressives promote their destructive theories? (See Wisdom No. 4). Can you name a progressive success? Unsustainable national debt?

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

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Progressive progress? - Fairfield Daily Republic