CRAIGforCONGRESS
Missouri's 7th District, U.S. House of Representatives

 

 

 

Bringing LIBERTY to Capitol Hill -- 2008
OZARKS VIRTUAL TOWN HALL
Saturday Morning, July 19, 2008, 10:30am

A Discussion of The President's Saturday Morning Radio Address

Click here to listen to a replay of the July 19, 2008 Ozarks Virtual Town Hall

Notes and Summary of the President's Address -- Energy and Housing

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This is a challenging time for families across our nation. I know many families are worried about rising prices at the pump and declining home values. So this week my Administration took steps to help address both these challenges.   (continued below)

How the President Differs from the American vision of "Liberty Under God":

  1. "The Housing Crisis" and "the Energy Crisis" cannot be solved by Washington D.C. until Washington realizes that both problems were caused by Washington D.C. in the first place.
  2. The Federal Reserve System has destroyed the dollar, our nation's currency, raising the prices of energy, housing, and everything else we buy. The government admits that $100.00 today is worth only $4.52 compared to 1913 when the Fed began.
  3. The government has been led by environmentalist lobbies, and has intentionally, deliberately and purposefully limited the supply of energy, raising its price, and creating the present "crisis," because environmentalists hate human comfort and industrialization.
  4. Government regulation and manipulation of the mortgage market is unconstitutional and has created the "housing crisis."
  5. Americans would not need mortgages for their homes if government were not taking two-thirds of everything they earn. Direct taxes take one-third of everyone's income, while indirect taxes take one-half of everything that's left after direct taxes. This destroys the ability of parents to pass this wealth to children in the form of a first home, causes mothers to work outside the home, and forces Americans into debt. Average Americans pay half a million dollars in interest over the life of a home.

President Bush's
Saturday Morning Radio Address

Another Perspective:
"Liberty Under God"
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This is a challenging time for families across our nation. I know many families are worried about rising prices at the pump and declining home values. So this week my Administration took steps to help address both these challenges. Your family may be worried; President Bush isn't.

The best way the Administration can solve the problem of rising gas prices and declining home values is to stop trying to solve the problem of rising gas prices and declining home values. These problems were caused by government in the first place.
To help address the pressure on gasoline prices, my Administration took action to clear the way for environmentally responsible offshore exploration of key parts of the Outer Continental Shelf, or OCS. Experts believe that these areas of the OCS could eventually produce nearly 10 years' worth of America's current annual oil production. So on Monday I lifted an executive branch prohibition on exploration in these areas. No apology for the executive branch prohibition on exploration in these areas. No admission of error. The problem was caused by the government prohibition.
Unfortunately, a full month has passed since I called on Congress to lift a similar legislative ban, and Congress has done nothing. This means that the only thing now standing between the American people and the vast oil resources of the OCS is action from the United States Congress. Partisan ploys. The real issue here is that the government has been causing high prices by its policies, and now the government will claim credit for "solving" a problem it created. With no admission of guilt or apology to the American people.
Bringing OCS resources online will take time, and that means that the need for congressional action is urgent. The sooner Congress lifts the ban, the sooner we can get these resources from the ocean floor to the gas pump. Democratic leaders need to show that they have finally heard the frustrations of the American people. They should match the action I've taken, repeal the congressional ban, and pass legislation to facilitate responsible offshore exploration. Republicans controlled the legislature for six years under President Bush. Why didn't they do what Bush is now chastising Democrats for not doing? This is pure political hypocrisy.
In the short term, America's economy will continue to depend on oil, but in the long term our economic future depends on promoting alternative energy technologies. So my Administration has worked to expand the use of alternative fuels and raise fuel efficiency standards. We're investing in new advanced batteries, plug-in hybrids, and hydrogen fuel cells. We're working to expand the use of clean, safe nuclear power, solar and wind power, and clean coal technology. With these steps, we're enhancing America's energy security. How does a politician know what our future depends on? Would a President in the days of whale oil have known anything about nuclear power? Why should politicians be predestinating our future?

Washington D.C. has no constitutional authority to "invest" your money in the energy businesses that promise to vote or make campaign contributions.
To address challenges in the housing market, my Administration announced steps this week to help increase confidence in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These two enterprises play a central role in our housing finance system, and we must ensure that they can continue providing access to mortgage credit during this period of stress in financial markets. Government should play no role whatsoever in encouraging people to go into debt.
So Treasury Secretary Paulson has worked with Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke, the companies, and the government regulators on a plan to strengthen these enterprises. I urge Congress to swiftly enact this plan into law. And I also urge Congress to pass legislation that strengthens the independent regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, modernizes the Federal Housing Administration, and allows state housing agencies to issue tax-free bonds to refinance subprime loans. These enterprises are completely unconstitutional. They should be abolished. They should not be bailed out.
Despite the challenges we have faced, our economy has demonstrated remarkable resilience. Exports have continued to grow, productivity growth has remained strong, and while economic growth in the first quarter of this year was slower than we would have liked, it was growth, nonetheless. Despite the challenges caused by the government . . . .
Thanks to the economic growth package we enacted, American families have more cash in their wallets. We now have delivered more than $91 billion in tax relief to more than 112 million American households this year. And in the coming months, we expect more Americans to take advantage of these rebates, and inject new energy into our economy. Economic Stimulus Packages
I have great confidence that our economy will pull through this difficult period, because I have great confidence in the boundless, innovative spirit of the American people. This is a Nation that has faced tough challenges in the past and overcome them, and we will do so again. With sound policies in Washington and the ingenuity of our citizens, our economy will emerge from this period stronger and better than before. "sound policies in Washington" is a contradiction in terms. A "housing policy" from Washington is both unconstitutional and unsound. An "energy policy" from Washington is both unconstitutional and unsound.

The rhetoric about "the boundless spirit and ingenuity of our citizens" is true, but hypocritical. Washington does not really believe the market we freely create can overcome all challenges. Washington politicians truly believe we are incompetent and selfish, and Beltway insiders are omnicompetent and all-benevolent.
Thank you for listening.  

Kevin Craig's Platform:

Additional Libertarian Resources

Housing

Energy

Revolution Won't Come in a Day

John Adams once wrote that the American Revolution began in 1761, when Massachusetts attorney James Otis began legal challenges to the Writs of Assistance. He lost the case, but "American independence," Adams wrote, "was then and there born." Now do the math. That means it took 15 years to convince the rest of America to declare Independence (1776). Then another seven years of war was required before a Peace Treaty was signed (1783), and then six years before the Constitution was finally ratified (1789). That's almost 30 years. (And Jefferson said we shouldn't go 20 years without another rebellion!) How can we hope to convince Americans to fight for principles they were never taught in government schools? We need to be in this battle for the long term. "Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty."

The Internet Can Speed up the Revolution

Here are ways you can help.

Communicating with Government and Media

  • Contact Congress -- this is from the JBS website, powered by "CapWiz," from Capitol Advantage. Lots of organizations use capwiz. If you don't want to go through the JBS, search for capwiz on Google and find another organization that uses it.
    Notice that you can also contact media through this webpage.
  • Action E-List
    Sign up for the JBS Action E-List and be notified when you can make a critical difference on important issues.

Iraqis Vote

  

Support an Iraq Referendum
Americans keep debating when, how, or if to leave Iraq. Maybe we should ask the Iraqi people what they want. After all, it's their country. Tell Congress to request that the Iraqi government hold a public referendum on the U.S. occupation. Learn more »
Make Congress read the laws it passes!
The 'No Legislation Without Representation' Conference

Make Congress read every word of every bill they create before they vote on it.
Urge your Representative and your Senators to sponsor DownsizeDC.org's “Read the Bills Act” (RTBA).

Unelected bureaucrats create tens-of-thousands of new dictates each year. Making rules is the job of Congress, not bureaucrats.
DownsizeDC.org has drafted the “Write the Laws Act” to end bureaucratic “legislation without representation.” Click here . . .
Cap and Trade  

"Cap and Trade" is not the way
The politicians seem to be unifying around "cap and trade" as a way to cut CO2 emissions. If they take this step it may be the largest increase in the size, scope, and intrusiveness of government since the creation of Medicare. Worse still, it may not even achieve its purpose. Please tell Congress to oppose "cap and trade." Learn more »

Iraq Waste

  

Iraq Waste
Big government prospers through failure. Each new failure is used to justify more spending and new powers. Wasteful spending in Iraq is the latest example. One way to change this is to hold government accountable. A new bill in Congress seeks to provide some of the needed accountability. Please support it. Learn more »

Support Ron Paul's “American Freedom Agenda Act”
The politicians have done great harm to this country in response to the 9-11 attack. A bill has been introduced that will undo much of that harm.
Learn More »

   Strike at the Root
Stop The War FOR Terror

Stop the War for Terror
U.S. policy has inflamed the Middle East. It has made terrorism more likely rather than less. We seem to be fighting a war for terror, rather than on terror. This policy must stop. The place to start stopping is with Iran. We must not attack Iran. War with Iran would devastate our economy, disrupt world oil supplies, and recruit more terrorists. Click here to stop this war before it starts.

  

The Democrat Party Radio Address:

The The Democratic Radio Address was delivered by Senator Patty Murray of Washington, who suggested a dozen ways that government can tell oil companies how to run their businesses.

Government does not have the constitutional authority to run the energy industry.
Government does not have the entrepreneurial know-how to run the energy industry.

The provision of energy, like the provision of , groceries, clothing, consumer electronics, and everything else that Americans enjoy as part of the highest standard of living in human history, are the proper domain of "greedy capitalists," competing against each other for the patronage of consumers. The federal government has no Constitutional authority to meddle in the Market, which has succeeded beyond the wildest imaginations of those who signed the Constitution. Every action the government takes to make things better, makes things worse, creating a "crisis" that justifies more government control, making things even worse, diminishing our lives in the long run (though the politicians will always point to some short-term benefit to justify their unconstitutional intervention).

Click here for a replay of this edition of the Ozarks Virtual Town Hall