If we banned or restricted all activities that affect, harm or have the possibility of harming other people, it wouldn’t be a very nice life. Let’s look at what can affect or harm other people. Non-obese people are harmed by obesity, as they have to pay more for health care, through either higher taxes or higher insurance premiums. That harm could be reduced by a national version of a measure introduced in the Mississippi Legislature in 2008 by state Rep. W.T. Mayhall that in part read, “An act to prohibit certain food establishments from serving food to any person who is obese, based on criteria prescribed by the state Department of Health.” The measure would have revoked licenses of food establishments that violated the provisions of the act. Fortunately, the measure never passed, but there’s always a next time.

and also:

The emerging tragedy is our increased willingness to use the coercive powers of government, in the name of health or some other ruse, to forcibly impose our preferences upon others. In the whole scheme of things, the tobacco issue itself is trivial. Far more important is its template for massive government disrespect for private property.

Read the full column

The “Repeal the REAL ID Act” is DownsizeDC.org’s oldest active campaign.

It is also one of our most successful. Public outrage from the Left, Right, and Middle has persuaded many state legislatures to refuse to implement it. The Obama Administration, which to its credit doesn’t like this Bush-era law, keeps issuing waivers and deadline extensions on the states.

But REAL ID’s author, James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), is holding hearings this week, no doubt to try to build pressure on the Obama Administration to enforce this unconstitutional law.

That’s why it is important to raise our voices today. Tell Congress to repeal the REAL ID Act and replace it with nothing.

You may borrow from or copy this letter…

Rep. Sensenbrenner, the author of the REAL ID Act, along with House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith will try to drum up support for REAL ID by holding hearings this week.

Don’t be fooled by the inevitable scare-mongering of these hearings. You would be wise to take the opposite approach and REPEAL Real ID.

The law simply can’t function…

* 25 states refuse to comply with REAL ID.
* It would strip citizens of those states the right to air travel.
* Which would wreck the airline industry (and overall economy), and anger tens of millions of Americans.

To be blunt, if you insist on REAL ID enforcement, you would deliberately act against the best interests of the United States and the people, and commit political suicide.

Moreover, these states have GOOD REASON to reject REAL ID…

* It is an unfunded mandate on cash-strapped states.
* The Constitution does not empower Congress to regulate state driver’s licenses or other ID cards.
* Nor does it empower Congress to mandate a National ID card or “internal passport.”
* It certainly doesn’t empower Congress to restrict the right of the people to cross state lines!

These states have a the duty to protect their citizens from federal encroachment of their rights.

What REAL ID does is punish American citizens for the crimes of a few foreign terrorists from over a decade ago…

* The elderly, the poor, and divorced women who’ve changed their names are among those who will have difficulty gathering up documents that “prove” their identity — even if they’ve held valid driver’s licenses up until now.
* My identity could be stolen, because my personal information will be collected in a national database which could be hacked into by corrupt government employees or other criminals.
* Just as the government lied about the limited use of Social Security numbers, REAL ID will inevitably be required to do more and more things, and will likely contain tracking technology.

Moreover, REAL ID will NOT protect us from terrorism…

* Any elaborate terrorist plot takes planning and will include terrorists who will be able to legally acquire a REAL ID drivers license.
* To the extent REAL ID has been implemented, it hasn’t played any role in the capture of real or suspected terrorists — not even one. (http://tinyurl.com/7ue3w7l)
* All but two of the 9/11 hijackers were in the U.S. legally and could have obtained a REAL ID card, and ALL of them had a passport allowing them to fly. (http://tinyurl.com/8xllv7q)

It is evident to me that the threat of terrorism is a false pretense to impose a National ID card – a hallmark of totalitarian states. I urge you to obey your oath to the Constitution and serve the American people: Repeal Real ID!

END LETTER

You can send your letter using DownsizeDC.org’s Educate the Powerful System.

And thank you for sharing the blog version of this Dispatch on your social networks: http://bit.ly/zXa8SL

Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

D o w n s i z e r – D i s p a t c h

Official email newsletter of DownsizeDC.org, Inc. & Downsize DC Foundation.

MICHELE BACHMANN: “We have an IAEA report that just recently came out that said literally Iran is within just months of being able to obtain that (a nuclear) weapon.”
RON PAUL: “There is no U.N. report that said that. It’s totally wrong, what you just said.”
Bachmann: “It’s the IAEA report.”
THE FACTS: As Paul said, the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency does not state that Iran is within months of having nuclear arms. The U.N. agency report does suggest that Iran conducted secret experiments whose sole purpose is the development of nuclear weapons but did not put a time frame on when Iran might succeed in building a bomb, and it made no final conclusion on Tehran’s intent.
Bachmann also erred by arguing that Iran has “stated they will use it (a nuclear weapon) against the United States.”
Iran vehemently rejects that it is developing a nuclear bomb, let alone that it plans to drop one on the U.S.

Yes, unsurprisingly it was Michelle Bachmann who lied or I guess if you are a supporter of hers, “stretched the truth”. Bachmann also appears to have lied about what is in the Iranian Constitution, claiming it “states unequivocally” to stretch “jihad across the world”. Well, unless the Wikipedia interpretation of the Iranian Constitution is wrong I see no mention of “jihad” or “caliphate”. In fact, it directly mentions foreign policy in section X, saying in part:

Article 152 The foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is based upon the rejection of all forms of domination, both the exertion of it and submission to it, the preservation of the independence of the country in all respects and its territorial integrity, the defence of the rights of all Muslims, non-alignment with respect to the hegemonic superpowers, and the maintenance of mutually peaceful relations with all non-belligerent States.

There is certainly no “unequivocal” mention of jihad against the world. Hopefully voters will see through Bachmann’s and Santorum’s melodramatic horse-hockey.

Here are all of Ron Paul’s moments in the debate, totaling over 18 minutes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhbGL3F8r4c

DONATE TODAY! It’s Tea Party ’11 Money Bomb Time.

Next up are two familiar tools of status-quo politics discussing Ron Paul’s recent poll numbers in Iowa. Of course, I’m talking about Bill O’Reilly and Dick Morris. Dick Morris actually appears to shudder when he considers (and then immediately dismisses) the possibility of Ron Paul being the GOP nominee. What Morris doesn’t realize is that when he speaks later in the segment about his “cockroach theory” (whatever that means) he’s actually describing the very reason Ron Paul would win against Obama and not one of his choices of Romney or Gingrich.

This just, once again, proves what a monumental task Ron Paul is up against in his quest to spread liberty by leading by example rather than leading by a leash. The pundits are coming out in droves to discredit Paul’s candidacy because they don’t want to be forced to vote for him if he should get the nomination. I’d love for one of these tools to answer the question, “If Ron Paul gets the nomination would you support him?” They’d likely dismiss the question as “impossible” rather than admit they’d support him, eventually.

Paul has a long road ahead of him. Not only must he actually win enough votes in each state, but he must also win over the pundits and their despicable preliminary coronations of other candidates. Doing enough of the former will help with the latter. One thing is for sure, Ron Paul’s campaign this time around is not an educational effort like it was in 2008. He’s all in and if Ron Paul wins, America wins.

————–
Don’t forget to pledge and donate this Friday for the Tea Party 2011 Money Bomb. It’s one way that we can punch back at the Dick Morris types.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3QJL6IiNYo

Then you may be a criminal. At least, that’s what the Justice Department claims, and they want to strengthen the law to ensure that they have the power to prosecute you.

That’s why I sent a letter to my Representative and Senators to resist this power-grab and protect our freedom to use the Internet.

I hope you do the same, and you may borrow from or copy this letter…

I am disturbed that the Obama Administration wants to strengthen the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) to prosecute violators of “Terms of Service” (ToS) agreements on the Internet.

The CFAA was intended to outlaw hacking and identity theft. But its vague language has led three federal courts to rule that employees can be prosecuted merely for violating their employer’s “acceptable use” policy. The feds also prosecuted a woman under the CFAA for violating MySpace’s Terms of Service. (http://www.cdt.org/files/pdfs/CFAA_signon_ltr_2.pdf)

The Administration wants to go further, and make ToS violations explicitly illegal under federal law. There are at least five reasons to oppose this…

1. It criminalizes activities that would not be criminal in the physical world. You can assume a false identity at a party without breaking a law, but using a pseudonym on the Internet could be a felony.

2. The innocent will be unjustly punished. If someone is falsely accused of a real crime like hacking, prosecutors will also charge him or her with ToS violations in order to secure a conviction.

3. Since almost everyone is guilty of ToS violations, the law could be used by U.S. Attorneys to wage personal or political vendettas.

4. It threatens the First Amendment because it could be deployed to prosecute individuals who criticize the Administration or Congress in comments sections or forums.

5. A ToS is a PRIVATE agreement, and Internet hosts are free to ban violators. Trolls are often banned on websites. Fake profiles on social networks are often deleted. Employees who violate agreements and use their work computer for fantasy football can be fired.

The Justice Department claims it wouldn’t have the time or resources to go after trivial ToS violations, such as lying about one’s age on a dating site. And yet it calls “worrisome” an amendment by Sens. Franken, Grassley, and Lee that would protect most people from ToS prosecutions. (http://bit.ly/vMcl8v)

Criminalizing ToS violations won’t prevent serious computer crimes, but it WILL give the feds tremendous powers to abuse and harass harmless Internet users. Please support the Franken-Grassley-Lee amendment and provide other safeguards to protect the American people from an out-of-control Justice Department.

END LETTER

You can send your letter using DownsizeDC.org’s Educate the Powerful System.

We urge you to encourage your friends to take action and protect Internet freedom. “Like” and “Tweet” this post on our blog.

James Wilson
Policy Research Director
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

P.S. Tomorrow (Wednesday), Jim Babka returns to the guest-hosting seat of Jerry Hughes on his show Straight Talk.

Jim will be joined by Michael Boldin, the founder and executive director of the Tenth Amendment Center.

Boldin’s group was attacked in a “report” by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on their Hatewatch blog. Is the Tenth Amendment Center a hater (racist) organization? Is this just an accident or misunderstanding, outside of the normal behavior of the SPLC?

Jim and Michael will talk about the Tenth Amendment Center, and also about the group’s Nullify Now tour.

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.

D o w n s i z e r – D i s p a t c h

Official email newsletter of DownsizeDC.org, Inc. & Downsize DC Foundation.

1. American citizens and lawful resident aliens, could be held, INDEFINITELY, jailed.
2. Other persons can be DISAPPEARED by the military, without benefit of habeas corpus or trial. And worse…
3. These other persons can also be shipped off to a foreign judicial system that might deliver a result the Justice Department wants.

The sponsors of this bill claim that this bill contains no new powers — that they’re merely codifying the behavior of two (renegade) administrations. 

Yet two of the bill’s Senate backers admit there is a new power: The ability of the military to engage in police work on American soil — Posse Comitatus be damned.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who backs the bill, indicated that the bill “basically say in law for the first time that the homeland is part of the battlefield” and people can be imprisoned without charge or trial “American citizen or not.” Another supporter, Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) also declared that the bill is needed because “America is part of the battlefield.”

Here’s a link to a copy of the two offending sections, 1031 and 1032, which must be removed by amendment.

In 1031 the Federal State gains the power of indefinite imprisonment without trial. In 1032, American citizens and lawful resident aliens must be given civilian jails for their potentially permanent stays, and cannot be shipped off for a show trial by a convenient foreign power.

The sponsors of this bill, Senators Levin and McCain, are forgetting their Article I role as a protection against an overreaching and potentially tyrannical Executive Branch, and are instead rapidly inventing powers for that branch. They’re trading Liberty for Security because we’ve become so scared of the boogeyman.

We should stop being so cowering and fearful. We should tell Congress, loud and clear, “I Am Not Afraid.”

And the debate is occurring as I write this, Monday afternoon.

Why are we getting this crucial information to you so late?

There are lots of things to monitor. DownsizeDC.org doesn’t have the staff to follow all of it. Not many groups do. The Federal Leviathan is a large, unwieldy organization that moves in criminally clandestine ways. We’ve addressed this fact . . .

* This bill is over 600 pages long, and even according to its sponsors, covers a wide variety of issues. Something as important and unique as criminal justice should not be part of a military authorization bill, but should be the subject of its own bill, consistent with DownsizeDC.org’s “One Subject at a Time Act.”

* And these offending sections of this bill didn’t come to light until the ACLU published an article about it on the day before Thanksgiving. http://www.aclu.org/blog/tag/Carl%20Levin We found out about that article on Friday night. Every bill should be published online, after the entire bill has been read aloud to the Congress, for at least seven days before its final vote. These provisions of DownsizeDC.org’s “Read the Bills Act” would give watchdog groups and media personalities time to digest and disseminate the information to you, with sufficient time to register your dissent. 

When we first read 1031 and 1032, we didn’t understand them fully. We believe due diligence is important. We wanted to make sure that WE were telling the truth, not someone else’s incomplete opinion or ill-advised version. That’s one reason you read the Downsizer-Dispatch, isn’t it?

But it was hard to find adequate help to understand how these sections related to each other, on a holiday weekend — a weekend where our staff was also, “over the river and through the woods.”

We didn’t figure out how these sections related to each other until today.

Usually, we prepare our Dispatches the evening in advance, and sometimes even days earlier. Why? Because we want to be sure they’re properly researched, accurate, and tightly written. We don’t ever want to waste your time.

But you’re reading something, today, that’s been written in a hurry, just moments before it hit your inbox.

I cannot express, in polite words, how frustrated I am with the Senate Armed Services Committee, which brought this bill to the floor. Nor can I quantify how much it has bothered me, this weekend (when I should’ve been enjoying myself), that we might not be able to get this seemingly crucial news to you.

One sacrifice I’ve had to make in this hurriedly sent Dispatch is that there’s insufficient time to write a sample letter. In this Dispatch, we’ve linked to the,

* The “I Am Not Afraid” campaign
* The “One Subject at a Time Act” campaign
* The “Read the Bills Act” campaign

You can borrow from the points we’ve made in this message, and send an appropriate message from each of these campaigns. I hope you will.

But even more important, if you’re logged in, you can refer to Your Downsize DC Toolbox, on the home page of the DownsizeDC.org, on the link above your state map, labeled “District Information,” and you’ll see the phone numbers of your two Senators.

* Make a brief note of what you want to say so that your thoughts are organized.
* Be polite but firm, and be sure to identify yourself as a constituent.
* Be especially sure to tell them to remove Sections 1031 and 1032 from S. 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act, which has been placed on the Senate calendar.
* Then, call the numbers we provide on that page and give whoever answers your message. 

Thank you for your prompt action,

Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

P.S. By the way, both the Justice Department and the Defense Secretary oppose these provisions, and find them unhelpful. The President has even hinted at vetoing the bill, meaning we can win if we act.   

D o w n s i z e r – D i s p a t c h

Official email newsletter of DownsizeDC.org, Inc. & Downsize DC Foundation.

We’ve launched a new campaign. This one aims to trim the power of the FDA (the Food and Drug Administration).

The hardwired portion of the letter to Congress for this new campaign reads…

Make the FDA advisory, not mandatory.

We’ve placed this campaign under the Our Heresies tab on our website, because we know it will take the public time to catch up to the truth.

We think the evidence is overwhelming that the FDA is worse than bad. The FDA is evil. It kills people…

• It denies people access to life-saving treatments
• It treats unique human beings as if they were genetically identical clones with exactly the same needs and risks
• It hobbles research
• It creates barriers to entry for new companies
• It makes medicines and supplements more expensive than they need to be
• It serves the interests of Big Pharma at the expense of the consumer
• It violates the First Amendment, by restricting commercial speech
• It opposes prevention, preferring that people get sick first, before they can receive treatment
• It stands as a major obstacle to anti-aging research that could cure most of the ailments that still ravage mankind

So “evil” is perhaps too weak a word, but we have no stronger term to use. The evidence to demonstrate our heretical claims about the FDA will come to you in an avalanche over the months ahead.

We begin with a statement of principle, which I sent to my elected representatives this morning. If you agree with our position then please feel free to copy or borrow from the following sample letter . . .

I want to control what medicines I use. I DON’T want the FDA to do this for me. The FDA should make advisory recommendations only. It should NOT have the power to mandate which drugs I can buy, and which I cannot.

* If pharmaceutical companies value the FDA seal of approval, then they can pay the FDA to evaluate their drugs.
* If consumers value FDA approval, then they can decide to only buy FDA-approved medications.

If the FDA’s seal of approval is really so valuable, then it does NOT need to be mandatory. No coercion is necessary. Instead, the FDA should be able to sell its services through voluntary means, just like Underwriter’s Laboratory does.

Consumers and doctors should be free to consult available science, and make their own decisions about which treatments to try.

All human beings are unique. Treatments that might be dangerous for one person, could be the only possible solution for another. There is zero chance that one-size-fits-all dictates can possibly account for the vastness of human variability. Patients and doctors must have the flexibility to deal with individual human uniqueness.

The FDA should serve, not rule. And Congress should do the same. Stop trying to rule me. Instead, serve me. You can do this now by introducing legislation to make the FDA advisory, NOT mandatory.

END LETTER

Assuming that you agree with us, you can send your own letter to Congress on this issue using DownsizeDC.org’s Educate the Powerful System.

However, if you have a high degree of confidence in the kind of coercive regulation the FDA provides, we encourage you to read “How To Think About Regulation” at the Downsize DC Foundation website.

Finally, YOU have an offer from Bill Haynes of CMI Gold & Silver…

Bill will double the size of your one-time contribution or new monthly pledge to DownsizeDC.org.

We FREQUENTLY (and gratefully) hear from people who write, “I wish I could do more.” Well, here’s your opportunity! You’re $5 donation can be $10. Your $25 donation can be $50. Your $100 donation could be $200. And so on… 

Please, act NOW! We have a September 30 deadline.

Thanks for being a DC Downsizer,

Perry Willis
Vice President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

D o w n s i z e r – D i s p a t c h

Official email newsletter of DownsizeDC.org, Inc. & Downsize DC Foundation.

There are Republicans that will only vote Republican and stand behind the nominee no matter who it is.

There are Democrats that believe in unicorns, double rainbows, and “Yes we can!” that will vote for Obama no matter how much his actions suggest “Oh no we didn’t!”.

Then there are the the rest of us who will vote for the guy (Sorry Michele and Sarah but you gals don’t have a chance… how’s that feel coming from a Ron Paul supporter?) that actually agrees with us on approximately 80 to 100% of what we believe in.

If Ron Paul were the GOP nominee Obama would be forced to attack from the right on foreign policy, alienating those liberal voters who are ignorantly sympathetic to the drone-bombing fetishist, Nobel Peace Prize winner. Obama would be compelled to “let-me-be-clear” his way out of not being very clear on why there are still troops in Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and maybe Syria and “Pock-ih-stohn”.

Now where would those voters turn after being stabbed in the back by their warmonger-in-chief? That’s right, the only other candidate in the race with years of truth and integrity spilling out of him: Ron Paul.

Nearly every question Paul received during the debate last week on MSNBC was obviously aimed at scaring people who have become dependent on the federal government. Even the CNN “Tea Party” debate earlier this week had some of this as well. Don’t fall for their magic markers. Paint your own picture of who Ron Paul is and what he believes (this video is a great start).

Newsflash: Hey MSNBC viewers, everything you despise about FOX News is exactly what MSNBC does except the paint dries blue, not red.

You have to take the crazy out of yourself before you will notice that Ron Paul is just not crazy. He is the candidate with the most common sense. I’m sure that one of Paul’s trusted advisers said to him prior to the debate, “Ron, if you look at the rest of the candidates on that stage, and you can’t find the sane one, then YOU are the sane one.”

It is said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results. We keep electing the same clowns over and over again and expect different results. But here is Ron Paul, once again, offering America new solutions to ancient problems.

He’s the only one that can truly beat Obama. Do you want four more years of recession, desperation, broken promises, and apologies? Vote Perry, Romney, Bachmann, Santorum, Gingrich, Huntsman, or Obama.

But if you want four years of prosperity, integrity, honesty, liberty, and peace. Vote Paul. He’s just the kind of crazy America needs.

Civil asset forfeiture is government seizure of property and cash, even when the owner isn’t charged of a crime. Innocent owners must go through a costly, time-consuming process to get their property back — and even then they may be denied. Police departments get to sell the seized property and keep most of the proceeds. If you’re unfamiliar with this form of legalized theft, we recommend you learn more on our End Asset Forfeiture page.

Back in May, 2009, we predicted that because of the bad economy and budget crunches, police will “increase searches, raids, and seizures to generate more revenue.”

As the letter below demonstrates, our prediction has been proven true.

That’s why I wrote to my Representative and Senators to end this evil practice.

You may borrow from or copy this letter…

According to the Wall Street Journal…

* In 2010, federal, state, and local government stole homes, cars, boats, and cash in more than 15,000 cases
* The total take topped $2.5 billion, MORE THAN DOUBLING IN FIVE YEARS
* More than 400 federal statutes allow for forfeiture, such as (suspected) violations of the Northern Pacific Halibut Act
* Which is double the number from the year 2000
* Top federal officials are also pushing for greater use of civil-forfeiture proceedings, in which assets can be taken without criminal charges being filed against the owner
* Unlike in criminal cases, the poor are not entitled to free legal representation to help them get their property back

This means, to anyone with common sense, that an individual’s property could be seized without due process of law, a CLEAR violation of the Fifth Amendment.

Recent victims include…

* James Leito, who hired an armored car company for his check cashing business. That company turned out to be under an FBI probe, and the FBI seized $392,000 that rightfully belonged to Leito. It took years for the money to be returned to him.
* Raul Stio, from whom the IRS took $157,000 of cash deposits in his bank account, even though these were proceeds from his legitimate businesses.
* Jorge Jaramillo, whose $16,000 was taken by authorities although he was going to buy a car from someone who wanted cash; he got the money back only because he had pro bono legal representation.
* Unknown thousands of similarly innocent people who can’t afford to fight for the return of their cash or property.

Asset forfeiture does NOT stop crime. Instead, it encourages government lawlessness. Under the federal government’s Equitable Sharing programs, local police departments can keep up to 80% of forfeiture proceeds if they work with the feds on seizures. This creates a conflict-of-interest by directing police attention away from law enforcement, and toward making money for their departments.

To restore justice and the Fifth Amendment, please introduce legislation…

* That ends federal civil asset forfeiture programs
* That terminates Equitable Sharing
* And that denies federal funds to any state or local government that continues asset forfeiture

Civil asset forfeiture is armed robbery, plain and simple. It should not be tolerated anywhere in the United States.

END LETTER

You can send your letter using DownsizeDC.org’s easy-to-use Educate the Powerful System.

Do your colleagues and neighbors know that their goods can be stolen by law enforcement? …that they don’t even need to be charged with a crime? Let them know: Share this Downsizer-Dispatch with them, and tell them you took action — that you sent a message to your representatives, and you want them to join you.

An Important Question: Do you want DownsizeDC.org to miss out on $3,899? Do you want DownsizeDC.org to miss its budgetary goal this month?

DC Downsizers have been given a challenge by Bill Haynes of CMI Gold & Silver.

He says, “I’ll match the first $5,000 of new contributions to DownsizeDC.org” (that’s NEW pledges and NEW one-time contributions; PayPal STILL accepted, but not counted towards the match). So far this month, DownsizeDC.org has received $1,101, which Bill has matched.

Please make Mr. Haynes part with $3,899 more of his money by September 30, and help YOUR DownsizeDC.org to meet its MODEST budget goal.

James Wilson
Policy Research Director
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

D o w n s i z e r – D i s p a t c h

Official email newsletter of DownsizeDC.org, Inc. & Downsize DC Foundation.

Isn’t this just more evidence that the TSA should be ABOLISHED, instead of reformed?

I wrote a letter telling Congress to do just that, and I invite you to do the same.

You may borrow from or copy this letter…

The TSA is under fire. So, it is trying to make some improvements, such as…

Transitioning away from “naked” body scanners. Their “reforms” even include a trusted flier program to enjoy a more streamlined screening experience. Sounds good, right?

But this proposal requires you to give up even MORE of your privacy.

It is fundamentally wrong that the people must request permission, from the federal government, to board an airliner.

The Supreme Court said in United States v. Guest (http://tinyurl.com/3dh25r8) that “The constitutional right to travel from one State to another, and necessarily to use the highways and other instrumentalities of interstate commerce in doing so, occupies a position fundamental to the concept of our Federal Union. It is a right that has been firmly established and repeatedly recognized.”

The very existence of the TSA, however, spits in the face of the Constitution…

• In violation of the Fourth Amendment, it conducts unreasonable searches against EVERY flier, almost all of whom provide no cause for reasonable suspicion
• In violation of the Fifth Amendment, it denies the right to fly to those who refuse to cooperate — depriving them of liberty without due process of law

It is not surprising that an unconstitutional agency will abuse its power. Here’s just ONE list of ten TSA outrages: http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/274033/ten-tsa-outrages-charlie-cooke

No wonder people don’t want to fly. According to the U.S. Travel Association (http://tinyurl.com/3canjfy)...

• On average, each person avoids two to three trips a year because of the hassles of airport-security screening
• Which amounts to an estimated $85 billion in lost business for hotels, restaurants, airlines, and other travel suppliers
• And there’s a huge loss of productivity from those who DO fly. Think of the time wasted at airports because travelers have to arrive early, uncertain about how long it will take to get through security

YOU know as well as I that if private screeners treated passengers the way the TSA does…

• They’d face lawsuits from the public and likely investigation by the Department of Justice
• And probable criminal prosecution under state laws

Heck, you or your colleagues would probably want to haul them up before a committee to demand answers!

Ironically, private screeners would NOT DARE treat their customers this way…

• Airlines have an interest in keeping their passengers safe
• Airlines also have an interest in making the passenger experience as enjoyable as possible

Under a private airline security system, airports, airlines, and their insurance companies would develop innovative, un-intrusive methods to keep passengers safe. The most effective methods would be adopted by more airlines, who unlike the TSA must satisfy customers.

Airline security may have been “private” before 9/11. But it was still tightly regulated. Congress should abolish the TSA, AS WELL AS federal regulations. Airlines and their insurance companies would be held liable for hijackings, terrorist attacks, or other mishaps.

I would feel safer on an airliner with PRIVATE security and DEREGULATED procedures.

END LETTER

You may send your letter using DownsizeDC.org’s Educate the Powerful System.

CHALLENGE: Make Bill Haynes of CMI Gold & Silver http://www.cmi-gold-silver.com/ pay out $5,000!

YOUR BENEFIT: Every NEW dollar you give will be worth $2, thanks to Bill. Start a pledge, or make a donation. If you give $10, then it’s value is $20 — $100, then it’s worth $200. 

THE GOAL: Existing pledges and PayPal support + Bill’s challenge + matched funds from generous donors like you = Budget Achieved!

Thank you for being a DC Downsizer,

Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org

D o w n s i z e r – D i s p a t c h

Official email newsletter of DownsizeDC.org, Inc. & Downsize DC Foundation.

Nice interview, though I wish Paul would choose more optimistic words when he speaks. All of this “I’m afraid there will be people in the streets like we’ve seen in other countries” talk is worrying Grandma and Grandpa voter out there. It reminds me of my penchant for jokingly yelling “WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!” at the top of my lungs while going over the first big drop on a roller-coaster. You know, just for fun. Of course, Ron Paul is being serious and he’s right. I just don’t know if that is earning him the kind of votes he needs to rise even further in the polls.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vFkcjwZOA8