VOTE YES ON PROPOSITION C

Posted 7/30/10

The Aug. 3 primary is less than a week away. Whether you consider yourself a Republican, a Democrat or an Independent, you will have an opportunity to send a message to the federal government by supporting Proposition C. If Proposition C passes, Missouri will become the first state to say no to the jackboot of injustice commonly known as Obamacare.

The relevant language of Proposition C is quite straightforward: “Deny the government authority to penalize citizens for refusing to purchase private health insurance or infringe upon the right to offer or accept direct payment for lawful healthcare services.” The proposition is a direct response to Obamacare's mandate that everyone carry health insurance or be subject to a fine of $750. Essentially, this provision of Obamacare, if allowed to stand, kicks the barn door open and sets a precedent for allowing the federal government to mandate that each of us purchase anything that it decides we need to buy.

Proponents of this bit of injustice argue that it is constitutional under the wide umbrella of the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution. The argument is that an individual's failure to purchase healthcare insurance will have an impact on the economy because fewer people purchasing coverage shrinks the insurance pool, thereby increasing the risk of payment for healthcare services with fewer dollars to cover the risk.

For decades the Supreme Court did allow the Commerce Clause to almost swallow the Constitution; however, in State v. Lopez, a case centering around the federal Gun Free Schools Act, the Supreme Court rejected the argument that the federal government could legislate control over public schools under the Commerce Clause. The Supreme Court found for such action to be constitutional, the court would “have to pile inference upon inference in a manner that would bid fair to convert congressional authority under the Commerce Clause to a general police power of the sort retained by the States.” The same argument holds true for forcing individuals to purchase insurance under Obamacare.

Some proponents argue that requiring health insurance is no different than requiring auto insurance. That argument is simply wrong on its face. Auto insurance is a requirement that is placed upon citizens by the states. States, pursuant to their police power, have the right to do this. The federal government has no specific constitutional authority to take any action not set forth in the Constitution. For that reason, automobile insurance is generally subject to state control. Furthermore, operating an automobile results in a voluntary act that places the general public at risk. If you do not drive, you do not need insurance. However, if you do drive, you create a risk to the general public. State government has the right to attempt to shield the public from that risk.

The Republican Party and the Libertarian Party both support the passage of Proposition C. The Democratic Party has taken no position. The Kansas City Star opposes Proposition C which should tell you all you need to know about why it should pass. At its core, this is not an issue about insurance. It is an issue about personal freedom. No government should be able mandate that you purchase something because the government believes that it is supposedly good for you as an individual. Stand up and be counted. VOTE YES ON PROPOSITION C.

(Email Russ Purvis at russp842@yahoo.com)

DEMOCRATS TRYING TO USE UNEMPLOYMENT AS A WEDGE ISSUE

Posted 7/22/10

President Obama, in an address from the Rose Garden on Monday, said “it's time to do what's right, not for the next election, but for the middle class.” He is correct; however, his version of what is right is completely wrong.

Obama is using his bully pulpit to, once again, push for an extension of unemployment benefits. The extension will cost $34 billion, and if Obama gets his way, the cost of the extension will be placed on the United States' already maxed out credit card. With the appointment of a successor to the seat of the recently deceased, West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd, Obama and the Democrats have enough votes to pass the extension.

Obama is not wrong for pushing for an extension of unemployment benefits. In fact, the majority of Americans agree with the concept. More money in the pockets of Americans, rather than the government, like a tax cut, will spur economic growth. However, Obama is wrong in insisting that the cost be added to the national debt. Every politician, Obama included, has given lip service to the idea of pay as you go, with regard to spending legislation. With a few exceptions, the Republicans that are standing in opposition to the extension are doing so only because it adds to the deficit.

Rather than address this issue head on, and make the spending cuts necessary to create a revenue neutral extension package, the Democrats, not the Republicans, have decided to make this a political issue. Had the Democrats simply agreed to cut less important spending, to offset the cost of the unemployment benefits extension, the legislation would have passed weeks ago. Instead, being behind in the polls, and searching for something to use against the Republicans in November, the Democrats, showing absolutely no concern for the impact of their actions on the average, unemployed American, chose to create a wedge issue.

This fall, Democrats around the nation will be running ads accusing Republicans of being out of touch with the average American, while at the same time using the unemployment benefits extension as an example of the “fact” that only Democrats are the champion of every day Americans. Of course, that will be a lie. However, the Democrats are banking on every day Americans being too stupid catch on. he Democrats take such action at their peril.

Americans are smart enough to know a lie when they hear it. They are also smart enough to know that the unemployment benefits extension is a band aid, treating a symptom and not the disease. The main reason that unemployment remains so high is that businesses are simply not hiring. They are not hiring because the environment is such that they are afraid to do anything. Your average business is facing a tax increase in 2011, due to the fact that the Democrats are allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire. Businesses are also concerned about the impact of the socialized medicine bill and how much it is going to increase fixed costs; and with governmental interference in every aspect of the private sector.

Until the Democrats get serious about getting the economy moving, rather than simply expanding the role of the federal government, unemployment will remain high and it is a safe bet that there will be another request for a longer extension of unemployment benefits. By that time, however, the Democrats will no longer control the House and Senate and, hopefully, the next extension will be revenue neutral.

(Former Democrat Russ Purvis can be reached at russp842@yahoo.com)

DRASTIC REDUCTION IN THE SIZE OF GOVERNMENT IS NEEDED

Posted 7/15/10

As I stated in last week's column, Americans, politicians included, must start putting America first. Getting out of Iran and Afghanistan, and making the economy the nation's first priority, constitute only two steps forward along the long road to truly realizing the ideal of putting America first. Step three involves a drastic reduction in the size and scope of the federal government.

In theory, this should be an easy thing to do. Politically, it will be difficult. Politicians, by their very nature, do not want to do anything that might cost them a vote. This self-centered attitude, combined with the attitude held by many Americans, that the country owes them something, is largely responsible for the condition the United States now finds itself in. However, if the country is going to be successful going forward, the alphabet soup of administrative agencies and governmental departments that make up the federal government must be given a top down review, and in most instances disbanded.

The IRS is the perfect place to begin. I know it is an easy target, but consider this: If the nation instituted a simple flat tax system, with no deductions, the role of the IRS would be that of a collection agent attempting to collect from delinquent taxpayers. That role could easily be delegated to a private contractor working for a percentage of the delinquent taxes collected.

Move on to the Department of Agriculture. Eliminate the farm subsidy program and the Department of Agriculture will serve no purpose that private industry cannot handle better, and more efficiently.

Eliminate the Social Security Administration. Allow anyone that wants to, to opt out of the system now, with the understanding that any benefits earned will be forfeited and, once a person opts out, he or she cannot opt back in. Require every person that remains in the system to set up a private investment account. The government is stealing the money now, at least allow individuals to play the market; the risk is less and the potential reward greater. Finally, going forward, do away with all forms of disability payments paid by the Social Security Administration.

Almost every department and agency is really nothing more than a bureaucratic shell seeking a purpose to validate its needless existence. Cut them all down to size and let freedom reign.

America first also requires a fourth step: energy independence. Nuclear power must be embraced. It is not that dangerous, is readily available and extremely efficient. All bans on drilling for oil should also be lifted. Abandon the idiotic cap and tax idea that is being pushed by Obama. Finally, offer tax incentives and research grants to individuals and companies that are working to develop alternative energy resources.

Education is the fifth step. Every man woman and child in this country must be able to communicate using the English language, do basic math, have an understanding of scientific theory and have an understanding of this nation's history. If schools wish to teach other subjects, so be it. However, there should be a rigorous, standardized, core curriculum. If America is to maintain its position in the world, its citizens must be competitive in math and science and able to communicate in English, the international language. History is equally important. No American should ever forget this country's greatness and the struggle to attain and preserve it.

The proposals that I have made are not revolutionary. Unfortunately, a revolution may be required to enact even a part of them.

(Russ Purvis, formerly a Democrat, is a self-declared independent who can be reached at russp842@yahoo.com)

IT'S TIME FOR AMERICA TO EXERT ITS WILL ON THE REST OF THE WORLD

Posted 7/9/10

Animals can be categorized as predators or as prey. Nations can be categorized the same way. It is time that the United States stop acting like prey, and return to its roots as a predator. The United States became a world power, not by acting like a timid rabbit, but by being a powerful hunter, willing to exert its will on the world around it.

It is time for America to look inward and put America first, last and foremost! We can no longer allow our country to be used as a pawn/punching bag on the international stage. We can also no longer allow international business interests to do the same.

First, get out of Iraq and get out of Afghanistan. Neither serves enough of a strategic military purpose to warrant the billions that are being spent to keep troops on the ground. Drones and missiles can certainly be used to kill anyone that needs killing. If both countries wind up with terrible rulers, that will be sad; however, if America stepped in every time something sad occurred, this nation would have failed long ago. It may not be popular with the rest of the world, but the United States can no longer afford to be the world's policeman.

Second, make the economy the one and only priority. Cancel the alleged “stimulus” and use a carrot and stick approach. The first carrot should be not only allowing the Bush tax cuts, set to expire, to remain in effect, but to cut individual taxes by at least another five to ten percent. Individuals will immediately have more disposable income to pump into the economy.

The second carrot should be the elimination of corporate income taxes. If the United States eliminated taxes on corporate profit, international businesses would rush to headquarter in the United States, creating jobs and revenue across the entire national economy. Other nations might suffer; however, America must come first.
The stick involves the selective use of tariffs. The first tariff stick should be used to beat down any nation that uses government subsidies to allow corporations to dump products in our country at a price at which U.S. companies cannot compete. This does not mean that tariffs should be used if a U.S. company is simply inefficient. Any money collected should, by law, be used to pay down the national debt.

The second tariff stick should be used to encourage corporations to employ Americans. Any U.S. corporation that moves manufacturing to another country should be hit with a tariff equal to twice that amount of the prevailing U.S. hourly wage for time necessary to produce that product. All money collected should, here again, be used to pay down the national debt.

The third tariff stick should be used to prevent corporations from other countries importing to the U.S., from using cheap labor to undercut U.S. businesses on price. Either impose the same tariff that I have proposed using on U.S. corporations, or agree to waive the tariff and provide further incentives, if the corporation manufactures in the U.S., everything it sells in the U.S. Further incentives can be awarded if the corporation agrees to headquarter in the U.S.

Will such action result in an international uproar? Yes. However, our economy is strong enough and large enough that it cannot be ignored. But this is only a small part of what must be done. I will address more issues next week.

(Russ Purvis is an Independent who can be reached at russp842@yahoo.com)

EUROPE DOING MORE TO PROMOTE DEMOCRACY THAN OBAMA

Posted 7/1/10

The 4th of July is upon us. It is the time of year that we should all take stock of our freedoms and consider what our leaders are doing to secure or erode them.

The Supreme Court struck a blow for freedom this week when it ruled that the Second Amendment actually does apply to cities and states. I know it sounds like common sense; however, Chicago had a law on the books for decades banning handgun ownership. The law was found to be unconstitutional. This is great news for anyone that truly supports the Constitution. It is bad news for the anti-gun crowd.

On the international scene, Europe is doing more to promote democracy over socialism than our own president. The G-20 is meeting this week in Toronto. Most of the countries that make up this group are abandoning the Obama, spend your way to prosperity, plan. Obama continues to push for more and more international spending. Luckily, his pleas appear to be landing on deaf ears.

Even at home, deficit spending is falling out of favor. The attempt to add $35 billion in extended unemployment benefits to the deficit was defeated. The measure could have easily passed if the Obama administration would simply have agreed to find a funding source. Alternatively, a $35 billion cut somewhere else would also have done the trick. Instead, the issue will be used as a prop in this season's political theater.

Unfortunately, Afghanistan is still a quagmire. Obama did the right thing in sacking General McCrystal. However, the criticism, especially regarding our ability to succeed in Afghanistan, must be addressed. I am not holding my breath. It is truly a FUBAR!

Back here in flyover country, freedom is being eroded in Kansas. In what can only be described as an act of unneeded paternalism, the legislators in Kansas passed a law banning smoking in public places. If there is a great demand for smoke free, public places, the free market will provide such places. The Kansas law simply takes away the market's ability to provide what the public wants. Even if there is a valid health related argument, it is not the government's role to dictate private choices.

The Missouri Legislature is now in special session to vote on tax incentives for Ford and to modify Missouri's state pension system. There is a legitimate fear that Ford will be closing its Kansas City plant. However, Ford has not asked for any tax incentives. In fact, Ford has stated that even if it receives tax incentives, it will not guarantee that it is going to stay in Kansas City. Our elected officials are about to put the cart before the horse to the tune of $150 million.

Allegedly, this spending will be offset by changing the state's pension system. The pension system does need to be changed. However, any savings should be used to shore up the massive hole in the budget, not to cover the cost of a handout that has not been asked for and may not even accomplish its stated purpose.

Overall, our elected officials are still doing more harm than good, and our freedoms continue to suffer. But, at least for this weekend, put aside the negative thoughts and simply try not to blow your hands, or other important body parts, off with your soon-to-be-banned fireworks.

(Russ Purvis will never be banned. Email him at russp842@yahoo.com)

GIVE KAGAN THE KIND OF HEARING SHE PREFERS

Posted 6/24/10

Elena Kagan, President Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court, will begin her confirmation hearing next week. You need not watch a single minute of this chest thumping, political circus, to decide whether or not Kagan should be confirmed. She will be; however, she should not be.

It is Kagan's stated belief that the U.S. Constitution must be viewed as a “living” document. In other words, Kagan views the Constitution as a large word salad, to be interpreted as she sees fit to serve her purpose.It is an outcome based judicial philosophy. Following her view, you can simply eat around the parts of the constitutional word salad that you do not like, or simply add the spice of a new concept that does not exist in the original text of the Constitution, and still have a tasty meal.

This judicial philosophy makes it very easy to square the Second Amendment with increased gun control. Such thinking has allowed the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to become a sledgehammer, used to destroy the freedom to acknowledge in the public square, a person's belief in a religious concept. The Establishment Clause should actually act only as a shield, to guard against the creation of one national, state sponsored religion. And, no matter your position on the issue, only by use of this philosophy did abortion gain federal constitutional protection. The idea of a judicial philosophy based on the theory that the Constitution is a living document can be defined in one word: sophistry.

The competing view of constitutional interpretation revolves around the concept of strict construction of the framers' original intent. Strict Constructionists believe that words have particular meaning, within the time frame they are chosen, and convey specific concepts. They also believe that the framers of the Constitution chose the language used for a particular purpose. A strict constructionist also understands that times do change; however, the Constitution cannot be changed by reinterpreting its plain meaning.

The framers also knew that different times might require constitutional changes and allowed for an amendment process. Amending the Constitution is difficult by design. The difficulty of the process protects against tyranny. If the meaning of the Constitution is allowed to be changed at the whim of a judge, or judges, the Constitution will lose all meaning because it could mean anything.

Kagan has never been a judge. She has no prior decisions that can be reviewed to determine her stance on issues, and her published works provide a thin paper trail. But, she did write, prior to being considered for nomination to the Supreme Court, that she favors confirmation hearings like the one experienced by Reagan nominee, and strict constructionist, Judge Robert Bork. Bork was not confirmed, mainly due to his record being misconstrued by those without the intellectual capability to carry his briefcase. Referring to the Bork confirmation hearing, Kagan stated: “The debate focused not on trivialities” but more important issues, including “the understanding of the Constitution that the nominee would carry with him to the Court.”

Kagan must receive exactly the type of confirmation hearing that she prefers. To be sure, there will be howls from those protesting that she is being given rough treatment. To be sure, she will be evasive and will attempt to focus her answers only on trivialities and avoid the more important issues. And, to be sure, our Constitution is too important to allow its very existence to be placed in the hands of a judge that believes it is a “living” document.

(Russ Purvis is a living independent. Email him at russp842@yahoo.com)

PAY THE COACHES, PAY THE KIDS, TAX THE PROFITS

Posted 6/17/10

Break out the booze and cheer. The Big 12 appears to have survived with ten teams. Why? Money, money, money! The reconstituted Big 12 believes that it has figured out how to grow the green. That is great news for every sports fan in this part of the country. But riddle me this: Why is it that collegiate athletics is tax exempt?

The events that have played out in the Big 12 over the last few weeks have made it very clear that college athletics is all about money. The grand arguments about student athletes simply do not ring true. There are athletes. There are students. There are also athletes that are students. And make no mistake about it, in the revenue generating sports like football and basketball, those young men and women are athletes first and students second.

Universities argue that the revenue generated from sports is used to “improve education.” That is a nice theory; however, the reality of the situation is that universities do not provide a detailed accounting of where the money goes. For instance, it is rumored that the each member of the Big 12 team may receive $17 million per year under the terms of the television deal reached this week. All of that money will be tax free. How much will be used for education? That is the great unknown. To be sure some of the money will go to education, but the vast majority will benefit the each school's athletic department.

The fact that head coaching salary packages are routinely in the seven figure range proves what a big business college athletics has become. That is fine; however, college athletics is a for profit business and it should not be tax exempt. Furthermore, the business should pay its employees (athlete students) for the services they provide. Instead, at even the hint of pay for play, school administrators begin the violated virgins act, and wash the kids out of school.

College sports provide great entertainment. As consumers of that entertainment, it is time that we pull our heads out of the sand and stop pretending that it is anything less than professional in nature. Pay the coaches, pay the kids, tax the profits and allow the universities to reap the monetary rewards. The various tournaments and bowls will still go on and the audience will not be diminished.

In the alternative, if taxing the profit makes you uneasy, force the universities to disclose, to the penny, the gross revenue generated by athletic programs and require that forty percent of the gross revenue be used to fund programs wholly unrelated to athletics. Given the track record of college athletics, an annual accounting of where the revenue that is not be swallowed up by the athletic departments is used will be required. Education will benefit and athletics will not be adversely impacted.

If you are still uneasy about taxing athletics consider this: If the government can tax your estate after you die at 55% starting in 2011, college athletics should also pay up. It is a matter of fairness. In fact, the Fair Tax could resolve all of these issues and more--but that is a column for another day.

(Independent Russ Purvis can be reached at russp842@yahoo.com)

RADICAL ISLAM IS THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM

Posted 6/11/10

"Israel is the very embodiment of Jewish continuity: It is the only nation on earth that inhabits the same land, bears the same name, speaks the same language, and worships the same God that it did 3,000 years ago. You dig the soil and you find pottery from Davidic times, coins from Bar Kokhba, and 2,000-year-old scrolls written in a script remarkably like the one that today advertises ice cream at the corner candy store." Charles Krauthammer, The Weekly Standard, May 11, 1998.

“Get the hell out of Palestine.” Helen Thomas, internet interview, May 27, 2010.

Those two points of view go to the very heart of the Arab/Israeli problem, and demonstrate why Israel must not cave to international pressure as it relates to its blockade of Gaza.

Whether the other middle eastern nations, or the rest of the planet for that matter, like it or not, Israel is a sovereign nation. As such, Israel has a right, and a duty to its citizens, to protect itself from those, such as Hamas, that wish to overthrow the nation and, once again, drive Israelis out of their homeland. Make no mistake, Hamas is a terrorist organization that, if allowed to do so, will ally itself with Iran and spread its anti-Israel and anti-American message around the globe. As Americans, we should be rooting for Israel to succeed in not only containing, but in destroying Hamas. We should be cheering Israel's grit and determination. Instead, our government is wringing its hands over the fact that a few blockade runners were killed, when the entire situation could have been avoided if those attempting to run the blockade would have docked when and where Israel told them to do so. It is called the assumption of risk: If you intentionally put your safety in peril, you assume the risk that you might die.

The idea of a separate Palestinian state is a farce. The Arab nations in the region want nothing less than Israel's destruction. For Israel to survive it must draw a hard line. If the United States is to be successful in its attempts to thwart terrorism aimed at destroying the American way of life, a similar line must be drawn.

Our government can start by acknowledging the obvious: radical Islam is the root of the problem. Islam is a religion. Radical Islam is not. It is simply a group of terrorists bent on accumulating power by any means necessary. By wrapping themselves in the garb of religion, these terrorists seek to accomplish two things: First, to receive some small bit of legitimacy; and, second, use our concept of freedom of religion in an attempt to operate freely within the boundaries of our nation.

The government and the military also need to rethink the Afghanistan strategy. An occupying force will never destroy the threat that exists. Supporting those that will expose, kill and refuse to provide safe harbor to the terrorists makes more sense. Combine that effort with the use of surgical, military strikes on known terrorists, and terrorist sympathizers, and the impact will be large. This action may not lead to the development the type of democracy that exists in the United States. However, the preservation of our way of life is paramount. Our freedom requires us to severely punish those that threaten it.

(Email Russ at russp842@yahoo.com)

LET'S ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR OWN LIVES

Posted 6/4/10

Not sustainable. Those words have been tossed around a great deal recently when referring to the ever-expanding U.S. deficit. Even President Obama has stated that we cannot just keep borrowing from China. However, actions speak louder than words, and Obama's actions show no sign of giving up on big deficits. But the large deficit is only a symptom of an underlying problem as a nation, the United States is not sustainable unless dramatic changes are made relating to the role of government and the public's expectations relating to government.

We, as a people, have simply lost our way. It is easy to blame the politicians and “big business” for our nation's current predicament. And, while it is true that both government and business interests were complicit in creating the mess, they represent only two legs of a three legged stool. As citizens we must stand up and take responsibility for our part in allowing ourselves to get to this point.

Our short attention span, no responsibility, give it to me exactly as I want it and give it to me now culture is as much to blame as any corporation or government program. This point was brought home to me by a recent article in the New York Times about people that have decided to quit paying their mortgages, yet remain in their homes until they are forced to move. These are people that voluntarily entered into a financial agreement, have now decided not to pay it, but feel entitled to remain in the home they cannot afford.

One person discussed in the article is Alex Pemberton. Mr. Pemberton lives in Florida and is not paying his mortgage. His home is in foreclosure; however, that process can take over a year in Florida. Mr. Pemberton knows he owes the debt but has hired a lawyer to slow down the process. According to the article, “Foreclosure has allowed them (Pemberton and his family) to stabilize the family business. Go to Outback occasionally for a steak. Take their gas-guzzling airboat out for the weekend. Visit the Hard Rock Casino.” I submit to you that anyone that has allowed his or her economic condition to get to the point that the family home is in foreclosure should not be eating out, boating or gambling. In fact, the boat should have been sold long ago.

Pemberton's home is worth less than what is owed. According to the article, “Pemberton and his wife refinanced at the height of the market, taking out cash to buy a truck they used as a contest prize for their hired animal trappers.” I know, truth is stranger than fiction, and you and I are subsidizing this stupidity every time a lender raises a fee or rate.

In Pemberton's mind this is not his problem. Pemberton believes that the loan was a “stupid move” by the lender. He is also quoted in the article as stating that “they (the lender) went outside their own guidelines on debt to income. And when they did, they put themselves in jeopardy.” Unfortunately, Pemberton is not a unique individual. Across this country there are millions of Pembertons, each refusing to accept responsibility for millions of different actions, both large and small. It is exactly this lack of personal responsibility that has moved our nation so close to becoming Greece.

If this nation is to survive all of us must first accept responsibility for our own lives. We then must elect leaders that will curtail the role of government by radically reducing it in both size and scope. The free market should not be toyed with. It is a simple remedy that for many may be a bitter pill to swallow.

(Reach Russ Purvis at russp842@yahoo.com)

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