7/29/2010
RE: Ethics Committee hearing, Phil Hart
Dear Rep. Jaquet, (An open letter)
I was one of those in attendance for the Phil Hart ethics hearing, and listened intently for the duration of the hearings. My first observation during the hearing was, I actually felt a bit sorry for you. After the reading of the professionally ambiguous “charges” levied by the democrat minority leader, it was fairly obvious you were the one who had to defend these baseless accusations. The leader put you in a bad spot, and I hope you will let him know; for your own sake.
Although this hearing should have never taken place, the facts came out and the charges against Rep. Hart were soundly put down on all accounts; that was probably a good thing overall. However, the reason I write to you today is in regards to the tack you took once the facts and evidence made your position, a loser. I was shocked to hear that you were willing to vote to reprimand Mr. Hart, not based upon fact, but based upon “public perception.” As a side note Rep. Jaquet, you did not even provide a reference or supporting evidence to substantiate a negative public perception, so at best it is implied public perception; a weak case indeed. Furthermore, public perception may or may not be based upon facts, and most likely will be corrupted by prejudices. More often than not “perception” is formed by little snippets from the media. If implied perception be the essence of justice should we not just skip the legislature and the courts and just let those who generate perceptions (the owners of the newspapers, websites and TV stations), rule in all affairs? The point of this hearing was not to imply perception, or deliver an informal referendum from your constituents, but seek the truth and marry it up to the law; that is justice.
I was also troubled to hear the other two members of the democrat party on the panel parrot your sentiment (Rep. George Sayler Dist. 4 and William Killen Dist. 17). Rep Sayler even flatly stated, “Perception is reality.” Wow! Perhaps this is a “teachable moment” for the public. Perhaps the difference between the (D) and the (R) are manifest in this principal. Does a democrat believe that public perception should rule as law even if it is unjust? I know the essence of republicanism is the exact opposite. Its credo is one of written law, above any one man or group of men; one which holds in check the tyrant and the lynch mob alike.
Finally, I find your preference to perception over truth, inconsistent with a member of an ethics committee. I find no place for feelings or implied perceptions, in such a privileged position; the truth is all that matters. Had you your way, a great injustice would have taken place today to one of Idaho’s brightest sons. In light of that I would ask you resign your position on the committee.
Walt Holton
Caldwell, Idaho
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
BUY and READ NULLIFICATION!!!! ASAP!!!!
Below is a letter I composed, intended for our State reps and senators; a plea for them to read the EXELLENT book "Nullification". My Barnabas, told me it was too long so I wrote another very short version, and sent it to them. I left this attachment in the letter just in case I did not make the sale with brevity.
Dear Representative,
I humbly beg your attention on a matter of the utmost importance; the preservation of the Union of the United States.
It is no secret there is much discord amongst the people these days. I assert that much of this general sentiment is a deliberate attempt by despots to sew the seeds of dissent, and who wish to install a different Order over man. . Regardless of intent or lack thereof, we, as a nation, are nonetheless eroding into a centralized government with the power far out of reach of the people and the States that formed the Union. Despite the fact that central powers, either in a Nation or Religion, have spawned the greatest inhumanities of the histories, such a great and powerful behemoth is not what is described in our founding documents; The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution and Bill of Rights. I fear as we continue down this road of despair and hopelessness, small insurrections will come to pass, as desperate men, out of options and hope, attempt in vain to throw off the chains of legal injustice. I PRAY this day does not come! I am quite certain, however, that when God answers our petitions, he does not manifest his power through a lightning bolt, but rather through the hearts and minds of Man. Considering that observation and before you consider my request, I humbly ask you to consider this verse:
James 1:5-6 (NIV) 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
My personal definition of “wisdom” is: The ability to disseminate the Truth. The Truth exists in every aspect of matter, energy and awareness (life); finding the Truth is wisdom.
I submit “based upon the Truth” being an objective term, that there is a Truth concerning the meaning and intent of the Constitution of the [u]nited States of America. This intent is not reserved for the sage or barrister but rather in plain sight for all to discover. The literal intent of our founders is no secret, as they flatly and simply expounded so many times, and as they eloquently bloviated for volumes to satisfy the wordsmiths and tyrants in waiting who sought to morph its meaning even in their time. The Constitution was for the common man.
The Constitution is a contract/compact between the States to form a general government with very specific enumerated powers. The enumeration of these powers was done specifically and clearly to act as a final limit to the power and reach of the general government; all other powers and rights are reserved for the “States, or the People.” The very specificity of these enumerated powers is the first evidence to a logical mind that the ambiguous redefinition of certain terms within the Constitution such as “regulate” (Commerce Clause) and “General Welfare”, are nothing more than an attempt to usurp and redirect the power this document carries to a despot or tyrant. One note of utmost importance is the fact that the States voluntarily formed the Union, and that a State by 18th century definition means nation; sovereign in all intents and purposes, and the Union was meant to serve the common interests of the States and not to be their master. As evidenced by many of the founder’s writings, their greatest fear was the created ‘being’ or entity (the general government) would live on its own and seek to destroy its master; to use my own analogy like Frankenstein’s monster killing his master.
For the sake of brevity and courtesy for your time I will make an assumption that you will likely agree with and then make my final plea for investigative action and intellectual investment on your part. My assumption is that the general government (National, Federal or whatever you wish to call it), has on countless occasions stepped outside its prescribed limits, by the establishment of laws, resolutions, treaties, administrations and so forth. For whatever the intent of the unconstitutional laws, either holy or unholy, this usurpation of authority has largely been unchecked, and metastasized into an unsustainable gauntlet of regulation and granted privilege. I could go on but such a rant would be redundant with undeniable evidence at every turn of the head. Perhaps this is death by a thousand paper cuts, but death nonetheless.
We are taught that the Supreme Court is the ultimate arbiter for a dispute of constitutionality of an action of the Federal Government that harms a State or a person in the State. Any reasonable mind would immediately see the obvious and absurd conflict of interest this form of dispute resolution offers since the Supreme Court is a part of the Federal Government. Although we are taught they are a non-political entity of Sages, the simplest mind should see through such a façade simply by watching a confirmation hearing. The Kagan confirmation hearings show there need not be a more grotesque comedy to make the case in point. So if the Supreme Court is not supreme, then who is??? Did the founders leave us at an impasse in justice? Was a virus imbedded in our form of government? Absolutely not! The power belongs to the States; the creator of the agency that is the US government. I do not make this claim out of arbitrary whim but based upon the utmost orthodox sources fathomable; the writings AND actions of the very architects of this nation…Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. They foresaw such an impasse in justice and wrote quite clearly about it. Their solution; Nullification, as it was later called was the summation of “The Principals of ‘98”, and the summary word for the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. I beg of you to NOT simply Google these resolutions and read the modern day nationalistic commentary. I ask you to invest in some critical knowledge. I ask you to buy the book Nullification; How to Resist Federal Tyranny in the 21st Century”, by best selling author Thomas Woods. Please note, I have neither affiliation nor investment in any kind to Dr. Woods. My investment is in America only, and she will profit from my request.
So what does this mean to you Mr./Mrs. Representative? It means YOU are the kingpin that will hold fast or rust and break. It means you are not only a keeper of municipal things but the keeper of the Union. It means you are our agent of protection against Federal tyranny. It means you are to thank for the preservation of the Union and the protection of our Liberty; or to be damned for their loss. I remind you that ignorance is no excuse for an intellectually capable person, but rather an indictment of character.
Respectfully,
Walt Holton
Dear Representative,
I humbly beg your attention on a matter of the utmost importance; the preservation of the Union of the United States.
It is no secret there is much discord amongst the people these days. I assert that much of this general sentiment is a deliberate attempt by despots to sew the seeds of dissent, and who wish to install a different Order over man. . Regardless of intent or lack thereof, we, as a nation, are nonetheless eroding into a centralized government with the power far out of reach of the people and the States that formed the Union. Despite the fact that central powers, either in a Nation or Religion, have spawned the greatest inhumanities of the histories, such a great and powerful behemoth is not what is described in our founding documents; The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution and Bill of Rights. I fear as we continue down this road of despair and hopelessness, small insurrections will come to pass, as desperate men, out of options and hope, attempt in vain to throw off the chains of legal injustice. I PRAY this day does not come! I am quite certain, however, that when God answers our petitions, he does not manifest his power through a lightning bolt, but rather through the hearts and minds of Man. Considering that observation and before you consider my request, I humbly ask you to consider this verse:
James 1:5-6 (NIV) 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
My personal definition of “wisdom” is: The ability to disseminate the Truth. The Truth exists in every aspect of matter, energy and awareness (life); finding the Truth is wisdom.
I submit “based upon the Truth” being an objective term, that there is a Truth concerning the meaning and intent of the Constitution of the [u]nited States of America. This intent is not reserved for the sage or barrister but rather in plain sight for all to discover. The literal intent of our founders is no secret, as they flatly and simply expounded so many times, and as they eloquently bloviated for volumes to satisfy the wordsmiths and tyrants in waiting who sought to morph its meaning even in their time. The Constitution was for the common man.
The Constitution is a contract/compact between the States to form a general government with very specific enumerated powers. The enumeration of these powers was done specifically and clearly to act as a final limit to the power and reach of the general government; all other powers and rights are reserved for the “States, or the People.” The very specificity of these enumerated powers is the first evidence to a logical mind that the ambiguous redefinition of certain terms within the Constitution such as “regulate” (Commerce Clause) and “General Welfare”, are nothing more than an attempt to usurp and redirect the power this document carries to a despot or tyrant. One note of utmost importance is the fact that the States voluntarily formed the Union, and that a State by 18th century definition means nation; sovereign in all intents and purposes, and the Union was meant to serve the common interests of the States and not to be their master. As evidenced by many of the founder’s writings, their greatest fear was the created ‘being’ or entity (the general government) would live on its own and seek to destroy its master; to use my own analogy like Frankenstein’s monster killing his master.
For the sake of brevity and courtesy for your time I will make an assumption that you will likely agree with and then make my final plea for investigative action and intellectual investment on your part. My assumption is that the general government (National, Federal or whatever you wish to call it), has on countless occasions stepped outside its prescribed limits, by the establishment of laws, resolutions, treaties, administrations and so forth. For whatever the intent of the unconstitutional laws, either holy or unholy, this usurpation of authority has largely been unchecked, and metastasized into an unsustainable gauntlet of regulation and granted privilege. I could go on but such a rant would be redundant with undeniable evidence at every turn of the head. Perhaps this is death by a thousand paper cuts, but death nonetheless.
We are taught that the Supreme Court is the ultimate arbiter for a dispute of constitutionality of an action of the Federal Government that harms a State or a person in the State. Any reasonable mind would immediately see the obvious and absurd conflict of interest this form of dispute resolution offers since the Supreme Court is a part of the Federal Government. Although we are taught they are a non-political entity of Sages, the simplest mind should see through such a façade simply by watching a confirmation hearing. The Kagan confirmation hearings show there need not be a more grotesque comedy to make the case in point. So if the Supreme Court is not supreme, then who is??? Did the founders leave us at an impasse in justice? Was a virus imbedded in our form of government? Absolutely not! The power belongs to the States; the creator of the agency that is the US government. I do not make this claim out of arbitrary whim but based upon the utmost orthodox sources fathomable; the writings AND actions of the very architects of this nation…Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. They foresaw such an impasse in justice and wrote quite clearly about it. Their solution; Nullification, as it was later called was the summation of “The Principals of ‘98”, and the summary word for the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. I beg of you to NOT simply Google these resolutions and read the modern day nationalistic commentary. I ask you to invest in some critical knowledge. I ask you to buy the book Nullification; How to Resist Federal Tyranny in the 21st Century”, by best selling author Thomas Woods. Please note, I have neither affiliation nor investment in any kind to Dr. Woods. My investment is in America only, and she will profit from my request.
So what does this mean to you Mr./Mrs. Representative? It means YOU are the kingpin that will hold fast or rust and break. It means you are not only a keeper of municipal things but the keeper of the Union. It means you are our agent of protection against Federal tyranny. It means you are to thank for the preservation of the Union and the protection of our Liberty; or to be damned for their loss. I remind you that ignorance is no excuse for an intellectually capable person, but rather an indictment of character.
Respectfully,
Walt Holton
Friday, July 2, 2010
Statism and Emissions (An open letter to Governor Otter)
Dear Governor Otter (an open letter),
I have voted for you in every general election since I was old enough to vote. Years, ago my vote was based simply upon the fact that Republicans, on the whole, typically stand for the principals of individual liberty and responsibility more so than the Democrats; I really did not know much about you beyond that. Since then I have put on a couple decades of knowledge and wisdom, and I must say that I am a bit confused, concerning your actions and inactions.
Back when you were a congressman you wrote a forward to a pamphlet by Ezra Taft Benson, “The Proper Role of Government.” I read this pamphlet for the first time several months ago and I was a bit surprised, after reading the very eloquent direct and liberty minded, that it was written by you. I would encourage you to go back and re-read your fine words, as well as the co-forward by Professor John T. Wenders (world renown University of Idaho economics professor), who I was fortunate enough to study under. I ask you to do this with hopes you will rediscover your once apparent, spirit of Jefferson and Madison. In this rediscovery I hope you will stand, and use your Constitutional power as Governor, and resist every attempt by the National government to dissolve our borders both as a state and nation. I ask you to stand and lead the good people of Idaho, rejecting every assault, no matter how small or apparently benevolent, to the Constitution and 10th Amendment particularly. I know you are a good man, worthy of the power entrusted to you, now it is time to wield that power against the statists in DC. Was the reason you were born and given your blessings of office, to simply manage highway funding, or was it to help save America?
Pep talk aside, I would like you to consider throwing your weight around on a “small” issue with big implications to our states lower and middle class counties. A few months back Canyon County was forced (kicking and screaming) to comply with emissions testing on cars and trucks. Was it a coincidence this mandate happened during the worst economy of our lives? I would like you to consider the wealth represented in real dollars (as real as a paper dollar is anyway) that is being taken from our citizens not just in the fees to comply with the testing but in lost productivity, loss of other scarce funds, and loss in asset value.
Keeping a long topic relatively short, each person and business must take time from business or leisure and spend it complying with this regulation; this is a loss to the economy; subjective but tangible. Also consider the thousands of cars that do not pass, these ridiculous standards, either due to a particulate count or a check engine light (automatic fail). Each one of these un-needed repairs, usually no less than $200 and often $1000, is an assault on the very scarce funds available. What’s more, most of the cost of repairs goes directly to Detroit or where ever the parts are manufactured…money leaving the state! Another “unintended consequence” to this statist law is the evaporation of “real” wealth represented in the value of the thousands and thousands of cars valued under $2000. Consider many of these older modern cars have ECM’s engine control modules, in other words a computer an old computer. These computers malfunction and send error messages for stupid reasons; most owners of older cars simply live with the light on because you would be in the mechanic every week. Now consider if you have a check engine light on, and you wish to trade your car in, and the dealer knows it can not be licensed with that light on, and it will likely cost $1000 to fix it. Will they reduce the trade in value? They must. This scenario represents hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars in evaporated asset value in Canyon County alone. What will the National government do to remedy this? Likely another “Cash for Clunkers” program, one funded by the next generation; funded by those too young to vote. In this scenario again, money is leaving the state, due to a mandate from the National government, enriching the union companies in Detroit. I am convinced this is not by accident.
One could also apply the same thinking to many other National government mandated laws, like lead based paint certification, air conditioning refrigerant mandates and on and on. I ask you Butch to fight the small fight as well as the big ones. Every mandate is a liberty lost, and every mandate by the National government outside of their seventeen Constitutional powers, our republic of federated states fades.
Sincerely,
Walt Holton
I have voted for you in every general election since I was old enough to vote. Years, ago my vote was based simply upon the fact that Republicans, on the whole, typically stand for the principals of individual liberty and responsibility more so than the Democrats; I really did not know much about you beyond that. Since then I have put on a couple decades of knowledge and wisdom, and I must say that I am a bit confused, concerning your actions and inactions.
Back when you were a congressman you wrote a forward to a pamphlet by Ezra Taft Benson, “The Proper Role of Government.” I read this pamphlet for the first time several months ago and I was a bit surprised, after reading the very eloquent direct and liberty minded, that it was written by you. I would encourage you to go back and re-read your fine words, as well as the co-forward by Professor John T. Wenders (world renown University of Idaho economics professor), who I was fortunate enough to study under. I ask you to do this with hopes you will rediscover your once apparent, spirit of Jefferson and Madison. In this rediscovery I hope you will stand, and use your Constitutional power as Governor, and resist every attempt by the National government to dissolve our borders both as a state and nation. I ask you to stand and lead the good people of Idaho, rejecting every assault, no matter how small or apparently benevolent, to the Constitution and 10th Amendment particularly. I know you are a good man, worthy of the power entrusted to you, now it is time to wield that power against the statists in DC. Was the reason you were born and given your blessings of office, to simply manage highway funding, or was it to help save America?
Pep talk aside, I would like you to consider throwing your weight around on a “small” issue with big implications to our states lower and middle class counties. A few months back Canyon County was forced (kicking and screaming) to comply with emissions testing on cars and trucks. Was it a coincidence this mandate happened during the worst economy of our lives? I would like you to consider the wealth represented in real dollars (as real as a paper dollar is anyway) that is being taken from our citizens not just in the fees to comply with the testing but in lost productivity, loss of other scarce funds, and loss in asset value.
Keeping a long topic relatively short, each person and business must take time from business or leisure and spend it complying with this regulation; this is a loss to the economy; subjective but tangible. Also consider the thousands of cars that do not pass, these ridiculous standards, either due to a particulate count or a check engine light (automatic fail). Each one of these un-needed repairs, usually no less than $200 and often $1000, is an assault on the very scarce funds available. What’s more, most of the cost of repairs goes directly to Detroit or where ever the parts are manufactured…money leaving the state! Another “unintended consequence” to this statist law is the evaporation of “real” wealth represented in the value of the thousands and thousands of cars valued under $2000. Consider many of these older modern cars have ECM’s engine control modules, in other words a computer an old computer. These computers malfunction and send error messages for stupid reasons; most owners of older cars simply live with the light on because you would be in the mechanic every week. Now consider if you have a check engine light on, and you wish to trade your car in, and the dealer knows it can not be licensed with that light on, and it will likely cost $1000 to fix it. Will they reduce the trade in value? They must. This scenario represents hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars in evaporated asset value in Canyon County alone. What will the National government do to remedy this? Likely another “Cash for Clunkers” program, one funded by the next generation; funded by those too young to vote. In this scenario again, money is leaving the state, due to a mandate from the National government, enriching the union companies in Detroit. I am convinced this is not by accident.
One could also apply the same thinking to many other National government mandated laws, like lead based paint certification, air conditioning refrigerant mandates and on and on. I ask you Butch to fight the small fight as well as the big ones. Every mandate is a liberty lost, and every mandate by the National government outside of their seventeen Constitutional powers, our republic of federated states fades.
Sincerely,
Walt Holton
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Rebuke! For Your Silence Implies Consent
I am sure many of you have seen the stories the news lately about “Christian” militias. And I am sure many of you understand this is a direct frontal assault, not on the few people they are charging with a crime, but to Christians in general. But that is not all. Tea Party goers are reportedly racist and Janet Napolitano herself defines “right wing extremists” as the real terrorist threat. Barrack Hussein Obama as well, implied intellectual superiority over those who “cling to guns and religion,” in his campaign for president. However, aside from the obvious and blatant coordinated efforts of the media and inside the government, to imply certain groups of people in this nation are counter productive to the collective good, that’s not all. This multi million dollar campaign to own the weak minds of America is not the only tactic the left is using today; another is one carried out by lurkers and trolls on sites like this one, Face book and Twitter.
These lurkers and trolls have many tactics. Some pose as one of the crowd, spouting patriotic rah-rah, to gain acceptance. Once acceptance is granted their tactics take on many forms. For instance the other day I was reading some comments on Tom Tancredo’s Face book page. Most of the discussion was logical and organized around securing the borders and enforcing laws we already have on the books. Out of the blue a comment from an obviously anonymous name, spouted “I agree with you throw out all the beaners!” This post did not stay on the board long because the page was watched by its admin closely. However, had this been ignored and other trolls or true racists joined in, a picture of the page could be taken and used as implied evidence that those who want secure borders are pure racists.
Another example- On a Ning site, one regular blog poster began posting increasingly “off color” posts. One of them was, how you would go to hell if you married a person of a different color. He had many other posts that blatantly implied God did not like black people and such. Most of his blogs went without comment; likely a “don’t feed the trolls” mentality. I complained to the admin and explained my concerns. The response I got was just plain silly, “don’t worry he is just a religious zealot…I don’t want to infringe on his right to free speech.” My response was, “he has a right to speak, not to be heard.” A day later this guy published a blog stating how he was framed by the FBI, and was not involved in a 1990s bombing in the Middle East. He provided “official documents” with his name on them implicating him with terrorism and then denied involvement…WOW. After my next note to the site admin he was banned.
How should we respond to the tactical leftist and the true psycho? We must rebuke them and report them! Do not be drawn into an argument. If it is on your Face book page, respond with a rebuke and delete them, in other places simply rebuke them and report them to the admin. If the admin is un-responsive leave the site, but before you do, post a blog with the reason. Silence is consent.
These lurkers and trolls have many tactics. Some pose as one of the crowd, spouting patriotic rah-rah, to gain acceptance. Once acceptance is granted their tactics take on many forms. For instance the other day I was reading some comments on Tom Tancredo’s Face book page. Most of the discussion was logical and organized around securing the borders and enforcing laws we already have on the books. Out of the blue a comment from an obviously anonymous name, spouted “I agree with you throw out all the beaners!” This post did not stay on the board long because the page was watched by its admin closely. However, had this been ignored and other trolls or true racists joined in, a picture of the page could be taken and used as implied evidence that those who want secure borders are pure racists.
Another example- On a Ning site, one regular blog poster began posting increasingly “off color” posts. One of them was, how you would go to hell if you married a person of a different color. He had many other posts that blatantly implied God did not like black people and such. Most of his blogs went without comment; likely a “don’t feed the trolls” mentality. I complained to the admin and explained my concerns. The response I got was just plain silly, “don’t worry he is just a religious zealot…I don’t want to infringe on his right to free speech.” My response was, “he has a right to speak, not to be heard.” A day later this guy published a blog stating how he was framed by the FBI, and was not involved in a 1990s bombing in the Middle East. He provided “official documents” with his name on them implicating him with terrorism and then denied involvement…WOW. After my next note to the site admin he was banned.
How should we respond to the tactical leftist and the true psycho? We must rebuke them and report them! Do not be drawn into an argument. If it is on your Face book page, respond with a rebuke and delete them, in other places simply rebuke them and report them to the admin. If the admin is un-responsive leave the site, but before you do, post a blog with the reason. Silence is consent.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Open Letter to Governor Butch Otter (Garvey Bonds)
Dear Governor,
I write you today on a matter of urgent concern. As I am sure you are aware the Idaho House of Representatives voted today to put the State in debt by allowing the use of a Garvey Bond to purchase land between Emmett and Boise. Irregardless of the constitutionality of this type of debt, I believe this type of spending, based upon assumed future income (from Washington DC) places our state in a position of great peril.
I am sure you are fully aware of the many instances the Federal Government has threatened to withhold “Federal funds” from the state, if we do not comply with their wishes. This type of bribery/extortion of course is a very effective way for the federal government to achieve implied consent, on laws that are clearly an infringement of the Tenth Amendment. Understanding the power of the purse as used in the past, how much more effective will this tactic be if we have already spent the money as the Garvey bond system allows? To say the least we would be placed in an unfavorable position of negotiation. Perhaps I am unaware of a stipulation in the Garvey bond process that guarantees the money from the federal government without strings attached, but with our ethically subjective leadership in Washington I doubt even the most firm stipulation would hold up if the desire for state compliance was dire enough.
What makes my concern even greater today is the recent stand you and our legislators have taken against the infringements on the Tenth Amendment (Health Freedom Act). Needless to say you folks are not a great friend to the statists and tyrants in Washington DC; for that I applaud you. For these reasons, I believe going ahead with any future Garvey bonds is a tactical mistake. Please veto this bill.
Thank you,
Walt Holton
I write you today on a matter of urgent concern. As I am sure you are aware the Idaho House of Representatives voted today to put the State in debt by allowing the use of a Garvey Bond to purchase land between Emmett and Boise. Irregardless of the constitutionality of this type of debt, I believe this type of spending, based upon assumed future income (from Washington DC) places our state in a position of great peril.
I am sure you are fully aware of the many instances the Federal Government has threatened to withhold “Federal funds” from the state, if we do not comply with their wishes. This type of bribery/extortion of course is a very effective way for the federal government to achieve implied consent, on laws that are clearly an infringement of the Tenth Amendment. Understanding the power of the purse as used in the past, how much more effective will this tactic be if we have already spent the money as the Garvey bond system allows? To say the least we would be placed in an unfavorable position of negotiation. Perhaps I am unaware of a stipulation in the Garvey bond process that guarantees the money from the federal government without strings attached, but with our ethically subjective leadership in Washington I doubt even the most firm stipulation would hold up if the desire for state compliance was dire enough.
What makes my concern even greater today is the recent stand you and our legislators have taken against the infringements on the Tenth Amendment (Health Freedom Act). Needless to say you folks are not a great friend to the statists and tyrants in Washington DC; for that I applaud you. For these reasons, I believe going ahead with any future Garvey bonds is a tactical mistake. Please veto this bill.
Thank you,
Walt Holton
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
An Argument For Real Money
Our founding fathers Madison, Jefferson, Paine, Jay and Franklin to name a few, provided the perfect blueprint for societal and economic failure as well as a comprehensive “how to” guide for tyrants and despots. Such a blueprint can be seen on the photographic negative of their wisdom; in other words if we do the opposite of their advice we beg for failure.
Thomas Jefferson said,
“The central bank is an institution of the most deadly hostility existing against the Principles and form of our Constitution. I am an Enemy to all banks discounting bills or notes for anything but Coin. If the American People allow private banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the People of all their Property until their Children will wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered.
The situation Thomas Jefferson described is going on before our very eyes. Over the past couple of years, in the real estate and construction markets, we have watched one of the largest evaporations and transfers of wealth the world has ever seen. Children are waking up homeless. I think we can all agree our central bank; The Federal Reserve and the Congress of the United States are largely complicit in this melt down. They have done this by printing money out of thin air which devalues in kind the money in circulation, and by manipulating the rate the money can be let out (controlling interest rates); as consequence great fiscal moral hazard was encouraged and further supplemented by altruistic lending laws and government loan insurance i.e. Fannie May and Freddie Mac.
The very keystone or should I say ace of spades in this house of cards is the departure from the use of an universally valued and accepted intermediary good (such as gold or silver) as currency, replaced by a manipulated fiat currency; the US dollar. The manipulation of the dollar by the Federal Reserve and the efforts of the Congress to stimulate usually yield either temporary results that merely delay the inevitable, or the inverse of their goal. This leads us to two possible conclusions on the actions of our financial overlords; they are involved in devious collusion or they are incompetent, neither should be tolerated. Returning to a silver standard as an intermediary good used in trade would heal much of these ills.
The government has always been involved in our currency. The Coinage Act of 1792 defined the first American Dollar,
The money of account of the United States shall be expressed in dollars or units … of the value [mass or weight] of a Spanish milled dollar as the same is now current, and to contain three hundred and seventy-one grains and four sixteenth parts of a grain of pure … silver.
Or .7734375 troy ounces.
Our government’s initial involvement in money was one to define a tangible standard of weight and quality, easily measured, in order to prevent fraud and establish a standard of trade. They gave the dollar no value; they left that to the free market. To this we must return.
We departed from the Gold/Silver standard, largely under FDR based upon the guise that it was a temporary and due to a national emergency. Nixon finished the job with his declaration that we had entered the Keynesian age; an economic theory of governmental control and subjective ambiguity.
It is too often the case in times of national emergency we give up bits our liberty, for safety. Sometimes Liberty is restored, sometimes exchanged for license, sometimes lost forever. Accordingly in a time of economic emergency we gave up our secure standard of wealth for an ambiguous one, the paper dollar. We lose our Liberty in times of crisis, with laws like the Patriot Act and the departure from the gold/silver standard. We lose our Liberty in times of plenty via governmental altruism. Both examples infringe upon our Inalienable Rights and break the Natural law.
The growing popularity of a not particularly handsome nor dazzlingly eloquent, Ron Paul as evidence that the message of a backed currency has hit main street; the common man is getting it. So I ask each of you to consider, who would you rather take advice from, Ben Bernanke, Timothy Geitner and Barney Frank or Thomas Jefferson. We must return to the ways of our fore fathers. We must return to a currency backed by a universaly valued durable good; gold or silver.
Thomas Jefferson said,
“The central bank is an institution of the most deadly hostility existing against the Principles and form of our Constitution. I am an Enemy to all banks discounting bills or notes for anything but Coin. If the American People allow private banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the People of all their Property until their Children will wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered.
The situation Thomas Jefferson described is going on before our very eyes. Over the past couple of years, in the real estate and construction markets, we have watched one of the largest evaporations and transfers of wealth the world has ever seen. Children are waking up homeless. I think we can all agree our central bank; The Federal Reserve and the Congress of the United States are largely complicit in this melt down. They have done this by printing money out of thin air which devalues in kind the money in circulation, and by manipulating the rate the money can be let out (controlling interest rates); as consequence great fiscal moral hazard was encouraged and further supplemented by altruistic lending laws and government loan insurance i.e. Fannie May and Freddie Mac.
The very keystone or should I say ace of spades in this house of cards is the departure from the use of an universally valued and accepted intermediary good (such as gold or silver) as currency, replaced by a manipulated fiat currency; the US dollar. The manipulation of the dollar by the Federal Reserve and the efforts of the Congress to stimulate usually yield either temporary results that merely delay the inevitable, or the inverse of their goal. This leads us to two possible conclusions on the actions of our financial overlords; they are involved in devious collusion or they are incompetent, neither should be tolerated. Returning to a silver standard as an intermediary good used in trade would heal much of these ills.
The government has always been involved in our currency. The Coinage Act of 1792 defined the first American Dollar,
The money of account of the United States shall be expressed in dollars or units … of the value [mass or weight] of a Spanish milled dollar as the same is now current, and to contain three hundred and seventy-one grains and four sixteenth parts of a grain of pure … silver.
Or .7734375 troy ounces.
Our government’s initial involvement in money was one to define a tangible standard of weight and quality, easily measured, in order to prevent fraud and establish a standard of trade. They gave the dollar no value; they left that to the free market. To this we must return.
We departed from the Gold/Silver standard, largely under FDR based upon the guise that it was a temporary and due to a national emergency. Nixon finished the job with his declaration that we had entered the Keynesian age; an economic theory of governmental control and subjective ambiguity.
It is too often the case in times of national emergency we give up bits our liberty, for safety. Sometimes Liberty is restored, sometimes exchanged for license, sometimes lost forever. Accordingly in a time of economic emergency we gave up our secure standard of wealth for an ambiguous one, the paper dollar. We lose our Liberty in times of crisis, with laws like the Patriot Act and the departure from the gold/silver standard. We lose our Liberty in times of plenty via governmental altruism. Both examples infringe upon our Inalienable Rights and break the Natural law.
The growing popularity of a not particularly handsome nor dazzlingly eloquent, Ron Paul as evidence that the message of a backed currency has hit main street; the common man is getting it. So I ask each of you to consider, who would you rather take advice from, Ben Bernanke, Timothy Geitner and Barney Frank or Thomas Jefferson. We must return to the ways of our fore fathers. We must return to a currency backed by a universaly valued durable good; gold or silver.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Red Bull, Red meat and Red Policy
One of the biggest businesses in America today is the peddling of “energy drinks.” However, one thing most of them have in common is they have a very low actual energy content and a very high content of stimulants like caffeine. Energy and stimulation are two very different things. Funny enough, through clever marketing, the term calorie, has come to mean, a measurement of unhealthiness rather than what it scientifically means. The term calorie is a measurement of energy content, just like BTU, watt or horsepower. For instance a gallon of gas contains about 114,000 BTUs of energy or the potential for 44.8 horse power hr. at the rate of 100% efficient conversion. That same measurement of heat and work can be converted to nutritional calories (28,727). In the case of motive power via internal combustion engine or human power, the delivered energy (for work) is less than the input energy which is due to heat loss and combustion/digestion inefficiencies. If this type of science interest you here is a great website, http://mb-soft.com/public2/humaneff.html otherwise the point is, a calorie is the energy; marked, measured and quantified (digestibility is another factor altogether).
A stimulant however, is an un-natural compound (to the body) that usually causes a reaction in the nervous system or metabolism that gives a person the impression of energy. In certain cases an artificial stimulant may simulate a naturally produced chemical in the body (or the result of the role of the natural compound) so closely that the body may cease to produce that compound, causing many adverse and potentially deadly side effects; methamphetamine is a good example. Let’s take the product 5 Hour Energy for example; I believe this product engages in false advertising. This product claims only 4 calories yet a body at rest still uses 40 calories per hour just to maintain systems. Therefore for them to claim 5 hours of “energy” it should have at least 201 calories. This product may have other compounds that aid the digestion or conversion of stored energy in the body, but if the body does not have a reserve of potential energy to convert, and work is required, the primary functions of the body will be harmed and the body will convert muscle and bone to energy with devastating results. In our decadent society a trim and “sexy” body with low fat reserves is appealing, thus the addictions to stimulants and the untold number of side effects they bring. Stimulants have become a substitute for proper eating habits and prudent physical care.
Of course a perfect natural human would have no need for stimulants of any kind. Maintaining a balanced diet of digestible fat, protein and carbohydrate calories, and fulfilling the bodies need for vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other core factors required to properly replicate DNA, maintain body temperature and produce work is all we need.
Remarkably, the natural physical order of human kind as well as the natural laws of science (the Laws of Thermodynamics in particular) are very similar if not directly analogous to economics and society in general.
First of all economically speaking we can only describe and measure the economic energy stored by goods and services. Like protein, carbs and fat have a potential energy so do goods and services have potential energy that can not be realized until digested. The digestion of goods and services is called voluntary exchange of goods and services, which requires a good or service be demanded by one party and supplied by another either in direct swap for good or service or by an intermediary good found desirable to both parties (currency). Historically, this mutually desirable intermediary good has been gold or silver because in itself it holds a recognizable value. This intermediary good allows inequitable direct exchanges, like a bushel of wheat for a cow; gold acting as the difference in value. Or the intermediary can act as a tool in exchange through a middle man who holds goods or services in inventory. This very brief and simple explanation draws a very close similarity to a healthy human eating right and converting energy to work, in the sense that there is very little energy lost in the trade due to the purity of the supply and demand and mutually acceptable (incorruptible) intermediary good.
Today we have moved quite far from this model of economic health. We no longer have a reliable intermediary good as we have substituted it with a “token of faith” (the dollar). Unlike gold or silver which require human effort to mine and refine, and has many uses, the dollar can be produced at will, and other than its perceived value it only holds a few BTUs of heat if burned. As we add “money” to the economy the value of all money in the market is diminished because it is not tied to productivity. From a health perspective this is like a man eating a one pound, five hundred calorie totally balanced meal and having the components of the meal gradually replaced with 0 net calorie celery. The man may still feel full but the net effect is he will die; you can’t substitute quantity for quality.
As the man’s body begins to use its reserves his appetite may increase. Feeling sickly, he just might increase his daily intake of celery; borrowing from future rations. With the increase in rations he may fell satisfied after a meal but that is merely a perception, as his body eats itself for energy. He then might try to display an upbeat attitude, rejecting reality. Being ignorant to the fact that he is not bringing any new energy into his body he would likely resort to stimulants to speed his metabolism and nervous system giving him the perception of energy, blind to the fact that he is only speeding the process of death.
Our economy acts the same way yet we are surprised with its illness. We have countless times interfered with the natural process in order to get high. As we become too proud to take certain manufacturing jobs, they go overseas; energy lost. We allow parasites to come into the country unlawfully and pack the money out; energy lost. We import far more then we export; a net loss of energy in the exchange. In the mean time we demand a more decadent lifestyle and by golly if enough people want something in an immoral democracy you’ll find a politician to promise all the bread and circuses imaginable, even while living with the highest standards the earth has ever seen. The people demand a feeling of health not knowing they are dead men walking. In absence of real energy in the economy we fake it with the placebo effect of increasing the quantity of money; which does work for a while until perception meets reality. We attempt to stimulate the economy by artificially valuing the dollar by placing non-market interest rates on the market; discouraging thrift and encouraging moral peril. We live off hopes of a better tomorrow not satisfied with our earnings of today while using our last energy to dig our own grave. We “create” jobs and production with no demand for the product; busy work, like walking on a treadmill. There are so many more examples of how we have not only strayed from, but out right shunned the natural capital market place. We are not a free market economy in America any more; far from it. But we don’t really care that we are chronically unhealthy as long as we feel good. We have made our diet meth and celery; we feel like a million bucks. In our arrogance we think we can recreate the natural process to fit our will. The process a five year old can explain over dinner. Our perception serves as our reality, in absence of the truth. But alas, the truth remains.
A stimulant however, is an un-natural compound (to the body) that usually causes a reaction in the nervous system or metabolism that gives a person the impression of energy. In certain cases an artificial stimulant may simulate a naturally produced chemical in the body (or the result of the role of the natural compound) so closely that the body may cease to produce that compound, causing many adverse and potentially deadly side effects; methamphetamine is a good example. Let’s take the product 5 Hour Energy for example; I believe this product engages in false advertising. This product claims only 4 calories yet a body at rest still uses 40 calories per hour just to maintain systems. Therefore for them to claim 5 hours of “energy” it should have at least 201 calories. This product may have other compounds that aid the digestion or conversion of stored energy in the body, but if the body does not have a reserve of potential energy to convert, and work is required, the primary functions of the body will be harmed and the body will convert muscle and bone to energy with devastating results. In our decadent society a trim and “sexy” body with low fat reserves is appealing, thus the addictions to stimulants and the untold number of side effects they bring. Stimulants have become a substitute for proper eating habits and prudent physical care.
Of course a perfect natural human would have no need for stimulants of any kind. Maintaining a balanced diet of digestible fat, protein and carbohydrate calories, and fulfilling the bodies need for vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other core factors required to properly replicate DNA, maintain body temperature and produce work is all we need.
Remarkably, the natural physical order of human kind as well as the natural laws of science (the Laws of Thermodynamics in particular) are very similar if not directly analogous to economics and society in general.
First of all economically speaking we can only describe and measure the economic energy stored by goods and services. Like protein, carbs and fat have a potential energy so do goods and services have potential energy that can not be realized until digested. The digestion of goods and services is called voluntary exchange of goods and services, which requires a good or service be demanded by one party and supplied by another either in direct swap for good or service or by an intermediary good found desirable to both parties (currency). Historically, this mutually desirable intermediary good has been gold or silver because in itself it holds a recognizable value. This intermediary good allows inequitable direct exchanges, like a bushel of wheat for a cow; gold acting as the difference in value. Or the intermediary can act as a tool in exchange through a middle man who holds goods or services in inventory. This very brief and simple explanation draws a very close similarity to a healthy human eating right and converting energy to work, in the sense that there is very little energy lost in the trade due to the purity of the supply and demand and mutually acceptable (incorruptible) intermediary good.
Today we have moved quite far from this model of economic health. We no longer have a reliable intermediary good as we have substituted it with a “token of faith” (the dollar). Unlike gold or silver which require human effort to mine and refine, and has many uses, the dollar can be produced at will, and other than its perceived value it only holds a few BTUs of heat if burned. As we add “money” to the economy the value of all money in the market is diminished because it is not tied to productivity. From a health perspective this is like a man eating a one pound, five hundred calorie totally balanced meal and having the components of the meal gradually replaced with 0 net calorie celery. The man may still feel full but the net effect is he will die; you can’t substitute quantity for quality.
As the man’s body begins to use its reserves his appetite may increase. Feeling sickly, he just might increase his daily intake of celery; borrowing from future rations. With the increase in rations he may fell satisfied after a meal but that is merely a perception, as his body eats itself for energy. He then might try to display an upbeat attitude, rejecting reality. Being ignorant to the fact that he is not bringing any new energy into his body he would likely resort to stimulants to speed his metabolism and nervous system giving him the perception of energy, blind to the fact that he is only speeding the process of death.
Our economy acts the same way yet we are surprised with its illness. We have countless times interfered with the natural process in order to get high. As we become too proud to take certain manufacturing jobs, they go overseas; energy lost. We allow parasites to come into the country unlawfully and pack the money out; energy lost. We import far more then we export; a net loss of energy in the exchange. In the mean time we demand a more decadent lifestyle and by golly if enough people want something in an immoral democracy you’ll find a politician to promise all the bread and circuses imaginable, even while living with the highest standards the earth has ever seen. The people demand a feeling of health not knowing they are dead men walking. In absence of real energy in the economy we fake it with the placebo effect of increasing the quantity of money; which does work for a while until perception meets reality. We attempt to stimulate the economy by artificially valuing the dollar by placing non-market interest rates on the market; discouraging thrift and encouraging moral peril. We live off hopes of a better tomorrow not satisfied with our earnings of today while using our last energy to dig our own grave. We “create” jobs and production with no demand for the product; busy work, like walking on a treadmill. There are so many more examples of how we have not only strayed from, but out right shunned the natural capital market place. We are not a free market economy in America any more; far from it. But we don’t really care that we are chronically unhealthy as long as we feel good. We have made our diet meth and celery; we feel like a million bucks. In our arrogance we think we can recreate the natural process to fit our will. The process a five year old can explain over dinner. Our perception serves as our reality, in absence of the truth. But alas, the truth remains.
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