Tag: Personal Liberty & Freedom

Personal Liberty and Freedom

The Administrative State Out of Control

Posted on by Ladmann

I have previously published my concerns regarding the US administrative state [1]. The amount of control over our behavior continues to increase, which decreases our amount of freedom.

The total number of pages in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) as of 2021 = 188,343 [2]. The number of regulations/personal “restrictions” [3] [4] “…increased to 1,089,462 by 2022.” [5]

“…Executive agencies publish 3,000 to 4,500 new rules per year, and these regulations have a substantial impact on the American economy. Compounding the problem, courts have ratified that presidential power grab by enacting a series of judge-made rules that require federal courts to defer to the decisions of executive agencies.” [6]

 

[1] See my March 2018 article, “Government Regulation = Lawsuits & Loss of Freedom”.

[2] 2022_Cfr_Page_Breakdown.pdf (federalregister.gov)

[3] A new and more sophisticated measure of federal regulation, devised by economists at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center, consists in counting the number of CFR “restrictions” indicated by the keywords “shall,” “must,” “may not,” “required,” and “prohibited.”

[4] Was Trump a Deregulator? | Cato Institute

[5] Ibid.; 2022_Cfr_Page_Breakdown.pdf (federalregister.gov).

[6] Opinion | Overturning ‘Chevron’ Can Help Rebalance the Constitutional Order – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

 

Government; COVID Collapse

Posted on by Ladmann
  • Government is often the only arbitrator between functioning society and anarchy. That being stated, government is often the lowest common denominator of positive and socially beneficial actions.
  • COVID-19 pandemic as the latest and currently the most obvious example, worldwide, regardless of specific structure of government.
  • All governments have chosen the path of less preparedness for a pandemic, regardless of previous warnings.
  • Additionally, virtually all governments have chosen to over react and shut down entire economies, causing extreme economic and social upheaval.
  • These series of no action followed by over reaction from governments has once again resulted in the most vulnerable, the poor and elderly, those most needing government support and protection, being the most seriously impacted.

Is there any virtue left in our Republic?

Posted on by Ladmann

Given the current political and social atmosphere we have created, I can not help but ask, if we as a country and society have any virtue left. We only seem to care about winning. Whatever the cost! I mean personal cost, lack of truth, lying, corruption, deceit. Hopefully, as Seward stated during the civil war:

“… that there was always just enough virtue in this Republic to save it; sometimes none to spare, but still enough to meet the emergency…” ¹

 

¹ Porter, General Horace. “Lincoln and Grant.” Century Illustrated Magazine 30, No. 6. (October 1885)

Political Correctness?

Posted on by Ladmann

Political Correctness Creates Political Corruption!

How are we to have serious, thoughtful conversation on important political and societal issues if we are restricted by believed correctness in not addressing issues?  That results in us becoming fixed in beliefs/facts that may be wrong. “My mind is made up, do not confuse me with the facts!”  None of us knows all the answers!  Be open to other opinions and ideas. 

US Department of Education

Posted on by Ladmann

ED’s mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. ED was created in 1980 by combining offices from several federal agencies. ED’s 4,400 employees and $68 billion budget. Education is primarily a State and local responsibility in the United States. It is States and communities, as well as public and private organizations of all kinds, that establish schools and colleges, develop curricula, and determine requirements for enrollment and graduation. The structure of education finance in America reflects this predominant State and local role.

One final note: while ED’s programs and responsibilities have grown substantially over the years, the Department itself has not. In fact, the Department has the smallest staff of the 15 Cabinet agencies, even though its discretionary budget alone is the third largest, behind only the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, the Department provides over $150 billion in new and consolidated loans annually.

– https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html

Close the department. It has outlasted its usefulness. According to the ED data there are 13,600 public school districts in the US. $68,000,000,000/13,600= $5,000,000 to each district to spend as they see fit. [By the way the 4,400 ED employees could go to work in actual districts providing education. That would provide 3 FTEs per district at a cost of approximately $350,000 of the $5 million they receive.