Posted on 05/04/2003 4:04:16 AM PDT by OXENinFLA
The idea of the Free State Project is not to get a two senators out of 100, arguably we already have at least two conservatives in the Senate. The idea is to use elections to move one state's internal policies towards a simpler, smaller and lower cost form of government. This would be more in line with what many believe the founders intended and the Constitution calls for.
Thus the focus would be on the elimination of unneeded state laws, regulations, bureacrats, programs, fees and taxes.
Things might get interesting when the State government began asserting itself under the 10th Ammendment.
"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."
This ammendment, tortured Supreme Court interpretations of the commerce clause notwithstanding, is violated every day by the federal govenment. Only a State has the standing to challenge this. Wyoming has already told Federal alphabet soup 'law enforcement' agencies they may only operate with the knowledge and agreement of the local sheriff.
I don't think an early emphasis will be on ending all drug and prostitution laws. I think ending welfare is a much more likely first action, and gun control. Most gun laws are federal, and the feds are quite willing to enforce them for cities that don't want to do it themselves. (As cases in Santa Cruz and elsewhere have shown.)
Your corret, that state has not been chosen. The bylaws allow for that when 5,000 people join. Right now there are about 3,500. The move begins when 20,000 people sign up. That's the plan. I have no idea if it will work or not, but at least its trying something new.
Voting Republican is a holding action, at best. Look at the creepy-crawly on Socialized medicine. The R's led by Newt went full bore to defeat it in '92 and rode it to victory. But then went ahead and passed a bunch of it anyway in the Congress they controlled. Bush himself toys with a prescription drug 'right' that he may choose to establish if his pollsters tell him he should.
What ever its failing the Free State Project is at least a new idea on how to slow, stop and reverse the slide to Socialism. My effective tax rate is about 55% and always going up. You got a better plan to reverse the slide I'd love to hear it. Hell, I might sign on the help.
Because they aren't trying to do this to change the country but to change a state which they want to live in. Then if it goes well other states might look to it as an example.
Having little political power in D.C. doesn't matter as much if your not couinting on D.C. to deliver the pork.
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