On 17 Aug, 2009, I wrote a letter to my congressvermin. I got the standard typewritten thorazine from each of them, but today (16 Sept.) I got an email from one of Senator Udall's staffers that just blew my mind!
Here's the letter I wrote to them:
I have a very serious question that occurred to me in the context of national health care, but I believe has far wider implications to the relationship between the American people and their government.
Could you please show me where in the Constitution the national government is given authority to send a man with a gun to take money from my neighbor, (and please do not be so disingenuous as to claim the IRS is not a lot of men with guns) give me a few pennies on the dollar of my neighbor’s money, and keep the rest to pay the wages of the guys with the guns.
I have searched the US Constitution over and over, but can’t find that. Could you please point out to me what I’m missing?
And here is the letter I got today, from Michael Bales. Do these guys really think the question was about the authority to levy taxes? They can't possibly be that stupid! This is terrifying! This clown seems to actually think the Constitution intended the authority to levy taxes equates to the authority to enslave.
Thank you for contacting Senator Tom Udall with your question of where in the Constitution the Congress is given the power to levy and collect taxes. The Senator asked that I contact you with the answer. The power to tax is delineated in Article I, Section 8, clause 1, of the Constitution which states:
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States;
There is only one express exception to federal taxing power found in the United States Constitution. Article I, Section 9 provides “No tax or duty shall be laid on articles exported from any State.” I hope this answers your question.
Best,
Michael Bales
Legislative Correspondent
Office of Senator Tom Udall
Michael_Bales@tomudall.senate.gov
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He definitely missed the point even though you said "national health care" in the first sentence. If a congressman can't understand English and a metaphor perhaps he shouldn't be a congressman in the first place. Carole...
ReplyDeleteYou're spot on, Carole. It scares the dickens out of me to think that a US senator might actually believe the Constitutional provisions quoted by Bales give them the authority to run over us like a lawnmower! Not only that, but there are limitations on what can be done with taxes they've seized from us. I'm definitely going to pursue this!
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