Civil revolt is currently spreading across the Arab world. What began in Tunisia has now metastasized into Bahrain, Egypt and Libya. Though two dictators have been ousted, the chances that these regimes will fundamentally transform from autocracy to a system of free markets and property rights are also up in the air. An important question is whether or not Saudi Arabia will eventually get into the mix; and, if so, whether the current struggle in Libya would morph into a proxy war between Saudi Arabia (Sunni Muslims) and Iran (Shiite Muslims). It remains to be seen whether the new regime in Egypt-whatever form it ends up to be – will allow Iran to use the Suez Canal to parade warships across the Mediterranean Sea and into Syria. If so, what would Israel’s reaction to such a perceived provocation be?

There are many unknowns, but what is known is that the turmoil has had an immediate and significant impact on the price of oil. WTI is now trading just below $100 a barrel and Brent Crude is already well above the century mark. If the unrest does indeed spread to Saudi Arabia – which produces 12 million barrels of oil per day and is the second largest producer in the world – mainstream analysts have made some wild predictions about how high the oil price could reach. Rising energy prices will further cripple the third world, which has already been placed under extreme pressure from skyrocketing food costs.

The United Nations announced in early February that global food prices were at an all-time high. The USDA indicated this week that 2011 corn inventories will be the lowest since 1974. Despite the fact that farmers have boosted the output of wheat, rice, and feed grain by 16% since 2000, demand has outstripped supply by 4 percentage points. Corn is up 95% and wheat has increased 70% since their year-ago levels. Overall, global food costs have jumped by 25% YoY since January 2009.

It is evident that global consumers continue to get pummeled by rising food and energy prices. Meanwhile, in addition to coping with rising inflation rates, the US consumer is also being hurt by the continued contraction in the price of houses – which are typically their primary assets. S&P/Case-Shiller indicated on Tuesday that their National Index dropped 4.1% from Q4 2009 thru Q4 2010. Home values have now dropped for 6 consecutive quarters and clearly indicate the real estate sector is suffering a double dip. The ramifications of all the above data are foreboding for US GDP growth. Most importantly, anemic economic growth will worsen our debt-to-GDP ratio and thereby place further pressure on our already damaged balance sheet.

The Fed’s reaction will be as predictable as ever.

We already know that Chairman Bernanke exculpates the Fed for any blame in creating inflation either domestically or abroad. In fact, he refuses to even consider rising food and energy prices in his definition of inflation. Americans could be paying $50/pound for ground beef, but as long as their houses are still losing value, Bernanke doesn’t see an inflation problem. Meanwhile, they’re eating squirrel for protein while making payments on a mortgage twice as expensive as the house.

The truth is that Bernanke doesn’t know what causes inflation, so he can’t be expected to spot it, much less do something about it. Using the Fed’s own history as a guide, Bernanke will view rising commodity prices as a threat to GDP growth and a sign of pending deflation. That’s because the Fed is caught up in a ‘Phillips curve’ philosophy that only equates economic growth and prosperity with inflation. In short, Bernanke believes that slow growth and rising unemployment rates equate to deflation, despite plentiful contrary examples in history.

Since he believes rising commodity prices are deflationary and have nothing to do with his own loose monetary policy, the Fed is likely to expand its balance sheet to a greater degree. The fact that the Fed’s massive money printing effort is the progenitor of global food riots completely escapes him. As more damage is done, the Fed will use the resulting contraction in GDP to justify a third round of quantitative easing – further harming the GDP.

Unfortunately, the vicious cycle of stagflation will grow more acute with each iteration of the Fed’s love affair with counterfeiting. Countries that make the mistake of continuing to peg their currencies to the US dollar will suffer more inflation and more destabilization. Since it will be hardest for the US to ditch the dollar, our hopes are dimmer.

Based on his recent public comments, Fed Chairman Bernanke seems determined to give the U.S. dollar the reputation of Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak: an unwanted relic of the past that everyone agrees must go, but stubbornly clings to a privileged position. The dollar is currently the world’s ruling currency, but, as with Mubarak, I believe that growing public discontent will spur regime change quicker than most pundits expect.

Clearly, the most significant problem facing central bankers around the world is the recent eruption of inflation, which is sparking unrest in Asia and the Middle East. With respect to this issue, Bernanke is alternating his responses through two different personas.

Sometimes he chooses to act like Baghdad Bob, the Iraqi Information Minister who, in the opening days of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, continued to deny the presence of American troops even as U.S. tanks rumbled behind him. The parallel to Bernanke’s testimony to Congress today is striking.

Speaking to the House Budget Committee, Baghdad Ben not only claimed that there is no evidence of overall inflation in the U.S., but that even food and energy prices are rising less than 1% annually. This is simply not true. He then claimed that the Fed’s massive QE purchases of U.S. Treasuries do not distort the yield curve, despite the fact that he has stated repeatedly that the program was specifically designed to lower long-term rates.

The reason behind these lies should be evident. Acknowledging inflationary threats would force him to raise rates. But Baghdad Ben knows that the current economic “expansion” is a lie built on a weak foundation of ultra-low interest rates. He knows that even marginally higher rates will trigger a savage return to recession. In his view, the only choice is to sell us an elaborate fiction – even when it obviously conflicts with the facts.

At other times, Chairman Bernanke assumes the persona of Marie Antoinette by professing regal indifference to how his own actions negatively impact the great unwashed. In a rare Fed press conference last week, Bennie Antoinette showcased this “let them eat cake” attitude by declaring that U.S. monetary policy is solely designed to benefit the U.S., and that any adverse consequences in other countries are not his problem. As a result, he broadly absolved the Fed of any blame for global inflation, putting it instead on foreign governments for not allowing their currencies to appreciate and for keeping their interest rates too low.

It is this type of attitude from our top monetary policy maker – to either deny inflation or to lay blame elsewhere – that will accelerate the day of reckoning for the dollar.

Amazingly, for all its flaws, the buck remains the world’s reserve currency. So, for now, the U.S. continues to enjoy all the rights and privileges that come from that status, including lower consumer prices and lower interest rates. But along with those benefits comes the great responsibility of not conducting monetary policy in a vacuum. Since the dollar is the benchmark currency, when it is debased, other currencies must follow suit. Because of the massive printing effort underway for some time now, the dollar has gone from an instrument of stability to an instrument of inflation.

A reserve currency must not go on in perpetual decline. Since abandoning the dollar as a reserve implies radical change with unknown consequences, governments have been very reluctant to take the chance. So, they are acting to preserve the status quo. But, in so doing, they’re creating inflation in their own countries. Unfortunately, this strategy may prove more risky in the end.

Other factors are also influencing foreign central bankers to stick with the devil they know. For one, as emerging markets compete to export to the United States, no one wants to surrender what it perceives to be its competitive advantage. None of these governments yet understand that if the dollar were to collapse, new customers would be instantly created in those countries whose currencies appreciate against the dollar.

Emerging markets also feel obligated to protect the value of the trillions of dollars that they already hold in reserve. Like traders throwing good money after bad, their instinct is to average down their cost of their position. The reality is that the more dollars they buy, the more they will ultimately lose. Once they realize that the rise in their own currency will more than offset their dollar losses, they will cut their losses and run.

When emerging-market governments decide they do not want to eat Bennie’s cake, but rather keep their own bread prices from rising, they will have to pursue the tighter monetary policies. When that happens, the dollar will lose its reserve status.

When the rest of the world no longer links their currencies to ours, the Fed will truly not have to worry about fueling global inflation. Instead, all of its inflation will burn through our banks accounts right here at home. And that blaze, so concentrated, will burn a lot hotter than the fires we see abroad.

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The politicians meddle with everything. For example, when it comes to energy production there are . . .

* Direct subsidies
* Tax breaks and tax penalties
* Liability limits, but also potential fines if you don’t do things just right

What a meddling muddle! This is why . . .

It’s fair to say that the federal government played a hidden role in the BP oil spill. To learn more read the sample letter to Congress below.

We think it would be better . . .

* For oil companies to pay all the costs and carry all the potential risks of each drilling project
* To have all of these costs and risks reflected in the prices consumers pay, rather than hidden in legislation and regulations

In other words, there should be . . .

* No subsidies or special tax breaks
* No liability limits
* No tax-funded bailouts, or government run clean-up funds
* And regulations should be provided by insurance companies who are putting their own money at risk

If, after reading the sample letter to Congress below, you agree with us that this approach would better protect both the environment and the taxpayer, then please send Congress a letter telling them that. You can use DownsizeDC.org’s No Bailouts campaign to send your letter.

You may borrow from or copy this sample letter . . .

The BP oil spill is another example of the destructive nature of government guarantees and bailouts.

I know that BP has agreed to pay more of the clean-up costs, beyond the government-provided liability cap. I also know that they’ve been threatened by Congress and the Administration if they don’t. But this is hypocritical, because Congress created the liability cap and the clean up fund in the first place! In 1990, Congress passed a law that . . .

* capped oil company liability for spills at $75 million
* set up a fund, paid for by the oil companies, to pay for the rest of the clean-up

In effect, this is a government-run oil spill insurance program, but without the risk management incentives provided by real insurance companies. This whole scheme was a terrible idea from the start, and has been used to bail out companies that cause oil spills a whopping 51 times! http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/us/02liability.html

Because of the liability cap, BP may have been less cautious than it would have been if its own money had been at risk.

In addition, a lack of regulation has been blamed for the BP spill. But government regulators . . .

* don’t have the profit and loss incentive that private insurance companies do; they don’t go out of business for their mistakes
* tend to impose one-size-fits all rules that don’t work as well as the site-specific requirements that insurance companies impose
* and often act as partners in the industry they regulate, not as watchdogs http://www.thefreemanonline.org/columns/tgif/bp-spill/

But imagine if we had a free market in energy . . .

* Oil companies would be liable for ALL the damage they cause
* And this would compel them to seek liability insurance in the private market

In turn, insurance companies would . . .

* demand the strictest standards to prevent accidents and spills because, unlike government regulators, they would be financially responsible for any mishaps
* and, if the risks are too great, they would deny coverage

If off-shore drilling is too risky, that means no one in a free market will invest in it, and entrepreneurs would then have a huge incentive to develop less-risky energy alternatives. This would be a good thing! This is what you politicians claim to want!

This means that a true free market in energy would actually reduce accidents and CREATE A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT.

I therefore demand that you put an end to government meddling in energy production.

1) Instead of raising the liability cap for oil spills, remove all government liability caps on all forms of energy production
2) Instead of inefficient and counter-productive government regulations, allow private insurance to set requirements for off-shore oil drilling and other forms of energy production, such as nuclear, which is also currently protected by government liability limits
3) Get rid of all subsidies, tax breaks, and tax penalties so that we can benefit from free and fair competition among all energy producers

Once these three market-based policies are in place, energy companies will bear the true capital expense of their projects — instead of the taxpayers. Risky and dangerous projects will flop. But profitable projects should be allowed to proceed — including drilling for oil.

END LETTER

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

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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.

Peter Schiff, president of Euro Pacific Capital and author of Crash Proof 2.0: How to Profit from the Economic Collapse

In this week’s much anticipated State of the Union address, President Obama again demonstrated his poor understanding of the fundamental problems that confront our nation.  By following the advice of the same people who helped guide our economy to the precipice of total collapse, Obama now threatens to push it over the edge.

Notwithstanding his well crafted lip service regarding future spending restraint, the essence of his current program is for more government spending and larger deficits. For all his talk about job creation, his policies will further burden those who might otherwise create those jobs with higher taxes and more regulation. While he did call for tax cuts for the middle class and offered what amounts to bailouts for those struggling to repay student loans, such cuts do nothing to promote growth in the near term and will add to the deficits in the long term.

The President spoke optimistically about the future, but in reality there is little evidence to support such an upbeat outlook.  He began his speech by assuring us that the worst of the storm had passed.  General Custer may have said something similar when the first wave of Indian attacks ebbed at Little Big Horn.

While Obama did have some harsh words for Wall Street (not exactly a courageous political stance), he leveled no criticism at the Federal Reserve or other government agencies that had financed and guaranteed all the ridiculous real estate speculation that precipitated the crash. And while he at least conceded that the prosperity of the last decade was based on illusions, he continued to endorse the very policies that produced the mirage in the first place.

To lead us back to brighter days, he articulated a vision of a centrally planned recovery, where clean energy and a Soviet style five-year plan to double our exports would make our economy preeminent once more.  He fails to understand that the only reason our economy rose to the top in the first place is that the government left it alone.

In the words of the Spanish philosopher George Santayana, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”  Since our President cannot even learn from the mistakes of his immediate predecessor, to say nothing of those he made himself while in the Senate or during his first year as president, we are surely doomed to repeat them, perhaps more quickly than Santayana could have imagined.

Rather than tightening the reins on the reckless monetary policy that undermined our savings, diminished our industrial output, inflated asset bubbles, and led to reckless speculation on Wall Street and excess consumption on Main Street, we are loosing them further.  Rather than repealing regulations that distort markets and create moral hazards, we are adding new ones that do more of the same.  Rather than cutting government spending to reduce the burden it places on our economy, we are increasing both the amount of the spending and the size of the burden.  Rather than making government smaller so that the private sector can grow, we are making government bigger and forcing the private sector to shrink. Rather than paying off our debts we are taking on even more.  Rather than encouraging people to save we are enticing them to spend.  Rather than creating jobs, we are merely creating unemployment benefits.

As a result, instead of seeding the soil for a real recovery we are setting the stage for a prolonged depression.

In November 2009, computer hackers broke into the computer of the Climate Research Unit in England revealing the shady behavior of climate scientists there, some of whom have been literally making up data to support the climate change/global warming hysteria that is gripping the planet these days.

Well, the hackers have done it again.

They have now hacked into the computer network of the Institute for Cold and Hot Study in Burbank, California. Currently circulating around the Internet are the following smoking gun round robin e-mail exchanges between lead scientist Dr. Emmanuel Bogstock and his climate scientist underlings Daniel Dankel of Morbo University, Aspiro Mafioso of the Swedish Weather and Personality Clinic, and Jorge Redenko of Smogstack, L.L.C. in Upper Volta which reveal how sinister the global climate conspiracy really is:

From: d.dankel@morbouniversity.edu To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Climate Change
How do we get the ball rolling on this climate thing? My university underwriters want to see me working harder on this.

From: bogstock@icyhot.gov To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Climate Change
Get that U2 guy, Bono, to write a song about it. Then DiCaprio will bring his Hollywood people in on it. And Gore will string it all together when he talks about it at a conference somewhere. That should get them off your back.

From: d.dankel@morbouniversity.edu To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Bono
Bono’s turning sceptic. His tour bus got stuck in a snow bank in Fargo, South Dakota a few days ago. I hear he’s starting to have his doubts.

From: jorge@smogstack.org To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Bono
He bought the one that solar flares cause heat rash.

From: bogstock@icyhot.gov To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Bono
Tell Bono snow is a by-product of global warming because the earth is trying to compensate for increased temperatures by cooling down. Tell him not to go near Penobscott, Maine if he wants to do a music video there in July. Oh, and tell Gore this climate change will cause chocolate to melt on a worldwide basis.

From: flashman@climagone.net To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Chocolate
Even dark chocolate?

From: bogstock@icyhot.gov To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Chocolate
ESPECIALLY dark chocolate.

From: d.dankel@morbouniversity.edu To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Gore
He’s not going to like that. He loves Godiva.

From: bogstock@icyhot.gov To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Gore
Yeah, well tell him to fill his freezer now. He’s going to be stuck eating stale Twinkies once this hits.

From: jorge@smogstack.org To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Climate Change
Do you think the public might get wise and figure out that ‘climate change’ is just a fancy word for ‘weather’.

From: flashman@climagone.net To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Climate Change
They still haven’t figured out that hummus is people.

From: d.dankel@morbouniversity.edu To: Jorge Redenko Subject: Hummus
Just our little secret.

From: bogstock@icyhot.gov To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Hummus
Right.

From: flashman@climagone.net To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Facebook
Hey, I’ve started the Pepe the Polar Bear site on Facebook. He’s going to describe, day-by-day, how he’s losing his habitat to climate change and how he can’t find any seals to eat anymore. We’ll have some photos of him looking pathetic scrounging through the garbage cans of Nome.

From: bogstock@icyhot.gov To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Facebook
Great! And make sure he’s got plenty of melted chocolate dripping down his muzzle.

From: flashman@climagone.net To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Facebook
Gotcha.

From: jorge@smogstack.org To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: New Data
We’ve just found Viennese weather records dating back to 1702 which show a normal cooling/heating cycle in the earth’s temperatures from then to now.

From: bogstock@icyhot.gov To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: New Data
Destroy the records.

From: jorge@smogstack.org To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: New Data
My shredder’s out.

From: bogstock@icyhot.gov To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: New Data
Well go down to Office Max and get one. What are you waiting for?

From: jorge@smogstack.org To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: New Data
I have to get a purchase voucher. They’re already suspicious over my White-Out purchases. My lab looks like a lake of homogenized milk.

From: bogstock@icyhot.gov To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: New Data
Stop whining and get to work on this. Burn down your lab if you have to. That always works in a pinch.

From: jorge@smogstack.org To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: New Data
That’ll look suspicious.

From: d.dankel@morbouniversity.edu To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: New Data
Jack Tedd’s burned his lab down six times. He blames Exxon whenever they start snooping around.

From: flashman@climagone.net To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: New Data
I used Exxon to blame for the temperature readings I was getting in Florida.

From: d.dankel@morbouniversity.edu To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: New Data
What would we do without Exxon.

From: bogstock@icyhot.gov To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Trees
Since trees are repositories for huge amounts of CO2, what we need is a large government project to send lumber to the sun where it will be destroyed harmlessly away from the planet.

From: flashman@climagone.net To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Trees
Couldn’t we just use the moon?

From: bogstock@icyhot.gov To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Trees
No. The moon would only become heavier and, centuries from now, crash into the earth. The moon-hitting-the-earth crisis will have to be left for a future generation of climate scientists. Right now, we have to focus our energy on saving planet Earth.

From: jorge@smogstack.org To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Unbelievers
A lot of people don’t believe that we’re the cause of global warming.

From: bogstock@icyhot.gov To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Unbelievers
Agree with them to a point. Tell them that global warming began with the extinction of the dinosaurs. Since their rotting carcasses soon turned to oil, which was then processed into gasoline, dinosaurs ushered in the hydrocarbon economy we’re mired in.

From: jorge@smogstack.org To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Dinosaurs
I see. If the dinosaurs hadn’t died out, this would be a peaceful, ecologically-perfect planet.

From: bogstock@icyhot.gov To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Dinosaurs
Exactly. We can compare this to the coelocanth, the oiliest fish in the sea. They’re still around and nobody’s running their SUV on them.

From: d.dankel@morbouniversity.edu To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Bird Problem
I’m trying to write a climate model that shows how CO2 from fireplaces cause localized bird extinctions. But I can’t account for all those pigeons on telephone wires everywhere. Damned pigeons.

From: bogstock@icyhot.gov To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Bird Problem
Add a numeric constant that includes European starlings.

From: flashman@climagone.net To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Bird Problem
Cool. This will allow us to predict crop failures and droughts everywhere, too.

From: d.dankel@morbouniversity.edu To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Bird Problem
But the pigeons…

From: bogstock@icyhot.gov To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Bird Problem
Call them doves.

From: d.dankel@morbouniversity.edu To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Bird Problem
Brilliant.

From: flashman@climagone.net To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Climate Spokeswoman
Do you think we can get Lady Gaga into the Climate Change camp?

From: bogstock@icyhot.gov To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Climate Spokeswoman
She’s never said much about environmental issues. Why do you ask?

From: flashman@climagone.net To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Climate Spokeswoman
I like her music and she’s got dynamite gams.

From: bogstock@icyhot.gov To: E.B., D.D., A.M., J.R. Subject: Climate Spokeswoman
We’ll work on that.

———————–

Editor’s Note: For “satire-challenged” readers, these are not actual emails.

Our own James Wilson has analyzed this issue on our blog.

The good news is that President Obama isn’t going to Copenhagen to sign a treaty, but he may sign a proposal that could lead to a treaty at a later date. The Copenhagen proposal is designed to create an international scheme to control carbon emissions (and the entire world economy in the bargain).

President Obama wants to have the “cap and trade” (cap and tax) bill passed before he goes to Copenhagen.

Our goal should be to send him to Denmark empty-handed.

Cap and trade should be defeated because . . .

• It hasn’t worked in Europe
• It probably isn’t the best way to control carbon emissions, assuming you believe that’s important
• The climate models that supposedly justify cap and trade have been consistently wrong

Cap and trade needs 60 votes to come to the floor in the Senate. If we can stop that from happening now then there’s no way that 67 Senators will come together later to ratify a treaty for the same purpose, especially if that treaty cedes American sovereignty to international organizations.

We must defeat cap and trade. We must send Obama to Denmark empty-handed.

Please send Congress a letter opposing cap and trade.

You can use my letter to Congress as a guide . . .

Please pay attention to the climate change models. They have consistently predicted global warming, and been consistently wrong. We’ve had global cooling over the past eleven years, NOT global warming. Mother Earth disagrees with the climate models, and mother always knows best.

If you haven’t kept up with the science please check out this BBC article: http://tinyurl.com/ygwaaqp

Please also pay attention to the fact that cap and trade hasn’t worked in Europe. Meanwhile . . .

Science and industry are creating all sorts of innovations that will be much more effective than your politically designed regulations. These innovations are happening because consumers want green solutions! I’m especially excited by the recent breakthroughs in “cold fusion” as reported on 60 Minutes: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4955212n

Freedom works! We need more freedom and fewer coercive, top-down government dictates.

I want my two Senators to vote against cap and trade, and I want my Representative to vote against it if it comes to another vote in the House.

END OF SAMPLE LETTER TO CONGRESS

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Jim Babka, President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

Check out these recent posts on our blog:

Will Copenhagen Treaty cede U.S. Sovereignty?
President Obama keeps a promise
Congress responds to Constitutional questions
The latest news about the “Read the Bills” idea

D o w n s i z e r – D i s p a t c h
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But what about the department of energy? A little snippet from Doug Casey’s Daily Dispatch answer this one quite succinctly:

Does anybody remember the reason given for the establishment of the Department of Energy…. during the Carter Administration? Anybody? No?

Didn’t think so! Ready??It was very simple… and at the time, everybody thought it very appropriate.
The  Department of Energy was instituted on 8-04-1977… to lessen our dependence on foreign oil.

Hey, pretty efficient, huh???

And now it’s 2009 – 32 years later – and the budget for this “necessary” department is at $24.2 billion a year. They have 16,000 federal employees and approximately 100,000 contract employees. And look at the job they have done!

Good ole bureaucracy.

And now we are going to turn the banking system, healthcare, and the auto industry over to the same government? Hellooo! Anybody home?

Make no mistake that is what Barack Obama wants to do. Whether he actually can accomplish it is another story. For more details on the new case and its history see this excellent article from Reason. Let’s all hope that the Supreme Court takes the case and does the right thing.

Ron Paul is one of the leading advocates of interpreting the 2nd Amendment as written. No surprise there, but does he actually put his money where his mouth is? Of course he does. Here are three gun-related bills he introduced a few weeks ago in the House:

H.R.3022 : To restore the second amendment rights of all Americans. This bill repeals various gun control laws already on the books, including background checks and child safety locks.

H.R.3021 : To repeal the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 and amendments to that Act.

H.R.3023 : To provide for the safety of United States aviation and the suppression of terrorism. This bill would allow employees of airlines to carry guns in order to protect themselves and their passengers.

I especially like that last one. September 11th may have turned out differently had the pilots been armed. They say that 9/11 changed everything. Well, if pilots were armed it may have changed nothing. No justification for the Iraq war. No justification for the Patriot Act. No justification for warrantless wiretaps. And so on.

Gun control is certainly important but in the age of Obama there seems to be 3 major efforts that liberty lovers need to do everything in our power to stop. All of them directly affect our economy in bad ways. Together they are a recipe for economic armageddon.

1. Cap and Trade: This bill needs to fail in the Senate after already passing in the House. We all know why it’s a bad idea. In fact even some of those who voted for it in the House know it’s a bad idea but voted for it anyway. I wish Ron Paul would name names.
2. Government Health Care: Obama says the government is going to “compete” with the private sector. The market will react by forcing people toward using government health care until all the competitors are gone. Obamacare is really just a migration plan toward complete socialized medicine. How much is it going to cost to provide health care for 130 million more Americans and where will the money come from?
3. Stimulus, Part 2: There’s a renewed effort under way to push for another stimulus program. We haven’t even spent more than 10% of our previous stimulus money and we already want another one? Obama used fear tactics to push his first one through. It had to be done right then, yet months later we’ve only spent 10% of the money. The only effective shovel ready Obama project is the one that is shoveling bullshit from the White House directly into our ears.

Fighting this evil recipe for economic armageddon should be first on your liberty to-do list.

And on that “up” note here are this week’s random thoughts, tweets, and quotes:

• Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what the f**k happened. – @rebelyid on Twitter

• In the U.S. every day should be Independence Day. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty!

• I wonder how many would show up if we had a memorial/funeral for the Constitution. Not “celebrity” enough I guess.

• Screw Al Qaeda, there are at least three other Al’s that need to be stopped, Al Franken, Al Sharpton, and Al Gore.

• If people automatically think that strict adherence to the Constitution is “crazy” then Ron Paul will never be considered sane.

• G8 all agree to attempt to control the weather. Mother Nature laughs.

• I cringe at the word “regulation” more than any other imaginable swear word.

And finally, my favorite, passionate Frederic Bastiat quote:

Away with the whims of governmental administrators, their socialized projects, their centralization, their tariffs, their government schools, their state religions, their free credit, their bank monopolies, their regulations, their restrictions, their equalization by taxation, and their pious moralizations!

and with that… Have a wonderful weekend!

Helen Thomas and Chip Reid berated White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs the other day for pre-selecting questions for Obama’s “town hall” and “controlling” the press. It appears that the honeymoon (I call it the “Obamagasm”) is coming to an end. Gibbs seems to be out of his league as Obama’s Press Secretary. I’ll be surprised if he makes it through Obama’s first and hopefully only term.

There is one particular forbidden health care question for Obama. I would love to hear his answer to the following question:

“Mr. President, you are considered a Constitutional scholar. Could you educate the American people a bit and tell them what section, article, or amendment permits the federal government to provide health care?”

Sure, he would dodge the question, but it is one dodge that I long to hear.

On Monday, Ron Paul’s son Rand Paul held another money bomb campaign fund raiser. The goal was to break $100k. The goal was met. This is huge news and a great sign that the Ron Paul wing of the Republican Party is not going anywhere. Rand Paul raised over $100,000 in about a month without an official fund raiser. Senator Rand Paul has a nice ring to it.

There was high drama last Friday afternoon on the House floor during the debate on the narrowly passed Cap and Trade bill. The Republicans kept pointing out that the legislation will lose more jobs and put a higher tax burden on the American people.

Prior to the Cap and Trade debate members of the Congressional Black Caucus requested a moment of silence for Michael Jackson, who died the day before (as we all know). The request was granted. Later, during the Cap and Trade debate Tom Price (R-GA) requested a moment of silence for all of the people who will lose their jobs due to the bill. The Democrats objected. No moment of silence was held. This was a genius move by Price to demonstrate that the Democrats seem to care more about a dead pop star than thousands of American jobs. Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, most of the news outlets didn’t make the connection.

In more local personal news I purchased my first handgun for my birthday (yesterday). I took an NRA class a few months ago in preparation for owning a firearm. It feels damn good to rack the slide on that 2nd Amendment. Now I join millions of other gun owners searching for scarce ammo at reasonable prices.

I don’t believe we’ll see any fundamental action from Obama on gun control for awhile (if ever). The path he must travel toward gun control is littered with political land mines, some of them placed there by his own party. Then again so is immigration reform and he is starting to kick up the dust on that again.

And now a few random thoughts and quotes for the week:

• When it comes to paying attention to the unraveling of America, ignorance is not bliss, it is willful neglect.

• If I turn on the news tomorrow and hear anything about Michael Jackson I’m going to moonwalk off a cliff!

• Will it take 99 more Al Frankens winning for Americans to wake up and realize their govmt is a joke?

• Our task of creating a socialist America can only succeed when those who would resist us have been totally disarmed. – Sarah Brady

• “A woman who demands further gun control legislation is like a chicken who roots for Colonel Sanders.” – Larry Elder

• “I ask you sir, who are the militia? They consist now of the whole people.” – George Mason

• One of my favorite gun rights bumper stickers: Guns only have two enemies: rust and politicians.

• White House to offer new breakfast cereal: Obamaganda. Ad slogan: “Obamagasms for Obamaganda: A free carbon credit in every box!”

• Senate version of Cap and Trade will probably have a provision forcing everyone to hold their breath for 60 min/day.

Have a great Independence Day weekend!

May the number of fingers on your hand today equal the number of fingers on your hand on Sunday!

He’s actually making many great points about the horrible details in the bill.

What he is doing right now is giving great ammunition for supporting the “Read the Bills” Act in the near future.

“Is there anything that we aren’t regulating in this bill?”, Boehner yells.

At about 20 minutes in, Henry Waxman interrupted and asked how long Boehner would be permitted to speak. The chairwoman stated that it is customary to hear the leadership speak, forcing Waxman to sit down and allow Boehner to continue (to great cheers from the GOP side of the House).

We live in interesting times folks.

Please continue to contact the Reps who are on the fence regarding the bill. For a list see this page from the NTU.

Quote of the Day: “I’ve come to expect that even nobly conceived laws will be manipulated and distorted for private ends. But once in a while I hear a story that gives me the queasy feeling that I’m nowhere near cynical enough.” — Christopher Hayes, The Nation

Prior to Congress deciding it could use tax policy to re-engineer America’s energy use from on-high, the paper industry had been 70% fueled by something called black liquor, a natural by-product of the paper making process. In other words, the paper industry was inherently energy efficient, until Congress got involved.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 authorized a 50-cent per gallon tax credit for mixing gasoline or diesel with an alternative fuel. To get the credit, paper companies began to mix diesel with their black liquor. In other words . . .

• The government is paying the paper industry to use a less efficient, environmentally-destructive fuel!
• The cost of this scam could reach $8 billion this year. [Source: The Nation]

Congress could mess up a train wreck.

At first glance, this appears to be an example of “unintended consequences,” but this assumes we really know what Congress intended . . .

• The Energy Policy Act of 2005 was 1,273 pages.
• The House passed the bill just one day after it was filed.
• The Senate passed it one day after that.

It’s impossible to believe that any member of Congress had the chance to read and completely understand the bill. This means that those who voted for it didn’t really know what the intention was. Someone could have wanted the paper industry to have a hidden subsidy. But if the Read the Bills Act had been in force, the Energy Policy Act would have been . . .

• Read before a quorum in both chambers, giving all members a chance to review it thoroughly
• Posted on the Internet for seven days before a vote, so the public could review it too

Someone might have seen that this legislation had the potential to cause the reverse of its supposed purpose.

Without the Read the Bills Act, messed up train wrecks like this are bound to continue. In the past two weeks, the House passed 23 bills totaling 209 pages, while the Senate passed 5 bills and 99 pages.

• We won’t know until it’s too late how many messed up train wrecks are hidden in these bills,
• And this will continue to be the case until we pass the Read the Bills Act.

Please use our quick and easy Educate the Powerful System to tell your Congressional employees to introduce and pass DownsizeDC.org’s Read the Bills Act.

Use your personal comments to complain about . . .

• The 1,273 Energy Policy Act that no member of Congress had the time to read or understand
• The multi-billion dollar subsidy to the paper industry that rewards them for using more fossil fuels

To beat the 31,730 messages to Congress the Downsize DC Army sent in April, we need Downsizers to send 1,570 messages today. Send your message at DownsizeDC.org’s Read the Bills campaign page.

Please also add your website or blog to the Read the Bills Act Coalition. In return, we’ll link to your site and mention it in a Dispatch like this one, reaching over 25,000 subscribers. Here are the instructions.

Thank you for being a part of the growing Downsize DC Army. To see how much we’re growing please check out the Keeping Score report below my signature.

James Wilson
Assistant to the President
DownsizeDC.org

P.S. The list of bills Congress passed April 20-May 1 can be found below my signature in the blog version of this Dispatch.

Keeping Score

You can’t change the government by yourself. You’ll need a huge “army” to help you. That means these numbers must grow constantly . . .

The Downsize DC Army now stands at 25,159. It’s grown by 810 net new members so far this year, and 54 net new members yesterday. YOU can make the army grow even faster by following our quick and easy instructions for personalized recruiting.

We can also grow faster by mailing recruitment letters to potential DC Downsizers. If you want to start a monthly credit card pledge to help make this happen please let us know on the secure contribution form if its okay to publish your name here . . .

NEW MONTHLY PLEDGERS IN MAY: Nancy Kovar, Ryan Ackroyd, WM Michael O’Brien, 1 unlisted APRIL: Mark J Wilson MARCH: Franklin L. Webber, Scott Boeff, Darryl W. Perry, Raul Torres, Alex Vournas, James E. Sopher, Vincent B Grubb

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When taking a look at the list below, keep in mind that the U.S. Constitution, which created our Federal Government, clearly enumerated 18 specific functions that it is given.  For all other things, the 9th and 10th amendment make it clear that the individual states have the power.  Note that it states in the Constitution that it is the Supreme Law of the Land, which can be usurped by no other.  This means that all opinions to the contrary made by the Supreme Court are technically invalid.  Throughout the past couple of hundred hears the Supreme Court has rule one way or another on some “interpretation” of the Constitution, but in fact no interpretation is necessary, as the intention of the founding fathers are quite clear.  For example, if the “general welfare” clause or the “interstate commerce” clause was intended to be used as a catch-all for any arbitrary piece of legislation, then the 10th amendments which reads:

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.

would be completely meaningless.  So simple logic, in addition to the writings of Madison and other founding fathers, dictates the notion that the Federal Government was set up to have very little power, and that these United States are intended to be a loose federation of sovereign states.

Only due to politician’s greed and overwhelming desire for power does the Constitution get relegated to the trash heap.

So, despite the  noble intentions of many of these bills, it doesn’t mean they are legal.

No one is bound to obey an unconstitutional law and no courts are bound to enforce it.
– 16 Am. Jur. Sec. 177 late 2d, Sec 256

Of the bills introduced yesterday, these are ones that are clearly not legitimate functions of the Federal Government  [as always, my commentary will appear in red]:

• HR1892 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 102 North Main Street in Cedarville, Ohio, as the “William ‘Brent” Turner Post Office’.
• HR1929 – To establish the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Investigative Commission to investigate the policies and practices engaged in by officers and directors at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac responsible for making the decisions that led to the enterprises’ financial instability and the subsequent Federal conservatorship of such enterprises.  [Keep in mind that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been basically nationalized, which is, of course, unconstitutional.]
• HR1925 – To designate as wilderness certain Federal portions of the red rock canyons of the Colorado Plateau and the Great Basin Deserts in Utah for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
• HR1924 – To amend the Indian Law Enforcement Reform Act, the Indian Tribal Justice Act, the Indian Tribal Justice Technical and Legal Assistance Act of 2000, and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to improve the prosecution of, and response to, crimes in Indian country, and for other purposes.
• HR1922 – To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to hold at least 1 public hearing before issuance of a permit affecting public or private land use in a locality.
• HR1921 – To establish an Office of Public Advocate within the Department of Justice to provide services and guidance to citizens in dealing with concerns involving the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and for other purposes. [Fantastic!  Create another layer of bureaucracy to help people deal with bureaucracy...]
• HR1978 – To authorize the Attorney General to make grants to improve the ability of State and local governments to prevent the abduction of children by family members, and for other purposes.
• HR1977 – To require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to study drywall imported from China in 2004 through 2007, and for other purposes.
• HR332 – Providing that the House of Representatives will focus on removing barriers to a prosperous economy and therefore renew the dream.  [Reading the full text of the bill it all sounds nice, but it's really nothing more than platitudes.  Nothing will come of this.  It's not recommending anything concrete.]
• HR1971 – To provide for the elimination of duties on certain comforter shells
• HR1970 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to exempt unsanctioned State-licensed retail pharmacies from the surety bond requirement under the Medicare Program for suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS).
• HR1969 – To promote freedom and democracy in Vietnam.  [Oh god. Oh god, no! Haven't we gotten ourselves into enough jams with this interventionist crap?]

• HR1968 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the limitation on capital losses to $10,500 and to index such limitation to inflation.
• HR326 – Expressing support for designation of the week of April 13, 2009, through April 17, 2009, as “Protect Your Pharmacy Week”, and for other purposes.
• HR1966 – To amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to cyberbullying
• HR1964 – To address HIV/AIDS in the African-American community, and for other purposes.
• HR1962 – To authorize the Space Shuttle to be flown from 2010 through 2015, and to authorize appropriations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for this purpose.  [Ron Paul might even vote for this one, because he's supported NASA in the past.  But I maintain the the existence of NASA is unconstitutional, and the private sector would be able to perform these tasks more efficiently and more inexpensively.]
• HR1961 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand the availability of the saver’s credit, to make the credit refundable, and to make Federal matching contributions into the retirement savings of the taxpayer.
• HR1957 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a higher education tuition credit in place of existing education tax incentives.
• HR1956 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow an offset against income tax refunds to pay for State judicial debts that are past-due.
• HR1955 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude from gross income amounts received on the sale of animals which are raised and sold as part of an educational program.
• HR1954 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make higher education more affordable by providing a full tax deduction for higher education expenses and interest on student loans.
• HR1952 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit against income tax for amounts contributed to charitable organizations which provide elementary or secondary school scholarships and for contributions of, and for, instructional materials and materials for extracurricular activities.
• HR322 – Expressing support for the designation of July 25, 2009 as “National Day of the Cowboy”
• HR1951 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals a credit against income tax for tuition and related expenses for public and nonpublic elementary and secondary education.
• HR330 – Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Secretary of the Navy should name an appropriate Navy ship in honor of Marine Corps General Clifton B. Cates of Tiptonville, Tennessee.
• HR329 – Recognizing the anniversary of the tragic accident of the steamboat ship SS Sultana
• HR328 – Expressing the sense of Congress that all Americans should recognize National Military Appreciation Month with appropriate programs and activities.
• HR327 – Honoring the humble service of Edward Cardinal Egan as Archbishop of the New York Archdiocese and congratulating Archbishop Timothy Dolan on his appointment by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to succeed Cardinal Egan.
• HR1945 – To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility and suitability of constructing a storage reservoir, outlet works, and a delivery system for the Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation in the State of California to provide a water supply for domestic, municipal, industrial, and agricultural purposes, and for other purposes.
• HR325 – Expressing support for designation of a “Free Enterprise Education Week” to encourage elementary and secondary schools, institutions of higher education, and small and large businesses to educate students about free enterprise.
• HR319 – Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should take all necessary steps to expeditiously deploy a missile defense system in Europe that will help provide such a defense to United States allies in Europe while enhancing United States defenses against missile attacks.
• HCR99 – Supporting the goals and ideals of a National Early Educator Worthy Wage Day
• HR321 – Congratulating the boys’ basketball team at Eisenhower High School in Rialto, California, for winning the State championship.
• HR320 – Honoring the Life and achievements of Dr. John Hope Franklin
• HR331 – Supporting the goals and ideals of National Drowning Prevention and Water Safety Month
• HR1935 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the treatment of partnership interests held by partners providing services.
• HR1933 – To direct the Attorney General to make an annual grant to the A Child Is Missing Alert and Recovery Center to assist law enforcement agencies in the rapid recovery of missing children, and for other purposes.
• HR1932 – To increase the number of well-trained mental health service professionals (including those based in schools) providing clinical mental health care to children and adolescents, and for other purposes.
• HR1931 – To improve the treatment of juveniles with mental health or substance abuse disorders by establishing new grant programs for increased training, technical assistance, and coordination of service providers, and for other purposes.
• HR1930 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a loan repayment program for faculty members at programs of general dentistry or pediatric dentistry to alleviate faculty shortages.
• HR1873 – To amend the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 with respect to juveniles who have committed offenses, and for other purposes.
• HR1928 – To increase home healthcare services, particularly for underserved and at-risk populations, by assisting visiting nurse associations and other non-profit home health agencies to improve training and workforce development for home healthcare nurses, promoting and facilitating academic-practice collaborations, and enhancing recruitment and retention of home healthcare nurses.
• HR1927 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide comprehensive cancer patient treatment education under the Medicare Program and to provide for research to improve cancer symptom management.
• HR1926 – To authorize the National Science Foundation to establish a Global Warming Education Program.
• HR1869 – To require the President to call a White House Conference on Food and Nutrition  [What? The Congress is going to require the the president do something?  How is that possible?  And on top of that, what they want to require of him is blatantly unconstitutional!]
• HR1923 – To require the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to make video recordings of the examination and testing of firearms and ammunition, and for other purposes.
• HR1920 – To prohibit United States funding for the 2009 United Nations Durban Review Conference (“Durban II Conference”) or any other activity relating to the planning, preparation, or implementation of a follow-up meeting to the 2001 United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (‘Durban I Conference’) in Durban, South Africa.  [Bills like this make me want to vomit.  Of course I agree with the intent of the bill, but doesn't the Constitution already prohibit the US from funding such things?  Ugh.]
• HR324 – Expressing support for designation of April 2009 as “Jazz Appreciation Month” and April 25, 2009, as “Willis Conover Day”, and honoring the global impact of jazz music.
• HR1979 – For the relief of Mary Cole, Decontee Cole, Emmanuel Cole, Anna Cole, Yon Deh Cole, and Emmanuel Cole, Jr.
• HR1976 – To authorize grants for nongovernmental organizations that use independently produced documentary films to promote better understanding of the United States abroad and better understanding of global perspectives and other countries in the United States.
• HR1975 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 100 West Percy Street in Indianola, Mississippi, as the “Minnie Cox Post Office Building”.
• HR1974 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make permanent the depreciation classification of motorsports entertainment complexes.
• HR1912 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit against income tax for qualified conservation contributions which include National Scenic Trails.
• HR1911 – To amend the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to require funding to help award recipients defray the costs of data collection requirements initiated pursuant to such Act, and for other purposes.
• HR1907 – To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to use consumer information maintained by retailers to improve recalls of food, and for other purposes.
• HR1905 – To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a coastal climate change adaptation planning and response program, and for other purposes.
• HR1904 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individual taxpayers to designate a portion of income taxes to fund the improvement of barriers at the United States border, and for other purposes.
• HR1903 – To provide incentives for the residential housing market
• HR1901 – To provide for a comprehensive study by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences to assess the water management, needs, and conservation of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River System.
• HR1900 – To provide for emergency deployments of United States Border Patrol agents and to increase the number of DEA and ATF agents along the international border of the United States to increase resources to identify and eliminate illicit sources of firearms into Mexico for use by violent drug trafficking organizations and for other lawful activities and for other purposes.  [This really about gun control and the war on drugs.]
• HR1899 – To extend Federal recognition to the Muscogee Nation of Florida
• HR1898 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage under the Medicare Program for consultations regarding orders for life sustaining treatment and to provide grants for the development and expansion of programs for such orders.
• HR1897 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit to employers for the costs of implementing wellness programs, and for other purposes.
• HR1896 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to clarify that installment sales treatment shall not fail to apply to property acquired for conservation purposes by a State or local government or certain tax-exempt organizations merely because purchase funds are held in a sinking or similar fund pursuant to State law.
• HR1895 – To provide driver safety grants to States with graduated driver licensing laws that meet certain minimum requirements.
• HR1894 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve access to, and increase utilization of, bone mass measurement benefits under the Medicare part B program.
• HR1893 – To prohibit any person which sells to or otherwise disposes of any asset through a public-private investment program, including the Public-Private Investment Program for Legacy Assets, from purchasing or otherwise acquiring any other asset from or through such programs, and for other purposes.
• S-826 – A bill to promote renewable energy, and for other purposes
• S-827 – A bill to establish a program to reunite bondholders with matured unredeemed United States savings bonds.
• S-828 – A bill to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to provide loan guarantees for projects to construct renewable fuel pipelines, and for other purposes.
• SCR17 – A concurrent resolution authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for the unveiling of a bust of Sojourner Truth.
• SR100 – A resolution expressing the support of the Senate for the establishment of an Urban Youth Sport Initiative in partnership with the United States Olympic Committee.
• HCR96 – Recognizing the importance of autism awareness, supporting efforts to increase funding for research into the causes and treatment of autism and to improve training and support for individuals with autism and those who care for individuals with autism.
• HCR98 – Recognizing the disparate impact of climate change on women and the efforts of women globally to address climate change.
• S-781 – A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for collegiate housing and infrastructure grants.
• S-782 – A bill to provide for the establishment of the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System.
• S-783 – A bill to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to permanently prohibit the conduct of offshore drilling on the outer Continental Shelf in the Mid-Atlantic and North Atlantic planning areas.
• S-784 – A bill to provide for the recognition of certain Native communities and the settlement of certain claims under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and for other purposes.
• S-785 – A bill to establish a grant program to encourage retooling of entities in the timber industry in Alaska, and for other purposes.
• S-786 – A bill to authorize a grant program to provide for expanded access to mainstream financial institutions.
• S-787 – A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify the jurisdiction of the United States over waters of the United States.
• S-789 – A bill to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility and suitability of constructing a storage reservoir, outlet works, and a delivery system for the Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation in the State of California to provide a water supply for domestic, municipal, industrial, and agricultural purposes, and for other purposes.
• S-790 – A bill to improve access to health care services in rural, frontier, and urban undeserved areas in the United States by addressing the supply of health professionals and the distribution of health professionals to areas of need.
• S-791 – A bill to direct the Secretary of Transportation to carry out programs and activities to improve highway safety.
• S-792 – A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to improve the National Program of Cancer Registries by expanding data collection and allowing data sharing for public health objectives, while preserving the confidentiality of patients, and for other purposes.
• S-793 – A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a scholarship program for students seeking a degree or certificate in the areas of visual impairment and orientation and mobility.
• S-795 – A bill to amend the Social Security Act to enhance the social security of the Nation by ensuring adequate public-private infrastructure and to resolve to prevent, detect, treat, intervene in, and prosecute elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, and for other purposes.
• S-796 – A bill to modify the requirements applicable to locatable minerals on public domain land, and for other purposes.
• S-797 – A bill to amend the Indian Law Enforcement Reform Act, the Indian Tribal Justice Act, the Indian Tribal Justice Technical and Legal Assistance Act of 2000, and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to improve the prosecution of, and response to, crimes in Indian country, and for other purposes.
• S-798 – A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend existing elective tax treatment for Alaska Native Settlement Trusts.
• S-799 – A bill to designate as wilderness certain Federal portions of the red rock canyons of the Colorado Plateau and the Great Basin Deserts in the State of Utah for the benefit of present and future generations of people in the United States.
• S-802 – A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow Indian tribes to transfer the credit for electricity produced from renewable resources.
• S-803 – A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit to employers for the costs of implementing wellness programs, and for other purposes.
• S-804 – A bill to amend subpart 2 of part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish incentives for States to extend the minimum length of the school year to 200 full days by 2014, and for other purposes.
• S-805 – A bill to provide for a comprehensive study by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences to assess the water management, needs, and conservation of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River System.
• S-808 – A bill to amend the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to reauthorize the Act, and for other purposes.
• S-809 – A bill to establish a program to provide tuition assistance to individuals who have lost their jobs as a result of the economic downturn.  [People out of work are probably busy trying to find another job, anyway.]
• S-810 – A bill to establish 4 regional institutes as centers of excellence for research, planning, and related efforts to assess and prepare for the impacts of climate change on ocean and coastal areas and for other purposes.
• HR1880 – To establish a system of regulation and supervision for insurers, insurance agencies, and insurance producers chartered or licensed under Federal law that ensures the stability and financial integrity of those insurers, agencies, and producers and that protects policyholders and other consumers served by such insurers, agencies, or producers.
• HR1881 – To enhance the transportation security functions of the Department of Homeland Security by providing for an enhanced personnel system for employees of the Transportation Security Administration, and for other purposes.
• HR1882 – To amend the Truth in Lending Act to provide safeguards for credit card holders whose accounts were, or are about to be, terminated for inactivity, and for other purposes.
• HR1883 – To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a demonstration grants program to provide for certain patient coordination, outreach, and assistance services to reduce barriers to receiving health care and improve health care outcomes.
• HR1884 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the participation of optometrists in the National Health Service Corps scholarship and loan repayment programs, and for other purposes.
• HR1886 – To authorize democratic, economic, and social development assistance for Pakistan, to authorize security assistance for Pakistan, and for other purposes.
• HR1888 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit against income tax to vehicle fleet operators for purchasing tires made from recycled rubber.
• HR1889 – To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reserve funding for American Samoa, the Northern Marianas Islands, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.
• HR1890 – To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to increase the percentage of State revolving loan funds reserved for American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.
• S-811 – A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to promote mental and behavioral health services for underserved populations.
• S-812 – Rural Heritage Conservation Extension Act: to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make permanent the special rule for contributions of qualified conservation contributions.
• S-813 – A bill to amend the National Labor Relations Act to apply the protections of the Act to teaching and research assistants.
• S-814 – A bill to provide for the conveyance of a parcel of land held by the Bureau of Prisons of the Department of Justice in Miami Dade County, Florida, to facilitate the construction of a new educational facility that includes a secure parking area for the Bureau of Prisons, and for other purposes.
• S-817 – A bill to establish a Salmon Stronghold Partnership program to conserve wild Pacific salmon and for other purposes.
• S-818 – A bill to reauthorize the Enhancing Education Through Technology Act of 2001, and for other purposes.
• S-819 (also HR1878) – A bill to provide for enhanced treatment, support, services, and research for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families.
• S-820 – A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the automobile assistance allowance for veterans, and for other purposes.
• S-822 – A bill to support the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel, and for other purposes.
• S-823 – A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a 5-year carryback of operating losses, and for other purposes.
• S-824 – A bill to establish a Jobs Creation Coordinator in the Department of Commerce to ensure that agencies in the Department use resources in a manner that maximizes the maintenance and creation of jobs in the United States, and for other purposes.
• HR1906 – To permanently prohibit oil and gas leasing off the coast of the State of California, and for other purposes.
• HR1908 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a credit for property certified by the Environmental Protection Agency under the WaterSense program.
• HR1913 – To provide Federal assistance to States, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes, and for other purposes.
• HR1914 – To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to provide for the suspension of each provision of the Act during periods of drought with respect to Federal and State agencies that manage Federal river basins that are located in each region affected by the drought.
• HR1915 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for expanded coverage of paramedic intercept services under the Medicare Program.
• HR1916 – To amend the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act to provide for a revised schedule of price increases for the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, popularly known as the “Duck Stamp”, and for other purposes.
• HR1917 – To establish the Centennial Historic District in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and for other purposes.
• HR1871 – To designate certain counties in the State of Arizona as high-intensity drug trafficking areas.
• HR1874 – To provide Federal contracting preferences for, and a reduction in the rate of income tax imposed on, Patriot corporations, and for other purposes.
• HR1876 – To amend title 10, United States Code, to require the incorporation of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) principles in military construction projects carried out in the United States or overseas, to require a specific goal regarding the use of renewable energy sources on all military installations, and for other purposes.
• HR1877 – To amend the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to reauthorize the Act, and for other purposes.
• HR1938 – To amend the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Public Health Service Act to set standards for medical diagnostic equipment and to establish a program for promoting good health, disease prevention, and wellness and for the prevention of secondary conditions for individuals with disabilities, and for other purposes.
• HR1939 – To direct the Attorney General to establish a system of background checks for employers and employees of the electronic life safety and security system installation and monitoring industry, and for other purposes.
• HR1940 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a Wellness Trust
• HR1941 – To allow for additional flights beyond the perimeter restriction applicable to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
• HR1944 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend the subpart F exemption for active financing income.
• HR1887 – To establish a Presidential Commission on Women, and for other purposes  [WTF?]
• HR1946 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to address health workforce shortages
• HR1947 – To regulate certain deferred prosecution agreements and nonprosecution agreements in Federal criminal cases.
• HCR95 – Recognizing the importance of the Department of Agriculture Forest Service Experimental Forests and Ranges.
• HR1949 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit for elementary and secondary school teachers.
• HR1950 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit for professional school personnel in prekindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1 through 12.

Each bill introduced takes countless hours to be drafted, typed up, disseminated, put through the various stages of the process, all costing time and money.  So even if the bill seems minor, such as SR85 (”Congratulating…”), it costs you money.  Do you want your tax dollars being spent on this stuff?

Please take a couple of minutes out of your day to contact your representatives via telephone simply to tell them that you support or oppose a particular bill.  It’ll most likely take you less than two minutes, and it’s so very important that we stand up to our increasingly tyrannical government.

If you don’t know who your Senators are, or how to contact them, click here to found out.

If you don’t know who your Representatives are, or how to contact them, click here to find out.