Topic: Constitutional Issues
Obama Meeting with Mayors Should Concern Us February 20th President Obama and Vice President Biden met with the United Sates Conference of Mayors. While it appeared to many it was a meeting with a focus on reaching out to the mayors during tough economic times there are fundamental reasons this meeting should concern anyone who believes in personal and state sovereignty.by Gary Wood
(conservative libertarian)
Saturday, February 21, 2009
The United States Conference of Mayors released their notice regarding a meeting with President Obama and Vice President Biden yesterday, along with a list of those in attendance. USA Today later published a chronology of the meeting along with the remarks President Obama made. On the surface things appear to be well intended with genuine concern from the federal government regarding the economic stability of our cities and citizens. There is such concern for the cities President Obama announced the formation of the White House Office of Urban Affairs created by Executive Order on Thursday. His announcement received a round of applause from the mayors in attendance. The main focus is to coordinate all federal urban programs.
Obama declared, "[y]ou shouldn't have to succeed despite Washington. You should succeed with a hand from Washington. And that's what you're going to get now. Now, what is required in return, what I will need from all of you is unprecedented responsibility and accountability on all of our parts." (emphasis added) His concluding remarks focused on an emphasis in how we will look back at this meeting as a turning point in history. Listen closely;
"And I know it because I see it in the faces of Americans everywhere who are ready to roll up their sleeves and join in the work of remaking this nation.
So now it falls to us to seize the possibilities of this moment and convert peril into promise. See to it that our cities and our people emerge from this moment stronger than they were before. Starting today, that's what you and I are going to do, together.
And I'm absolutely confident that our people will benefit and people will look back and say that this was a turning point, this was a moment where, in the midst of great crisis, leadership was shown and we created a -- a new platform for success for all Americans in the future."
This all sounds very good to the ear. On the surface it appears, based on the lack of focus about what is alarming in this meeting, most embrace this cooperation between the White House and cities across the country. Yet, in a time when state sovereignty is a growing message with over 20 states proposing legislation and one state passing legislation (Oklahoma, 83 to 12), we have to pause long enough to look deeper at this moment in history. We must ask ourselves if there is any threat to the sovereignty of our states or to our personal sovereignty by having the White House work directly with mayors.
The article in the Chicago Tribune this morning helps us see what this connection can do. "The mayors, in turn, encouraged Obama to focus the stimulus on cities, where they said it would have the biggest impact. Giving state governments too much leeway with the funds could reduce the stimulus' effectiveness, they said." This is not a new message from the mayors as last week many met and stated this same type of sentiment when calling for money to be sent directly to them rather than through their state government.
If we accept this new direction, this dawning era of cooperation between D.C. and cities how will states be sovereign? It will lead to a permanent change, a turning point, which will create a single nation headed by D.C. with states nothing more than a sub-category of the one national government. In many ways and for many reasons we have effectively operated this way since at least 1913 yet are we prepared to make it official? If this does not concern you then you must understand you support a stronger centralized government that has no recognition from nor resemblance to our grand experiment promised in the Declaration of Independence and guided by the U.S. Constitution. The President began talking about what is required in return for White House and city interaction, big government always demands requirements and one will be obedience and support of the White House before the state.
If this does concern you it is time to roll up your sleeves, study our foundational principles and guidance, and support all state sovereignty efforts. Review the list of mayors supporting an end to a federalist form of government and contact them if you live within their jurisdiction or state. Let them know you support a Federalist Republic and not a National Democracy.
Remember our history, not our modern traditions that are moving us toward representative democracy. Here is some recommended reading to help begin the stirring of our memory. Study these with friends and family as if you were studying the scriptures of your religion or the stats of your favorite sports team.
The views expressed in this
article are those of Gary Wood only and do not represent
the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Gary Wood is
solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an
employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
I have a problem with Cornell's version of the Bill of Rights, specifically their failure to include the Preamble thereof:
The Conventions of a Number of the States having at the Time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a Desire, in Order to prevent Misconstruction or Abuse of its Powers, that further declaratory and restrictive Clauses should be added: And as extending the Ground of public Confidence in the Government will best insure the beneficent Ends of its Institution,
RESOLVED, by the Senate, and House of Representatives, of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, Two Thirds of both Houses concurring, That the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States as Amendments to the Constitution of the United States: All, or any of, which Articles, when ratified by Three-Fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all Intents and Purposes as Part of the said Constitution, viz.
ARTICLES in Addition to, and Amendment of, the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the Fifth Article of the original Constitution.
I feel that this portion of the Bill of Rights is extremely important for the people (and the government) to keep fixed in mind. It is rarely seen outside of the actual document and photoreproductions thereof, and I strongly suspect this is not by accident.
Want to comment on this
article? Leave your comment here. Your email address is
required to track your comment. However, we will neither
publish your email address nor distribute it to other
organizations or persons. The only reason we might use
it would be if we needed to contact you regarding your
comment. All comments are subject to our
terms of use policy.
