Washinton Post: Eliminate States

[Ben]

These people are getting weirder and weirder. I found the part quoted below kind of hilarious. Apparently the author completely missed what happened last week.

But times have changed, and we need to rethink the notion of the “United States of America.” Our states are no longer culturally diverse regions with their own respective identities; rather, they are artificially constructed geographic entities that certainly would not be formed today. Borderlines between states are especially nonsensical. Pensacola, Fla., is a lot more like Mobile, Ala., than Miami. Upstate New Yorkers are less than happy about being in the same tax pool as Manhattanites

I will agree with the notion, as we've talked about here, that it's more about urban vs rural (as he points out with the upstate NY and NYC example) but to say that CA and UT don't have their own (and very different) identities, is ridiculous. While I would like to see a whole layer of bureaucracy eliminated, can you imagine the charlie foxtrot of having only federal and local governments? Figuring out how to legally carry a gun over a 500 mile trip would require a 5000 page manual to figure out all the local laws.

http://twitchy.com/sd-3133/2016/11/15/states-who-needs-em-wapo-opinion-piece-offers-up-solution-to-americas-problems/

[Hawkmoon]

 wonder what he proposes to do about that pesky Constitution ... the part that says the powers not delegated to the [federal] government are reserved to the states and the people?

[230RN]

So does his logic apply to other major countries with cantons and provinces, etc., which govern differently according to local circumstances?

He's just gnashing his teeth over the results of the election.  Expect more of the same from other disappointees.

[Hawkmoon]

I wonder what he plans to do about that pesky Tenth Amendment:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

He doesn't seem to understand that a republic derives its powers from the states comprising the republic. Dissolve the states, and the country is automatically dissolved.

[Angel Eyes]

On the other hand, consider all the taxpayer dollars that would be saved by abolishing 50 state governments . . .

(I know, the Feds would just grab that money for themselves)

[MechAg94]

On the other hand, consider all the taxpayer dollars that would be saved by abolishing 50 state governments . . .

(I know, the Feds would just grab that money for themselves)

That pales in comparison to the dollars that would be saved by abolishing the federal government.  

[Angel Eyes]

That pales in comparison to the dollars that would be saved by abolishing the federal government.   

Touché.

[grampster]

^^^I proposed that if the states are having a problem dealing with the .fed gov that they just have all the taxpayers, both individual and corporate, send their federal income tax withholding to the state and have the state thumb their nose at the feds.  Maybe not getting any money at all, might get the federals to rethink the meaning of the Constitution.

[Blakenzy]

Centrallization is prettty much always a bad idea if you enjoy freedom.

[MechAg94]

Centrallization is prettty much always a bad idea if you enjoy freedom.

Efficiency in govt is also one of those buzzwords that often leads to more bureaucracy and less freedom. 

[Hawkmoon]

Efficiency in govt is also one of those buzzwords that often leads to more bureaucracy and less freedom. 

Naw, we just need a Department of Efficiency to supervise the Department of Redundancy Department.

You know, to manage those fifteen pages of "paperwork reduction act" instructions that accompany each and every one-page government form.

[RevDisk]

Meh, if I had one wish, it'd be to eliminate all local governments below county level. So much redundancy.

[Ron]

How about eliminate the Washington Post.

[230RN]

^ Nominated for thread win.

[T.O.M.]

Salary for a federal magistrate is about 75% higher than my current pay.  Is there a downside?   

[230RN]

Centralization is prettty much always a bad idea if you enjoy freedom.

It's funny, up until about two or three years ago I thought "Federalism" and "Federalist" implied a strong Federal government.

Turns out it's just the opposite, that "federalism" meant a "federation" of States acting individually in their own interests to control a central government.

I don't know if I phrased that right, but I must have picked up that incorrect idea from grade school civics and carried it with me until fairly recently.  The "correction" in my head about that only occurred from reading stuff on gun sites.

Just a comment about it on my part.

Terry, 230RN

[Hawkmoon]

Yeah, there's a difference between "federal" and "feral."

[230RN]

Me:

The "correction" in my head about that only occurred from reading stuff on gun sites.

Yeah, there's a difference between "federal" and "feral."

Heh.  Maybe they ought to make gun sites required reading for Civics classes.

Dream on, Terry. Zzzzzzzzzzz.

Terry