The Liberty amendment is a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution which would put an end to the Government engaging in business enterprises that are not constitutionally authorized. Getting the Government out of these businesses, returning them to State jurisdiction and private taxpaying enterprise, would cut the cost of Government more than half, and thereby end the need for the Federal individual income tax, which would be repealed.
Its text is as follows:
Sec. 1. The Government of the United States shall not engage in any business, professional, commercial, financial or industrial enterprise except as specified in the Constitution.
Sec. 2. The constitution or laws of any State, or the laws of the United States shall not be subject to the terms of any foreign or domestic agreement which would abrogate this amendment.
Sec. 3. The activities of the United States Government which violate the intent and purpose of this amendment shall, within a period of three years from the date of the ratification of this amendment, be liquidated and the properties and facilities affected shall be sold.
Sec. 4. Three years after the ratification of this amendment the sixteenth article of amendments to the Constitution of the United States shall stand repealed and thereafter Congress shall not levy taxes on personal incomes, estates, and/or gifts.
"While we are all distracted by Donald Trump's tweets, the network that Charles Koch is funding, groups like The American Legislative Exchange Council have been lining up authorizations for a constitutional convention. They now have 28 of the 34 authorizations to call for the first ever Article 5 constitution convention since our constitution was crafted. They have ten 'liberty' amendments teed up and ready to go!" —Nancy Maclean
Sec. 1. The Government of the United States shall not engage in any business, professional, commercial, financial or industrial enterprise except as specified in the Constitution.
This clause will cut the cost of Government in half, making possible the repeal of the 16th—income tax— amendment, cut the national debt tremendously, get us back to a balanced budget and stop inflation.
2. "Just what are some of the businesses the Government is in? Name a few. "
Some of the larger are the Commodity Credit Corporation, a loan company; the Tennessee Valley Authority, a gigantic producer and distributor of electric power and fertilizer; and the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, an intrusion into the Insurance field. The book, "Where the Money Went," by Willis Stone, gives the details of these and many more and lists over 500 others.
3 . "But how about all those people who will lose their jobs if the Liberty amendment is adopted?"
Employees of Government businesses that are bought will be better off than before because under private ownership and management the business will prosper. This happened in the case of the General Aniline & Film Co.—now the GAF—and others already sold. Employees of Government businesses with no valid economic purpose, will probably have to look for other jobs, but if they want work they will have no problems. When people have money now taken by the income tax, their increased purchasing power will expand all kinds of business which will create a great need for more employees. There will be more jobs than people to fill them.
4. "How would you get the Government out of these businesses? Who would buy them?" *
These business enterprises would be bought by people who want to invest their money, just as other businesses are bought and sold. In 1965 the General Aniline & Film Co., which the Government seized at the beginning of World War II, was sold as a stock corporation. The shares were offered on the open market, and in 1 day 11 million shares of stock were bought for more than $300 million.
A few years earlier the Inland Waterways Corp. was sold in a matter of days for $11 million, although its book value at the time was only slightly over $3 million.
Any businesses that have a valid economic reason for existing would be salable. Those which are economically unsound and guaranteed money losers would be liquidated through the sales of their assets. The proceeds of these sales would reduce our national debt by approximately 25 percent.
5 . How can Government get along if the income tax is repealed? What will they do for money?" * The latest Federal budget shows that individual income taxes supply only 42 percent of the Federal revenue; the rest comes from other sources. There is ample documentation to prove that getting the Federal Government out of these unauthorized businesses would cut the cost of Government at least 50 percent, while revenue is reduced only 42 percent, would give a surplus of 8 percent.
This libertarian dream doesn't have a chance. It would be unconstitutional because the US Constitution gives Congress the power to regulate corporations in the Commerce Clause.
For decades ALEC has been pushing for the culmination of Supply Side Economics and Citizens United to deliver on an 'egalitarian concept' pertaining only to wealth, the holders of wealth and the acquisition of wealth.
For those who do not believe a Russian style oligarchy can come to the shores of America, they are gravely mistaken.
Libertarian thought? Laughable. Nuclear tipped nations can not have a society of 'blacksmiths, shopkeepers and farmers' and maintain their nation or freedoms.
There are ideologies, policies, principles, and so-called, "amendments" which sound better in theory than they can operate in practice! Some conservatives once again are putting up a larger-than-life banner saying: " TRUST US."
Nope! Liberals simply can not participate in this amendment:
Some Conservatives are seeking to lock liberals out of the 'life' we richly deserve (like anybody else).
How can liberals put trust in a political party which values or chooses to overlook its presidential representative who with forethought is a liar every day to the citizenry?
No one, including its proponents, imagines that this kind of claptrap has any chance of becoming law. That isn't its purpose.
This stuff is meant to shift the goalposts. If its instigators can generate a bit of discussion (other than laughter), then the topic moves onto the national scene. It becomes legitimate.
Interesting push-back against this drive to a constitutional convention coming from you, Bob and Epistte. I am definitely open to reading more commentary on this one. It could not be as serious as first blush.
What? Is there no interests in what the conservatives are up to? They are attempting to setup the first ever Article 5 constitution convention since our constitution was crafted, people! Hint: No good is going to come out of it for you!
I don't believe there is a chance in hell of it passing/becoming a law. But, that isn't the goal IMO...Just get it out there with some discussion so the next time it will have some legitimacy.
Hi Kavika! As Nancy MacLean states up above in the short video: there is a "long-play" at work here to get Koch-supported Judge Brett Michael Kavanaugh appointed to the Supreme Court and then make "changes in the Constitution so radical, as to be called a "constitution revolution."
NT should listen to Ms. MacLean above in her own words.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The Liberty amendment is a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution which would put an end to the Government engaging in business enterprises that are not constitutionally authorized. Getting the Government out of these businesses, returning them to State jurisdiction and private taxpaying enterprise, would cut the cost of Government more than half, and thereby end the need for the Federal individual income tax, which would be repealed.
Its text is as follows:
groups like The American Legislative Exchange Council have been lining up authorizations for a constitutional convention.
They now have 28 of the 34 authorizations to call for the first ever Article 5 constitution convention since our constitution was crafted.
They have ten 'liberty' amendments teed up and ready to go!"
—Nancy Maclean
*
The first section provides:
Sec. 1. The Government of the United States shall not engage in any business, professional, commercial, financial or industrial enterprise except as specified in the Constitution.
This clause will cut the cost of Government in half, making possible the repeal of the 16th—income tax— amendment, cut the national debt tremendously, get us back to a balanced budget and stop inflation.
*
2. "Just what are some of the businesses the Government is in? Name a few. "
Some of the larger are the Commodity Credit Corporation, a loan company; the Tennessee Valley Authority, a gigantic producer and distributor of electric power and fertilizer; and the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, an intrusion into the Insurance field. The book, "Where the Money Went," by Willis Stone, gives the details of these and many more and lists over 500 others.
*
3 . "But how about all those people who will lose their jobs if the Liberty amendment is adopted?"
Employees of Government businesses that are bought will be better off than before because under private ownership and management the business will prosper. This happened in the case of the General Aniline & Film Co.—now the GAF—and others already sold. Employees of Government businesses with no valid economic purpose, will probably have to look for other jobs, but if they want work they will have no problems. When people have money now taken by the income tax, their increased purchasing power will expand all kinds of business which will create a great need for more employees. There will be more jobs than people to fill them.
*
4. "How would you get the Government out of these businesses? Who would buy them?" *
These business enterprises would be bought by people who want to invest their money, just as other businesses are bought and sold. In 1965 the General Aniline & Film Co., which the Government seized at the beginning of World War II, was sold as a stock corporation. The shares were offered on the open market, and in 1 day 11 million shares of stock were bought for more than $300 million.
A few years earlier the Inland Waterways Corp. was sold in a matter of days for $11 million, although its book value at the time was only slightly over $3 million.
Any businesses that have a valid economic reason for existing would be salable. Those which are economically unsound and guaranteed money losers would be liquidated through the sales of their assets. The proceeds of these sales would reduce our national debt by approximately 25 percent.
*
5 . How can Government get along if the income tax is repealed? What will they do for money?" * The latest Federal budget shows that individual income taxes supply only 42 percent of the Federal revenue; the rest comes from other sources. There is ample documentation to prove that getting the Federal Government out of these unauthorized businesses would cut the cost of Government at least 50 percent, while revenue is reduced only 42 percent, would give a surplus of 8 percent.
*
This libertarian dream doesn't have a chance. It would be unconstitutional because the US Constitution gives Congress the power to regulate corporations in the Commerce Clause.
We would become slaves to corporations.
Can you elaborate, please? (Smile.)
"Stupid is, as stupid does"...
For decades ALEC has been pushing for the culmination of Supply Side Economics and Citizens United to deliver on an 'egalitarian concept' pertaining only to wealth, the holders of wealth and the acquisition of wealth.
For those who do not believe a Russian style oligarchy can come to the shores of America, they are gravely mistaken.
Libertarian thought? Laughable. Nuclear tipped nations can not have a society of 'blacksmiths, shopkeepers and farmers' and maintain their nation or freedoms.
There are ideologies, policies, principles, and so-called, "amendments" which sound better in theory than they can operate in practice! Some conservatives once again are putting up a larger-than-life banner saying: " TRUST US."
Nope! Liberals simply can not participate in this amendment:
No one, including its proponents, imagines that this kind of claptrap has any chance of becoming law. That isn't its purpose.
This stuff is meant to shift the goalposts. If its instigators can generate a bit of discussion (other than laughter), then the topic moves onto the national scene. It becomes legitimate.
The conservatives are indeed playing a long game.
Interesting push-back against this drive to a constitutional convention coming from you, Bob and Epistte. I am definitely open to reading more commentary on this one. It could not be as serious as first blush.
I covet your perspectives.
What? Is there no interests in what the conservatives are up to? They are attempting to setup the first ever Article 5 constitution convention since our constitution was crafted, people! Hint: No good is going to come out of it for you!
I don't believe there is a chance in hell of it passing/becoming a law. But, that isn't the goal IMO...Just get it out there with some discussion so the next time it will have some legitimacy.
Hi Kavika! As Nancy MacLean states up above in the short video: there is a "long-play" at work here to get Koch-supported Judge Brett Michael Kavanaugh appointed to the Supreme Court and then make "changes in the Constitution so radical, as to be called a "constitution revolution."
NT should listen to Ms. MacLean above in her own words.
Where are NT conservative "patriots" today? This is an issue close to conservatives hearts and not a peep. Hmm, light exposure is good disinfectant.