TRICKLEDOWN TAXES

This is in response to the article in the Daily News ‘New tax OKed on first reading’

http://bgdailynews.com/articles/2007/03/14/local_news/news/news3.txt

How much of the money in the county budget shortfall is related to illegal immigrants, or refugees that are brought into the county? If either of these are reasons contributing to our budget shortfall then we have a serious case of unfunded mandates.

First, is it not the job of the federal government to control immigration? Truly, illegal immigration is only a problem if it contributes to increased levels of crime strains both federal and local resources, in cases like we may have now with Warren County. If the federal government cannot resolve the illegal immigration problem, why should we have to pay for it locally?

Even with legal immigrants that are refugees, why should we have to pay for federal programs that are unconstitutional?

In 1794 Congress appropriated $15,000 for relief of French refugees. James Madison objected stating "I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents."

Have we amended the constitution since 1794 to allow for this? If this is something that the people of the United States would like to do, then I do not have as much of a problem with it. It is in fact a very charitable act. But, it must be done with our consent. In this case, expanding the role of government beyond the powers specifically enumerated in the constitution requires consent in the form of a constitutional amendment. That requires a vote of two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, followed by a ratification of three-fourths of the state legislatures.
This may seem like a very drawn out process, but is was designed by our founders to ensure the ‘consent of the governed.’ According to economist Walter E. Williams of George Mason University, two-thirds of federal spending has by-passed these criteria for consent. It is what economist Thomas Sowell has coined ‘the quiet repeal of the American Revolution’ in his book ‘The Quest for Cosmic Justice.’

So now, we are paying higher taxes at the federal level without our consent. As a result of these federal programs and failure to secure our borders we are having resource problems at the local level. Is that why they are proposing a tax on insurance premiums? Is this a ‘trickle down’ effect? Are these ‘trickle down tax increases’?