The immature mud slinging that goes on between various political pundits really turns my stomach. Does it win people over calling them names? Does it solidify your base by demonizing others? Or does it just create hysteria in otherwise reasonable people towards their neighbors who might have different political ideas?

Instead of being so divisive, why not discover how you can agree with others? Not everything is left or right. People on both sides agree on a lot of issues. Many Statists on both sides don't mind Big Government if their party is in power, while many Constitutionalists on both sides want limited government regardless of who's in power.

Many Americans are frustrated because they lose no matter who's in power. Whichever side is down stirs their base by condemning the Big Government interventionist policies of the other guys. But when power switches sides, not much changes. The revolving doors of beltway bureaucrats and corporate cronies continues to turn while the American public is pilfered.

I would like Americans to stop arguing and start over. How about talking to someone with different political views about some of the important issues facing America and see if you agree about how both parties' establishments have violated our Constitution and betrayed our trust with:

• Wall Street welfare and a horrendous national debt.
• Centralization of power in the federal government.
• Corporate interests and banks which, through lobbyist influence and vast financial contributions, control our political system.
• The unaccountable Federal Reserve refuses to disclose who is getting trillions of dollars or to give the details of what deals are being made with foreign banks and governments.
• The Surveillance State and endless expansions of federal police powers.
• Washington politicians destroying our economic security.
• Endless wars and bankruptcy-inducing foreign welfare.
  

It's easy to complain about the out-of-control feds, but restoring the correct balance of power to the states will only happen when We the People govern through our citizen legislators. How about talking to your neighbors about some Idaho issues? In the last legislative session there were a number of issues that shouldn't have been left or right:

• The Idaho legislature overwhelmingly passed a Resolution to remind the federal government that the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads, “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.”
• We almost got some better transparency and accountability from our state government this year. Legislation to create a searchable website containing all state spending was shot down. Why shouldn't they show us where they're spending our money?
• Health care has become a national issue partly because the states can't keep their fingers out of it. They have driven prices through the roof with all of their mandates. Just this year Idaho lawmakers continued their meddling with a government take-over of midwifery. Traditional midwives are now going under rather than paying to be reeducated and licensed to do what they've always done. This is just one example of how government meddling eliminates affordable choices in the marketplace, which limits availability and drives prices higher.
  

Most Bannock county legislators were on the wrong side of these issues. Unless new people are elected who will actually pursue liberty, we are likely to continue to have Statist philosophies represent Bannock County.

Some in Idaho have begun beating the drums for raising taxes to deal with the state's continuing revenue shortfalls. If allowed, they will further punish the producers by making them pay to sustain the bureaucracy that is smothering our economy.


I believe we must not only stop a tax increase and other bad ideas, but even more importantly, we must restore free market principles that have been proven by previous generations.

• There are a number of measures in the works to strengthen Idaho's independence and protect Idahoans from the out-of-control feds.
• Follow the money trail and strike at the root: the Fed's Magic Money Machine provides the fuel that powers the Big Government engine. Sound money stops the Fed from stealing Idaho's savings via the inflation tax.
• The feds have no business in health care. Idaho can make numerous free market reforms that will increase availability and reduce costs. There has never been a more opportune time to undo the mess government has created.
• Government schools consume two thirds of the taxes collected by the state of Idaho while health and welfare is the fastest growing segment of the state budget. They should post their checkbooks online, making it easy for the public to audit their spending.
  

These and other common sense policies can be implemented in the upcoming legislative session if the people of Idaho decide to stop arguing and start working together to restore liberty to our land.