"Taking it to the American people" sounds so high minded. You know, "we the People" and all that Constitutional stuff. It's a free country, and the People have a right to have their voices heard. Power to the People -- witness the overthrow of dictators in Romania, East Germany and, er, Egypt. The United States is a democracy where the People rule, right?
Actually, no.
We live in a representative republic where the voters elect public officials to make laws. The Founding Fathers warned about the dangers of a pure democracy ruled by a tyranny of the majority...
Thomas Jefferson wrote, "A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine." We've heard that pure democracy might be possible in ancient Greece or small town Vermont, but impossible in a country of 310 million. Social media challenges that reassuring platitude. A Twitter mob, riled up by envy and inspired by misinformation, influencing lawmakers to take money from the pockets of others to put into theirs, might not fit the image of a bloodthirsty mob during the French Revolution, but it nevertheless subverts our Constitutional republic.
Hey, Fat Cat Unions: Pay Your "Fair Share"The California Federation of Teachers, an AFL-CIO affiliate that rakes in an estimated $22 million in coerced dues, enjoys nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(5) status. So does CFT's larger counterpart, the California Teachers Association, which collects a whopping $300 million in annual dues. While they burn through mountains of dues lobbying for everyone else to pay higher taxes, these Democratic partisan heavies pay nothing in either federal or state income taxes. Zero, zip, nada. In theory, the unions are entitled to this special status because their "primary" purpose is to "secure better working conditions, wages and similar benefits" for their members...
In addition, the national parent organizations of the CFT and CTA also benefit from widespread property tax exemptions on their ownership of lavish real estate used for union brass vacations and retreats. Fox Business Network reporter Elizabeth MacDonald's investigation of IRS records earlier this year shed light on several tax-sheltered, union-owned luxury hotels, golf courses and country clubs -- including the "swanky" AFL-CIO-owned Westin Diplomat resort in Florida and the UAW's $33 million lakeside resort and golf club in Onaway, Mich.
The Senate's Loss Is Conservatives' Gain!
As Jim [DeMint] himself said, "I honestly think I can do more on the outside than I can on the inside," which is a testament to the rapidly changing world of politics. Like the Senator, more Americans are realizing that the solution to our nation's problems won't be found on Capitol Hill but in committed citizens across the country. Although I firmly believe that our system isn't broken, I do think that politicians have failed to function in the best interest of our nation. As a movement, the time has come to look to Americans--not pandering politicians--to get our nation back on track. Jim's decision raises the awareness of the role that organization like FRC and Heritage, who advocate for ideas and hold politicians accountable, can play in turning our nation around. We can all move forward empowered, understanding that the greatest leverage still comes from the purest source: the people.
MUST READS!
- SHELL GAME! Unemployment rate drops to 7.7% “Unexpectedly” BUT # of working Americans dropped even more! bit.ly/SDzBnK
- Obama’s Dirty Little Tax Secret: He’s Already Raised Taxes on the Rich (CHART) herit.ag/Vndzny
- A Horrible, Horrible Story & Stain on Us All > The death of Marie Freyre > FL's Scott & Bondi to Blame? bit.ly/SBW4RV
POPULAR TWEETS
- John Kerry, Secretary of What? A vilifier of Vietnam vets in any meaningful office is astonishing! on.wsj.com/RFHjAB
- Californians Buying Guns at Record Rates > Didn't know they had any sense at all! http://t.co/zqPLZwiz
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