Against a Balanced Budget Amendment - Come Again?

The American Thinker ^ | May 16, 2011 | J. Robert Smith

[Scanian]

So, let's see a show of hands. Who really trusts politicians to do the right thing rather than the self-serving thing? Precisely. An argument being made by a scattering of conservatives against a constitutional amendment mandating a balanced budget is that there's no need to make any fundamental structural changes to the process of government in Washington; electing right-thinking Congressmen who respect the Constitution as is should suffice in restoring fiscal sanity and limited government. Good luck.

The argument that the nation can return to the Promised Land of limited government and fiscal prudence by just sending a better caliber of politician to Washington is a tad fanciful, akin to Model U.N. believing. Model U.N.s are staples of high schools and colleges; they're what students learn the U.N. should be like, rather than what the U.N. is - a nest of vipers, rogues, and the terminally greedy. Sure, it would be splendid if the U.N. was one big, sustained Kumbaya, just like the propaganda claims. But hard reality is hard reality.

That's not to say that U.S. Representatives and Senators are vipers, rogues, and greedy - well, not all of them, anyway. But to rely mainly on Congress, which is composed of men and women who, generally speaking, are parochial and self-obsessed, to legislate the national government into boundaries that more closely approximate the pre-FDR era is a reach.

[napscoordinator]

That worked wonders in the grand ole 90’s. That sure didn’t last long though. As soon as President Bush was in the Presidency that was over. He had a Republican House and Senate too......such a shame that we did not pay attention to this topic then.

[Savage Beast]

"Who really trusts politicians to do the right thing rather than the self-serving thing?"

WHAT!!!

Did you see that???

MILLIONS of American hands went up!

[Zeddicus]

I get the point, but there really is no need for a balanced budget Constitutional amendment. All they have to do is stop raising the debt ceiling, and budget is balanced instantly simply by virtue of the inability to borrow any more money.

House Republicans can balance the budget right now all on their own, and there wouldn’t be a damn thing the Democrats, the Senate, or Obama, could do about it. All they have to do is not pass another increase to the debt ceiling.

[MontaniSemperLiberi]

I’m against a BBA.

Congress can balance the budget any day it wants. Our founders gave us a perfectly fine constitution.

Congress will take advantage of every exception in the BBA to fail. We’ll find ourselves in a permanent Declaration of War, for instance.

The USSC would be inserted into the budget precess.

etc. etc.

[HarleyD]

While a balance budget amendment is the right thing to do, if the Republicans raise the debt ceiling in exchange for a balance budget amendment, they will fall for a trap. An amendment must be ratify by the states over the next 10 years, many states who can't even balance their own budgets. Does anyone expect states like California, Illinois, or New York to ratify the amendment?

The only thing that will hold the Democrats feet to the fire is the debt ceiling. Pass the amendment but one hopes the Republicans don't give in to gimmicks. However, nothing is surprising anymore.

[LibLieSlayer]

Refusing to raise the debt limit will have the same effect, with a lot less work... JUST SAY NO BOEHNER!

LLS

[Freedom4US]

A balanced budget is all very well but doesn’t preclude government from raising taxation to absurd levels. In that sense it may do more harm than good.

[newzjunkey]

Congress will take advantage of every exception in the BBA to fail.

Exactly why a BBA is useless. We've seen them at the state level. CA has one and can't find a balanced budget with both hands and a guide dog!

[Logic n' Reason]

Would someone here please post a link to the actual Republican Party platform planks? Or...if they have the actual facts, simple present them here.
I’ve looked all over the place and cannot find them.

Oh...I’ve seen lots and lots of opinion on what they “are” or at least should be, but I’ve never seen the actual Party Platform list.

Thanks....in advance

[newzjunkey]

Does anyone expect states like California, Illinois, or New York to ratify the amendment?

They all have their own BBA at the state level. However, Keynesian economists blame them for causing the recession to be deeper because they prevented borrowing to stimulate the economy.

In light of Porkulus and Obamanomics, I think it's fair to say a BBA isn't going to happen. The Keynesians are deeply entrenched. They simply won't allow it.

[newzjunkey]

Here's the 2008 Platform

[Logic n' Reason]

Thank you!!

[DJ MacWoW]

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