What is the federal government supposed to do -- and what are the limits placed on it by the Constitution? Well, the 10th Amendment states that "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."
Do you find in the Constitution any stated or implied congressional authority to pay for millions of dollars' worth of local bicycle paths, sidewalks and such? We don't.
And yet a number of cities in our area collectively requested $8 million in federal money to build bike paths and sidewalks, and to provide for stormwater control, landscaping and historic preservation. Do you feel it is appropriate for our area's bicycle trails and sidewalks to be funded by federal gasoline taxes paid by people in, say, Idaho or Missouri or Maine? Looking at it from the opposite direction, should residents of Chattanooga or Soddy-Daisy or East Ridge have to fund similar projects in far-flung states?
To be sure, all the projects for which federal money was sought may be worthwhile in themselves. But if Congress has the authority to pay for clearly local projects, what sorts of spending, specifically, is Congress not authorized to engage in? Are there any limits whatsoever on its power to tax and spend?
We should certainly hope there are. Because our $14.9 trillion national debt makes it amply clear that Congress is doing far too many things that our country cannot afford.
The right-wingers quote the Constitution like they quote the Bible--selectively to fit their agenda.
Our Constitution is the supreme law of the land, it should obeyed and adhered to. The Bible is the supreme law of life, it should be obeyed and adhered to as well. I have observed that ALL socialists have contempt for both!
And EaTn has noticed that all Conservatives have a selective approach to utilizing them.
Tell you what, you obey the Bible if you want, but don't try to make me live by your version of it.
Exactly right, EaTn.
Con-man, the Bible is filled with so many contradictions and archaic laws, a person would go nuts trying to decide which ones to obey. If you are unaware of the contradictions and absurdities then your reading comprehension skills are abysmal.
As for the Constitution, it was conceived and signed 224 years ago, when our country consisted of a mere 13 states, by men who were brilliant, no doubt, but not visionary or omniscient by any means. There is no way they could have foreseen the scope of changes and growth over the next two-and-a-quarter centuries. We are now 50 states and more than 300 million people of diverse culture/ethnicity. To think that we can have a strong and unified nation as nothing but a conglomeration of 50 indigenous states, each doing its own thing and governed without regard for the nation as a whole, with little or no centralized government, is not only foolishly simplistic, it would be utter chaos to try to exist in such a way.
Lieberals, socialists and atheists hate the truth. Since it is impossible to refute the truth they resort to personal attacks, outright lies, or change the subject. When they do these things they unknowingly expose their character.They can't do otherwise because that is their character. You shall know them by their fruits. I love to smoke them out.
I’ve learned of a new scientific study indicating conservatives are borderline sociopaths:
I’ve learned of a new scientific study indicating conservatives are borderline sociopaths:A new study finds that conservative moral judgements on several issues have a correlation with “dark and anti-social personality traits.” The study, from the University of Tampa’s Dr. Marcus Arvan, PhD in the journal Neuroethics found Machiavellianism (deception), narcissism (overinflated sense of self-worth), and psychopathy (absence of guilt or remorse) in conservative value judgements.
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