State of California (Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mono, Placer, Sacramento, Tuolumne Counties) November 3, 1998 General
Smart Voter

STATES' AND PEOPLES' RIGHTS

By Dan Winterrowd

Candidate for United States Representative; District 4

This information is provided by the candidate
Who founded this country? Federal politicians? Or the people of the several States?
It must be remembered, and if not remembered it must be retaught: the people of the several states formed this union and NOT the other way around. The only lawful powers the Federal government can exercise are those that have been granted it by the states through the ratification or amending of the Constitution; any other power it attempts to exercise is a usurpation. Where in the Constitution does the Federal government have the power to: a) manage the "environment," b) dictate abortion "rights," c) seize assets without trial, d) wage a "war on drugs," e) dispense Social Security, f) redistribute income through "welfare," g) dictate whom a business may hire or fire, h) build dams, or i) send troops abroad without a declaration of war, and even then sometimes under the direction of a world body? The answer, of course, is nowhere in the Constitution does the Federal government have these powers.

The instances of Federal usurpations of power is much longer than can be listed here. This Federal government has usurped numerous reserved 10th Amendment powers of the states and people and spread its umbrella over our nation. Why is it important to recapture the constitutional rights of the states and the people?

Firstly, the closer the seat of power the more accountable is the agent of power. It is much easier to have your voice heard locally or in Sacramento than 2,000+ miles away in D.C.

Secondly, if you cannot change policy locally at least you have the option of moving to a more acceptable locale. If the policy emanates from D.C. your only choice to avoid it is to move out of the country. Not a viable option for most people.

Thirdly, when states and localities have sovereignty over all but the few Federally ordained powers, then a healthy competition among them occurs to attract residents. Furthermore, it is easier for citizens to influence policy when the repository of power is local.

Finally, as the Federal government usurps more sovereignty from the states and people, its police powers naturally grow. There is a greater danger to our liberties as less accountable Federal police replace more accountable local police. We can see this taking place now. Federal troops now patrol abortion clinics since Roe vs Wade has made abortion federally protected. The EPA, BLM, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service, and many other agencies are now authorized to carry firearms to enforce their arbitrary regulations.

Our forefathers understood from firsthand experience that government power is dangerous to liberty and that its powers must be limited, and dispersed over lower levels. Thus, the Constitution was written to limit the power of the Federal Government and to disperse all other power to the States and people. We will be wise to reinstitute this Constitutional principle before the Federal government dispenses altogether with the Constitution.

Candidate Page || Feedback to Candidate || This Race
November 1998 Home (Ballot Lookup) || About Smart Voter

Created from information supplied by the candidate: September 29, 1998 23:22
Smart Voter '98 <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © 1998 League of Women Voters of California Education Fund.
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.