Posted on 01/02/2005 12:44:40 PM PST by freepatriot32
Republicans have given up the pretense that their party is the party of small government.
One of the most misunderstood parts of Hoosier culture is that Hoosiers are reluctant of change of any kind, State Rep. Luke Messer told Brian Howey, publisher of Indianapolis Eye News, in an article that identifies an undercurrent in Indiana to have a constitutional convention.
If we have a strong leader, Hoosiers are willing to step up and make big changes. Bob Knight and Larry Bird were pretty big figures in Hoosier culture and they have been willing to make big changes. What we want is better government, not less government. If we can make the sell that this is a way to provide better, more streamlined service at a better cost, thats a win-win.
Its not a win-win if government remains huge, expensive and intrusive, no matter how streamlined or efficient it may be.
Government has no business demanding that property owners meet their urban-planning whims.
Government has no business picking the pockets of hard-working citizens so the money can be placed in the pockets of others who are more politically useful.
Government has no business forcing entrepreneurs to jump through one hoop after another that have nothing to do with their core businesses and everything to do with appeasing constituencies and guaranteeing employment for bureaucrats.
While Libertarians agree with Howeys contention that Indiana must eliminate layers of government, we question the wisdom of entrusting formation of a new constitution to our spineless legislature.
This is the same gang who couldnt shoot straight when it came to property taxes. There were a number of answers that were easy to come up with reduce spending so taxes wouldnt need to be so high or eliminate property taxation were the simplest but they were not easy politically.
Easy political solutions are all this bunch could ever hope concoct, and such a premise makes a poor groundwork for a constitution.
More like gop admits small goverment was NEVER its driving force raw political power acheived by what ever means neccesary was
Libertarian ping for you.
If anyone wants on or off my libertarian ping list let m e know.

Take it for whatever it's worth.

I've been a pub to defeat the dems. As they morph into dems, I wil be more libertarian. My ultimate goal is minimal government and maximum freedom.
"What we want is better government, not less government."
speak for yourself Mr Messer
Bears repeating.
I wonder if Rove believes this is more acceptable because the average of Americans is growing older (and would enjoy more benefits) ?
why did the topics in this post get erased?
Illegal immigration reform and securing the borders sure don't seem to be among the GOP's priorities, either. If we spent 1/4th of the money on guarding our borders as we did guarding Europe's borders during the cold war, it wouldn't be near the problem it is today.
Remember the Government that governs least governs best. Especially in Indiana where we fight for our basketball in Detriot. (sarcasam) Please don't beat me for this. No cup of ice, beer, etc. I will stay on the playing floor.
oops my post number 8 was suppose to go to you to
Press release from LP of Indiana: doesn't rate frontpage, editorial, and extended news.
So State Rep. Luke Messer is the entire GOP? Or is he an individual with an opinion?
I don't want the government to be more effective, I find the idea frightening
Does the GOP think we just figured this out?
""Press release from LP of Indiana: doesn't rate frontpage, editorial, and extended news"".
Better send this to the smokey back room where it wont be seen at all.
Are you saying or implying government/government spending, and government control has grown smaller in the past 4 years?
This government has expanded more under this Admin. than any Dem. since Roosevelt could have ever dreamed.
Joe you are an anti-Bush troll, who spasmodically posts to any anti-Bush, anti-Gop post.
Pssst, Joe, the Libertarians are for no borders and hold the oil companies and business in high esteem, while you hold them in contempt.
Ironically, you never criticize the Libertarians on their nutty love of hallucenogenic drugs.
JMO, you should change your screen name to Joe Spaz.
I'm neither saying nor implying anything whatsoever to you, Joe Hadenuf. Nothing at all.
Good day to you.

Joe you are an anti-Bush trol
Just to document this as the first name calling and personal attacks on this thread.
Done.
LOL, on a website promoting smaller government, posts that promote smaller government are moved to the backwoods forum.
Who is this mythical person they talked to who represents the ENTIRE GOP?????????
Is most of the problem that too many people want BIG for me, small for that guy behind the tree?
Excuse me,(hmmhmm) IMO, you are an anti-Bush troll, everybody is entitled to their opinion and also entitled to praise or criticism of that opinion.
BTW, Joe I hear crickets about the Libertarians open border(no fences or checks at all) policy from you.
Are you saying or implying government/government spending, and government control has grown smaller in the past 4 years?
no, and I blame 9/11 for most of that- we would still be in a surplus if not for that. W would not have gone back into deficit spending if he didnt have to
That said, we do neet to get on their case about reducing govt- Republicans control everything now- we need to do it now or never.
Nice bit of reverse psych. I've moved this to breaking news, for your adoring public.
I think somebody needs a time out.
Sorry, dude. I didn't know. Please don't hurt me.
Put it where you wish, but breaking news it's not. Most everyone knows this government only grows larger by the day. It's old news my friend.
IMO, from one who knows.
read later...agreed on premise that limited gov't may never have been its driving force. 'Course they're not quite out and out socialists like the Dems, since I believe some Republican politicians may still believe in free enterprise, to some extent at least.
lol i noticed that and growing larger by the minute
Dane can you stop the personal attacks just for a while? Is it possible for you to just address the article or subject of the thread?
Could you stop acting like hillary, and answer the question, of why you are silent about the Libertarian Party's no border stance.
Government is not the solution to our problem,
government is the problem.- Ronald Reagan
Ed Gillespie?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/979119/posts
Not breaking news, that much is certain.
Would you post a press release from the Democrats? This is a press release from the LP. Not newsworthy.
Not breaking news, that much is certain.
Would you post a press release from the Democrats? This is a press release from the LP. Not newsworthy.
Less government is better government.
so true...you might be interested in this post from earlier: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1312551/posts
never mind: just realized my mistake.
going to bed early tonight : )
My recommendation is to give no more money to the Republican party. Give money to the Club For Growth.
http://www.clubforgrowth.org/why.php
"For 30 years economic conservatives and libertarians labored mightily to wrestle control of Congress away from a Democratic Party that has been mostly captured by the left at the national level. Most of us believed that electing a Republican Congress would bring about the kinds of major policy reformstax cuts, fundamental tax reform and simplification, school choice, less wasteful government, and so onthat are so critical to advancing prosperity.
We now know that was a naive hope.
Too many Congressional Republicans have veered away from the limited government agenda that got them elected to the majority in Congress. They enacted budget deals with Bill Clinton that betrayed our limited government beliefs. They have approved pork-barrel highway bills worse than what the Democrats used to give us. They have dropped the ball on making tax cuts permanent, tax reform, and personal investment of Social Security.
The lesson we should derive from this disappointing performance is this: until we as citizens convert one or both of the major political parties over to our pro-growth policy ideas, it is unlikely that we are going to be able to advance our agenda successfully in Congress.
The Club for Growth is designed to help our members better target their campaign contributionsto help elect candidates who are reliable on the issues that we care about.
Through our extensive research on incumbents in Congress and the field of challengers, the Club assists our members in identifying which candidates are worth giving contributions toand which are not. We provide a "seal of approval" for our members so they can feel confident that when they make a campaign contribution they are helping elect candidates committed to the right set of ideas.
Today, there are at most some 50 members of the House and roughly 15 members of the Senate who are truly dedicated to prosperity and limited government. The goal of the Club for Growth is to double and even triple those numbers within the next ten years. Only by achieving that objective are we likely to achieve policy victories in the pro-growth agenda, such as tax cuts and other smaller government issues."
Ditto.
This is not so much admitting as much as acknowledging reality. One giant DUH moment for the GOP.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.