A Winning 2010 Issue: I’m Not Paying For That
by Myrna SokoloffEven the Democrats finally have admitted that Republicans may pick up 25-30 seats in the 2010 Congressional elections. People are angry. We need a creative way of harnessing that anger and giving the voters a weapon to fight the Left’s agenda for the rest of the President’s term.
Obama won in 2008 with 53% of the vote. The President felt he had a mandate to enact his legislative programs. But a lot of those independents and moderates who voted for him are having buyer’s remorse. It is clear that the President is far to the left of the average American. The Van Jones episode should make that obvious. It is not that Van Jones slipped through the vetting process and no one knew his true views. Van Jones represents the views of the administration. Van Jones is Obama. They just didn’t want the average American voter to find out about it.
The President also tried to hide his real agenda in health care-the government single payer system. But it didn’t work. According to Rasmussen, ObamaCare, is opposed by 53% of the people. Only 43% support it. However with old fashioned arm twisting, an unpopular bill like ObamaCare can still pass a Democrat Congress. According to Rasmussen, 57% of the people would like to replace this Congress! But that doesn’t matter to ideologues on the Left. They want their agenda passed even if the public is against it. Once a bill is enacted, it is difficult to dismantle the structure. There must be a remedy for this.
We elect a President every four years but we pay taxes every year. I propose that we create a Check-Off on our Federal Tax Form like the Presidential Campaign Fund. Every year all the bills signed by the President would be listed and we could check off if we want our tax money to go towards it. If our IRS Form listed ObamaCare, Cap and Trade, Stimulus, Auto Bailouts, TARP, how much money do you think these programs would be able to spend if we had a say in it?
It took Congressional legislation to create the Presidential Campaign Fund Check-Off. There is precedent. States use this type of check off on their tax returns to raise money for a many charitable and social causes. Some states have programs to fund the Olympics, veterans, disease research, prevention of child abuse and senior programs. California, of course, has a check off for sea otters. Many people don’t care about sea otters and don’t want their money spent on them. But those who care, can check it off. That’s fair!
States have many ways to differentiate between political and charitable check offs and how it affects the taxpayer’s liability or refund. But in the end it is all political since even charities have to lobby the legislature to be included on the tax form.
There will be constitutional issues involved. We are a republic not a democracy. Congress has the right to appropriate money. However it has already been adapted for the purpose of the Presidential Campaign Fund by legislation. Maybe it could be triggered by the gap between what a President won by and support for a bill. If there is a 10% gap in support for a bill like ObamaCare then we have the right to the Check Off on our next tax return. There must be a way of doing this.
This would give us a yearly “vote of confidence or no-confidence” in Presidential leadership.
Of course the Democratic Congress will never enact this. They don’t want to give all of those angry people power. But Republicans can make it an issue in the 2010 campaign. “Do you support the Check Off?” could be the question to everyone who is running for Congress. Considering the inversion of the poll numbers we could call it the 53% solution!
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47 Comments
"But that doesn’t matter to ideologues on the Left. They want their agenda passed even if the public is against it."
isn't it, at least, partially disingenuous to suggest that only politicians from "the left", according to your characterization, work toward a specific agenda? If republicans, greens, libertarians, etc, DON'T have agendas, i'm curious as to why they belong to a party at all.
They might go for it, if you put the qualifier of: Do you live in a Red State or Blue State?
When it comes to Obama, Pelosi, and Reid, I want my money back.
The great idiot is on 60 Minutes tonight, and apparently he's going right back to blaming Republicans for all his problems.
My concern is that somehow he's going to make that work. I was very pleased seeing his approval rating plummet as people realized what a charlatan he was.
But then he gave another speech, pure boilerplate with nothing new in it, and he's leveled out again.
Are people really this gullible?
even if it is never enacted as legislation "I'm Not Paying For That" would make a great campaign slogan for 2010 congressionals and 2012 presidential election. Basically, nobody gets support who votes for Obamacare, cap and tax or stimulus.
Find a blank spot big enough on your form, and write it in…
That’s easier Jed, more of campaign slogan.
I bet he gets something! All the better to hang it around their necks in 2010.
How about a 3-digit code to earmark $5 from your taxes to the agency of your choice. Pick one: NASA, DARPA, USAF, USMC, Border patrol, HHS or some subgroup of it, ACORN, ABC, just pick the department you like best and slip them a fiver.
Selling this shouldn't be too hard, the marketing info alone would be worth a small fortune.
I don't see this as a winning proposition or something that is a good idea in reality. How many people do you think would have checked the Iraq war after 2006? How about GITMO? We all pay taxes (at some level), and a lot of that money goes to things we don't like. The last thing I'm going to do is complain where my tax money goes. I'm more interested in fighting these proposals before they become law than I am in using the devastation that would follow to win down the road.
The left views their politics as a religion – they have faith their programs will work even though they go against all natural laws of economics. IE: Social Security, Welfare, Medicare…
The Paris Hilton Factor will wear down soon. The Prez has been on TV for 2 years now we just need to slow him down and people soon will stop thinking He's Hot.
They all work toward a specific agenda and just for a little comparison, let me share this with you;
Remember when Reagan won in '84 with something in the neighborhood of 64% of the vote? His acceptance speech was all about earning the trust of those who voted against him – even with a clear mandate, Reagan wanted to reach out to those who disagreed/voted against him -to let them know that while he was going to do just what he set out to do in his platform, he heard them and that he would be careful to listen to and acknowledge their disagreements.
Compare that to Obama with 53% of the vote – his answer to those that voted against him was,"I won".
That is not leadership, that is arrogance and in no way bespeaks anything even remotely looking like leadership. Add to that the 30 some odd czars he has, this is beginning to look like Havana '59.
Yup. The real issue is working to insure that we have an informed electorate. That is the true issue – if we have that, many of us would rest alot easier at night.
So are you saying we should eliminate SS, all welfare (including corporate, I would presume) and Medicare? Do you think Republican politicians should start running on this platform?
Your mistaking an agenda forced upon an unwilling public as a common tool of both parties.
It's not.
Obama is still running against Bush. That is really all he has. He has always expressed him self by what he wants to accomplish like Health Care Reform. To hear him speak it sounds great until you get down to the nuts and bolts. In his life Obama has accomplished very little except looking good. That is his talent, he looks good and he expresses looking good. He really has no idea of how to get things done he has always left those pesky little details to others.
I would have earmarked my ENTIRE tax bill to fund Gitmo. Hell, maybe I could get a gallows endowed in my name.
Yup.
I appreciate the honesty. Good luck finding a politician to go along. They typically like to win their races.
Obama Will Make Illegals "legal residents", Then Give Them Health-Care
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/53814
Section 246 of the health care reform bill: "No Federal Payment for Undocumented Alien" It says, "Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States."
Note the weasel words "lawfully present". Why not just say "citizens"?
The bottom line: Obama intends to enact health-care reform legislation that expressly prohibits giving federal health insurance benefits to illegal aliens. Then he intends to enact “comprehensive immigration reform” that will make illegal aliens into legal residents of the United States thus making them eligible for the new federal health insurance benefits created by his health-care reform bill.
Rep. Mike Rogers Speaks Before Congress
http://usataxpayer.org/Public/joewilson.asp
http://usataxpayer.org/page.asp?Get=obamaillegals
At this stage, Obama attacking Bush is boosting Bush's numbers.
I kinda like the check-off, Myrna. I understand, anything that will help people's preferences to be exhibited and noted, perhaps using the Federal Tax Fund, is an interesting concept. And I sure would like the opportunity to vote "No Confidence' within the year! Sounds just dandy to me. Hussein needs to be stopped in his tracks now!
Anyway, loved your bio, and have got to see An American Carol! Thanks for an interesting article!
BARACK OBAMA IS A RACIST!
Barack Obama hates anyone who is white, loves America, believes in the Constitution, works and pays their own bills, uses fact and logic, reads their Bible, owns a gun, denies marxism, or pledges allegiance to the Flag of the Unites States of America.
Obama Headlines…
http://usataxpayer.org/page.asp?Get=headlines
Those are some headlines. Obama's regime in full swing.. Scary.
I agree with you 110% we need to harness the rightful anger of the populace and focus it but the deeper Obama and the Liberal left shows who they really are the easier this next election will be for us. If Obama uses the Budget reconciliation method to force Obamacare upon us we might not need to work hard at focus at all it will be a rout of epic proportions.
http://middleclasshooligans.wordpress.com/
I agree with you 110% we need to harness the rightful anger of the populace and focus it but the deeper Obama and the Liberal left shows who they really are the easier this next election will be for us. If Obama uses the Budget reconciliation method to force Obamacare upon us we might not need to work hard at focus at all it will be a rout of epic proportions.
http://middleclasshooligans.wordpress.com/
"We need a creative way of harnessing that anger and giving the voters a weapon to fight the Left’s agenda for the rest of the President’s term."
Agreed. How about changing the make-up of the Republican Party and making it more conservative??????
Wishful thinking won't make it happen. Action will.
Want to really "do something"? Become a Republican Party precinct committeeman ("PC"). PCs get to vote for the leadership of the Party and help determine, my majority vote, which candidates get the endorsement of the Party in the Republican primary races. Only takes a few hours of time a month. With half the PC slots in the Party nationwide vacant, and with a fifty-fifty split right now between conservatives and moderate RINOs in the PC ranks, the Party is there for the taking by conservatives/libertarians if we'd all just get off our duffs and get to a meeting of the local GOP and volunteer to become a PC. Want to save your country? Then invigorate the "main enemy" of the Debtocrat/Socialist Party with your presence. Go here and read all three articles.
http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com
(By the way, half of the Party leadership, the moderates, DON'T WANT YOU TO BECOME A PC, BECAUSE THEY AND THEIR RINO CRONIES WILL GET VOTED OUT OF THE LEADERSHIP — THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THIS BASIC CIVICS.)
This should be everyone's first priority. Blogging and carrying a sign at a Tea Party or attending a town hall is great, but unless we have better leadership and candidates in the main adversary party, the Debtocrats will get returned to power. It's all about the Constitution and all about winning the elections. The best way to restore the Constitution and to have better candidates who respect the Constitution is to join the Republican Party at the grass roots and make it happen. It's a numbers game. The more conservatives we have in the Party in the precinct committeemen ranks, the more likely it will be that we'll get better elected leadership within the Party and in the general elections. Michael Steele was elected not by registered Republicans but by the precinct committeemen in all fifty states.
Also, you can go to http://www.redstate.com to learn more, too. Just type in the words precinct and committeeman into the search pane and hit the search button and links to a lot of good info will be presented too you.
Thank you.
Cold Warrior
I am only one. But I am a conservative Republican precinct committeeman and desperately trying to get other Constitution-loving conservatives and libertarians to do the same.
I'd rather have a constitutional amendment that requires every federal program to be reauthorized by congress every ten years, and a 3/5 majority of congress to appropriate funding for same.
That will happen any day now, I'm sure.
Reminds me of Clinton. He only had 40% of the vote and he said he had a "mandate". Liberals always say they have a "Mandate".
campaign winner – I oppose, despise and ignore obama and my opponent votes as obama commands!
Ultimately we need to defund and shutdown many agencies. Federal funding of thousands of shady groups such as ACORN, La Raza, Planned Parenthood and propaganda outlets such as the NEA and NPR needs to cease. Our political prostitutes in DC have become drunk with power and have expanded govt far beyond its Constitutional role. The Govt has no business running auto manufacturers, Amtrak, Citigroup, AIG, etc. The govt does nothing well and needs to be reduced back to its minimal function and the power needs to be restored to the states. The notion that the same inept sellouts in DC that ran the cash for clunkers program are going to run our healthcare system is pure lunacy. The special interest groups, lawyer lobby and unions that the democrat party, including obama, are beholden to have brought this nation to financial ruin.
Revolution 2010: throw out every democrat and rino.
On the next national press conference by Obama Bin Lying — will promise all, unlimited Cheesecake and Ice Cream with no calories for FREE for the whole world — that is illegal aliens and flyover country rubes.
Now that even those who have had their heads up their behinds know how much Pres. Opompous has given to his minions at ACORN, the pure anger over tax dollars being gifted to them is making an impact. ACORN files fraudulent absentee votes in '08 for Pres. Opompous, and he rewards them. The folks are a little slow sometimes…but when they get it….they get it! And thank God they finally got it. Either way, Pres. Opompous is now directly associated with ACORN at the very mention of ACORN….so now ACORN has changed their name (an Opompous tactic). But in this case, it'll never work.
I would have gladly checked both your examples because they are expenditures made according to the duties of the federal government under the Constitution.
Let's prohibit Congress from allocating funds for un-Constitutional purposes….like funding ACORN
I know. And that's the tragedy of it. Big Government is on a ratchet; you can never end a giveaway program, because politicians are what they are.
we should go back to the system of no withholding of taxes and make all Americans file quarterly and have to write the check. It would wake up all Americans, the way it is now it is like having your cable bill charges paid for by your credit card — it is a little less painful than writing out the check yourself every month and thinking about whether all those channels are really worth it.
Wouldn't work, and won't pass. I despise modern liberals and democrats, but I'm not a fan of the GOP either. They'd never go along with something that might tie their hands once they get power back.
Not to mention its a can of worms, once opened, it could never be closed. Can you imagine trying to fund any level of government with taxes dependent upon a menu approach to payments?
Lastly, with American troops under fire in two separate theaters of war, do you want the left to have the authority to leave them short of equipment, troops and funding? Because that's exactly what the left would do with it.
It ain't happening, BUT let's keep talking about it, please. Clearly our politicians of today only know politics. They don't know how to run businesses and banks–why the hell do we let them? Why do we have two parties who are increasingly the same thing? Why can't we get voicing in on the important issues, and just think about them in themselves? Hey, as long as Obama is trying to drive this ship to the socialist bay, why don't we get rid of our old captains too, and steer out to the open sea? How many bad metaphors must I bring up before something changes?
I caught a little bit of his Minneapolis speech on Saturday. What I saw impressed me–though not in a good way. Of course all politicians want to sound confident in their speeches, but Obama sounded so genuinely confident and upbeat while he was talking, even though by this point he has no reason to be. It occurred to me that either he is really badly informed about the mood of the American people, or he is simply determined to force this thing through Congress at any cost. He talked as though conservative opposition out there in the sticks is simply a big speed bump–this after weeks of protests. I just don't think he's going to give up on this, that he will be unwilling to drop the issue until he gets something. He could carry the day on this issue, he might be broken by it, but he's not going to bend, if I am any judge.
Barrack O hates aspirin, because they are white and they work.
It's worse than that…Barack Hussein Obama is the classic example of bait and switch. He made you think he was a moderate (FWIW, I wasn't fooled…I read his books) and his actions reveal him as a Leftist.
But the "I won" statement was more of a "I'm gonna pass stuff you never thought I'd do…and there is NOTHING you can do about it for another 3 1/2 years."
Wanna bet?
The worst of it is that more and more of the money that our government is spending is money that is borrowed from the Chinese (and others). Both parties think that it is fine to borrow in our name knowing full well that our children and their children will be stuck paying it back WITH INTEREST. It's time to send these pirates home. Elect NO incumbents for the next 3 election cycles and we'll have a new congress.
I agree with Des. The founding fathers set up a Republic, not a Direct Democracy. We are suppose to entrust our elected officials to make GOOD decisions, and vote them out if they don't do a good job.
If we gave the power to fund projects to the voting electorate, then we'd be in for a massive blizzard of Spin. Cap and Trade would be called the "Fuzzy Wabbits Fund for a Cleaner Earth Act", and the Auto Bailout would be called "Save American Auto Manufacturing Jobs Now or your a Dork Act".
Besides, if the congress doesn't have time to read the 1000 page bills that come up for vote, I sure as don't.
We can't go so far to put us into a mob rule situation. The best way is to eliminate the representatives that don't represent us.
Check "Rules for Radicals." There is no chapter on how to govern, just rules for agitating from the outside to stop everything.
Nice sentiment and I agree with your approach. The problem is that it will never happen as long as politicians seek to control the funding. Also, don't write it on your Federal tax form unless you want to face prosecution. Federal law prohibits defacing Federal IRS forms as a means to protest or refusal to pay income taxes. Politicians have insured you cannot protest your taxes by refusal to pay or by selection of those items you do not wish to fund unless you want to face the rath of the Federal Government. The only recourse is to legally hide income and that is fading fast with the exertion of control over financial institutions by the Obama administration. The real way is to loudly exersize your dissatisfaction with the current administration as was done this past weekend in D.C. but even that is only a temporary measure because as soon as it's over the politicans go back to business as usual. 2010 could be the real solution but we must find candidates that are trustworthy and can be resistant to corruption once they get in office. That is a very tall order and not every Mr. and Ms. Smith that goes to Washington can be counted on to remain pure.
Why don't we just start a new party called the 'TEA PARTY' that actually stands for less government and less spending and more states rights? And believes in the Constitution.
A three party system with Democratic Party, Republican Party, and the Tea Party.
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