Posts in "DownsizeDC.org"

By Andrew Sharp at 5:20PM

Jan 18, 2011

Hands off the internet!

Downsize DC, one of YAL's partner organizations, launched a new campaign today called "Hands off the internet" to help people tell their representatives that the last thing they should be doing is regulating the web.

Using their "Educate the Powerful System," you can quickly and easily send a message to your Representative and both Senators about the importance of a free and unregulated internet. This issue is of the utmost importance, not just because the internet is such an amazing tool for liberty, but because it has been under attack more than ever recently.

You can use Downsize DC's system to tell your representatives to protect...

Your emails and web activities from warrantless spying
Your right to contract with the Internet Service Provider of your choice
Your right to speak and publish freely on the Internet, including your right to be anonymous so as to protect yourself from majoritarian oppression

...and many other issues that relate to keeping the internet free.

Also check out Downsize DC's other great initiatives.

Posted in:

Add new comment

By Emily O'Neill at 3:47PM

Dec 6, 2010

73 Senators Violate Their Oath to the Constitution

Although Congressmen violating their oath to the Constitution isn't exactly news, their most recent efforts to do so should be noted.

The Food Safety Bill, S.510, includes new taxes. According the Constitution, all tax bills must originate in the House. Thus, the 73 Senators that voted for the bill violated their oath. Follow this link to find out which Senators voted for the bill.

Read the full article here.

If you wish to hold politicians accountable, visit this page on downsizedc.org and join the fight for the Read the Bills Act (RTBA).

The RTBA would require:

All bills that come to a vote to be read before a quorum in each chamber
That bills be posted online, in their final form, seven days before a final vote

Let's make sure that our Congressmen are reading the bills they vote on.

Posted in:

2 comments

By Rachel Kania at 4:55PM

Feb 8, 2010

Free Competition in Currency Act

Ron Paul recently introduced the Free Competition in Currency Act which has three parts as follows.

Courtesy of DownsizeDC.org:

The Honest Money portion would repeal the legal tender law, which gives the Federal Reserve a monopoly over the money supply.
The Competitive Currency section would repeal the words of Title 18 Section 489 of the U.S. Code, which gives the United States government a monopoly over the creation of coins for use as currency.
The Tax-Free Gold component of the bill would prohibit federal and state taxes, such as capital gains, on precious metal coins and bullion.

If you are new to the idea of competing currencies, then read more here.

Any power a government arrogates to itself, it is loathe to give back
to the people. Just as we have gone from a constitutionally-instituted
national defense consisting of a limited army and navy bolstered by
militias and letters of marque and reprisal, we have moved from a
system of competing currencies to a government-instituted banking
cartel that monopolizes the issuance of currency. -- Ron Paul

Posted in:

Add new comment

By Rachel Kania at 3:20PM

Dec 29, 2009

The Enumerated Powers Act

The Enumerated Powers Act would require that all bills introduced into Congress must state their constitutional authority. This bill has been around since 1997, however, the bill has been reintroduced by John Shadegg and now has 56 co-sponors in the House and 22 in the Senate.

Read the entire bill here.

This bill is gaining momentum in a time when government-run health care most likely will become a reality. DownsizeDC.org explains:

Congress asserts it can compel Americans to purchase health insurance
because NOT purchasing health insurance impacts interstate commerce.
But for decades Congress has allowed states to bar their residents
from purchasing health insurance from another state. Which means Congress never previously believed that the purchase (or non-purchase) of health insurance was interstate commerce.The decision to NOT purchase a good or service is NOT commerce, let alone interstate commerce. But under the absurd logic of this bill, if I choose to take a nap rather than go to a movie, I'm engaging in "commerce" and Congress cancompel me to either go to the movie or pay a tax penalty.