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Comments for NULLIFICATION – The Power to Right Constitutional Wrongs
Thomas Jefferson wondered how the country would respond in the case its government passed a law that was clearly unconstitutional. |
It is what it is.
Commented: Tuesday, July 14th, 2015 @ 6:35 pm
By: Stan Deatherage
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You sure as hell love your labels, Stan . . .
Commented: Tuesday, July 14th, 2015 @ 6:29 pm
By: Gene Scarborough
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Not hardly.
Sanders is a Vermont Socialist. Roosevelt was a progressive Republican, with some notable vision, who would, when necessary, rush to defend his nation's interests by whatever means necessary. By today's standards, he would be considered fairly Conservative.
Commented: Tuesday, July 14th, 2015 @ 2:26 pm
By: Stan Deatherage
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Bernie Sanders is saying essentially the same things Teddy Roosevelt / FDR / Ike said---"We don't need the rich running the show so diversify and get your hands out of buying politicians to keep you rich . . ."
Commented: Tuesday, July 14th, 2015 @ 2:20 pm
By: Gene Scarborough
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Well, Bobby Tony, you brought something to my attention here about Gene's predilection toward Bernie.
This may well explain Gene's natural firewall to the ever complicated world of simple math.
Commented: Tuesday, July 14th, 2015 @ 11:27 am
By: Stan Deatherage
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TMac:
L'ho fatto capire
Commented: Tuesday, July 14th, 2015 @ 10:32 am
By: Bobby Tony
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In some strange alternative universe a moderate can make the following statement and still be a moderate just left of center.
"I think Bernie Sanders needs to be our next President." See the comments section on this post. Rev Gene 1st Comment. beaufortcountynow.com
Commented: Tuesday, July 14th, 2015 @ 10:27 am
By: Bobby Tony
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Selfish?
If that is your understanding of a mathematical word problem as your answer: you well prove that you do not know simple math, and that makes you a Liberal. And a fine one at that. Selfish? Hardly. When an intelligent and honest politician is dealing with the public treasury, it eventually always boils down to math, simple math. It is a very simple proposition ... if you are honest.
Commented: Tuesday, July 14th, 2015 @ 9:44 am
By: Stan Deatherage
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BT: Is Rufino an Italian name? GS said Most people will not understand the article. I understood it but I graduated from SMU (Stone Mountain U). Did you understand it?
Back to vacation on St. Simon Island.
Commented: Tuesday, July 14th, 2015 @ 8:09 am
By: Ted McDonald
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Your answer appears to say only SELFISH to me, Stan!
What is wrong with government with millions in the bank now joining its citizens to cut back their spending. I thought you made "tax and spend" a part of your mantra on "liberals," old sport. I shall change it to "Screw you---we need money in our bank account!" 
Commented: Tuesday, July 14th, 2015 @ 6:24 am
By: Gene Scarborough
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Gene, that was the wrong answer, because you got the math wrong - by 30%.
If the tax valuations were lowered by 30%, then these 6 commissioners, working so well together now that I am gone, would only raise that tax rate by 30%. So nothing changes without cutting spending. That is math, and Democrats and RINOs are really bad at math, so, nothing changes. You do finally get that, right?
Commented: Tuesday, July 14th, 2015 @ 1:25 am
By: Stan Deatherage
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It begins to match the fact that most small businesses are making anywhere from 20-60% of what they made pre-Recession. Is there a problem with government reflecting the state of its citizens in this mess --- brought on by banks "too big to fail?"
I have a problem with what you are paying the new County Manager / how many millions are in the County bank account / how nothing seems to get done these days with money except to squirrel it away . . .  Last time I checked, Stan, -30% for me amounts to $400 and that could pay my water and light bill now overdue, bud!!!
Commented: Monday, July 13th, 2015 @ 9:41 pm
By: Gene Scarborough
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Gene, now pay attention to this question, and I will ask one more time: How does lowering the tax valuations, across the board, by 30% reduce the amount of taxes you would pay?
Now think about it before you answer.
Commented: Monday, July 13th, 2015 @ 7:51 am
By: Stan Deatherage
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Our current problems in Beaufort float between the closed hospital at little Belhaven and taken over by Corporate Medicine under the name of Vidant / a jail which needs to be replaced, but we can't decide since 1988 +/- how to do a better job with a better facility --- meanwhile the costs escalate and nobody on the Commissioners wants to cooperate for the good of the taxpaying citizens.
I have spoken before them TWICE concerning Property Taxes --- calculated on a 30% extra value in a poor county. They have the legal authority to change it to fair in any given month, but the "stone faces" say---"We don't give a crap. . ."
Commented: Monday, July 13th, 2015 @ 7:41 am
By: Gene Scarborough
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I just researched the movie database and I guess I missed the movie version in 2011. I have not been in a movie theater but once in 40 years so I missed the first run of the movie. I will remedy that immediately using ROKU.
Commented: Sunday, July 12th, 2015 @ 5:58 pm
By: Bobby Tony
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1. Gene is it not that I have not met public servants who have forgotten from whence they came, it is that politicians are just minor actors in a long running play. If I am going to the theater to watch Macbeth I would prefer that the actors actually repeat the lines that he wrote and not go adlibbing off into some soliloquy: not in the original play.
2. I guess I will appear unduly cruel, but why a welfare check at all? This is possibly the richest country in the world with sufficient philanthropist in just the liberal community alone to provide held and aid. Churches have abandoned the admonition to care for the poor specifically because the government took over that responsibility. 3. There are many good politicians in office, but still the system has grown and grown into the mess it is now. My point is we should not put our confidence in an ever-changing cast of characters but rather require rigid adherence to the system. I am not familiar with Beaufort County, but just reading the some of the local post, I note that public meetings without public notice illustrates why it is not government we should look to for help. Even good and well-intended people need to be restricted to the authority, which they are delegated by the people. In the end it is as Stan says those who suffer in silence or do not vote are as much the problem as those who serve. 4. I have read ATLAS SHRUGGED but not lately. I have not seen the movie and will research it. The story represents exactly what I am trying to point out in my comments. In many ways, I would say that the COMMAN MAN HAS SHRUGGED under the assault of his rights and freedom by a government-gone wild under both “R&D”. Unfortunately, the common man cannot retire to his personal Atlantis. Thus the tag line “Who is John Galt”. Good Discussion.
Commented: Sunday, July 12th, 2015 @ 5:32 pm
By: Bobby Tony
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Bobby, have you read Ayn Rand's masterpiece, ATLAS SHRUGGED? Have you seen the 3-part movie? In her prophetic story, the government stops protecting individual rights and the rights of capitalists to develop products and industry and take their chances with the marketplace by pursuing the "public good." Policy is made for the public good; property is seized for the "public good." Services MUST be compelled for the "public good." The spirit of the individual dies. There is no societal pressure for exceptionalism or even adequacy. People are entitled to everything, including the products of individual brilliance, hard work, and sacrifice. They are entitled simply because they breathe. “Collective good” will always destroy individual liberty because the rights and property of one will always need to be surrendered for the benefit of others. The rights of one group will always have to give way to a “more justified” or “more expedient” purpose. We are seeing the beginning of this mindset with the current "cultural cleansing" regarding the Confederate flag and now, with all things having to do with the confederacy. For the "good" of society, we need to whitewash history. Yet to others, it might appear that Reconstruction is being enacted all over again and the Southern states are being punished once more for their loyalty to the notion of states' rights. A parade of horribles follows a nation that puts the "public" or "collective" good over the inherent rights of the individual. And that's why the country our founding fathers established is the one we need to restore and protect.
Commented: Sunday, July 12th, 2015 @ 3:46 pm
By: Diane Rufino
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Actually, I agree a little bit with Gene that most politicians do not forget from whence they come - at least here in Beaufort County, and some other areas here in the northeastern segment of North Carolina - except, of course, the marginal Republicans, which there are many.
Democrats are very liberal, and hold those liberal positions here. None are actually proficient at math in any real sense, and like all good liberals expect government to right all wrongs regardless of the cost, and in as inefficient manner as is possible. Marginal Republicans promise that they are Conservative when campaigning and then ... Well, you fill in the blanks. Real Conservatives suffer in silence here in Beaufort County, as there is only one here now.
Commented: Sunday, July 12th, 2015 @ 3:18 pm
By: Stan Deatherage
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I was on the first Title XX (War on Poverty) committee in SC in the 70's. The Government rep there could not begin to tell us how much of a dollar collected in SC, processed through DC, then came back to SC in Title XX funds. My personal suspicion is 20-40% got sucked up in government paperwork.
I also told that same committee that any program to help people --- and that made them want another minute on the taxpayer tit than necessary --- was doing them NO favor at all. It has now been 5 generations of sucking --- and those who do are smarter than those who try to work their way up. That kind of effort on the sucking part would make them all successful workers in a really Great Society!  My current position is "you get your welfare check / you work the same 40 hours us taxpayers do to pay it." Public works / earning money for school / I don't care --- work like I did to swing a blade in the hot GA sunshine to make enough to pay for Emory . . .
Commented: Sunday, July 12th, 2015 @ 2:22 pm
By: Gene Scarborough
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Bobby Tony --- I have met and talked with many public servants who have not forgotten from whence they came. Sorry your connections have been limited so much that you have not met such and have lost your hope for good government.
Commented: Sunday, July 12th, 2015 @ 2:11 pm
By: Gene Scarborough
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Bobby, I couldn't agree more. Institutionalized charity kills liberty. To help some, it must TAKE from others. That is, it takes from the work product of another. It takes their property. Besides being unconstitutional (the government is not authorized to legislate for such purposes because "General Welfare" means that "all" must be benefited and not just some), forcing some to sacrifice for others is unconscionable. The government was SUPPOSED to encourage religion in American society because it encourages the type of charitable and loving behavior that we would want in our neighbors, whether those neighbors are next door or across town or across the country. We don't help the situation by forcing Americans to help others (ie, pay more in taxes). These policies only encourage abuse, fraud, and institutionalized sloth, decay, and non-ambition. And then we find that institutionalized charity incurs institutionalized discrimination, where we begin to label people as "takers" and "burdens." And we then actively judge one another... those whose purses are plundered look down their noses at those who live and breed on hand-outs and those who take the funds that others have earned look at those who appear well off and assume they can do without the extra money and in some cases, feel they should give more. They feel they are entitled to the money, without regard to how that money is collected, where it comes from, or the sacrifice that others must make to "forcibly donate." Social programs make up too much of our federal budget.
Yes, I distrust the government. Of course I do. 22% of Americans distrust the government (PEW). I have the IRS up my ass, looking at every bit of money my husband earns in his job and every asset my family has (worked hard for), forcing us to adjust our decisions and family plans. For example, this year, with two children in college, we are forced to forego any family vacation because of the amount of tax the government says we MUST pay. On the other hand, those who live on government hand-outs rarely have the government scrutinize their lives and their decisions. Why aren't recipients required to be on birth control if they are on hand-outs? Why aren't they required to take classes to become educated and learn work skills? Whey aren't they required to make sure their kids do well in school and stay off the streets? I think the best testament to the current status of forced charity in this country can be summarized by something Dinesh D'Souza said. He commented that we live in a nation where “poor” people have cell phones, TV sets, microwave ovens, and nice cars... Where immigrants come over here (illegally in large part) and take advantage of our free services to grow their families quickly. He once asked an acquaintance in Bombay why he has been trying so hard to relocate to America. He replied, “I really want to move to a country where the poor people are fat.”
Commented: Sunday, July 12th, 2015 @ 1:05 pm
By: Diane Rufino
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“Slowly---GREED takes over and only a caring government watches out for the taxpayers being abused!”
Gene, we may be both right and wrong. We just have different viewpoints. You distrust the achievers in society and I distrust the government. I submit that caring government is an oxymoron. Here is an answer to the argument of a real bleeding heart by a real capitalist. beaufortcountynow.com In the private economy no deal, purchase or transfer of money for property or service occurs without both parties agreeing. In government, there is no need for agreement of both parties. All actions by government are backed by the potential use of force. “Concern for our fellow man and charity is the purview of religion and human nature. If left to the government it becomes a system of enforced lock step adherence to law. I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I traveled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.” Benjamin Franklin: On the Price of Corn and Management of the Poor, November 1766
Commented: Sunday, July 12th, 2015 @ 10:35 am
By: Bobby Tony
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I have just submitted the first of several articles on social learning to get along.
I think she is trying to get at the basic problem of the New Dream of Democracy and how it worked out over some 200+ years. At the core of any new experiment is what came here from the Old World and what the Founding Fathers envisioned with the new republic they were founding. It was the first battle over whether the entire country is told what to do from its central government vs. each state having its own government and say over itself. The Old Word was full of royalty and clergy trying to dictate to each person the limits of their freedom --- and making sure they still came out of top! America was trying "something new" with the idea of people having a bigger say than the rich and powerful. Despite this, many with land grants and former positions in the Old World still wanted to have a bigger say than the common man being taxed. If you look at America today, we are in the cycle of Rich Rule similar to that of the 1800-1900 Robber Barons and the few having most of the money while workers starved in "paid slavery." Labor Unions and the Great Depression proved the rich always look out for themselves first. Organized labor and strikes forced the owners to share their wealth among the workers. Trust Busting under Teddy Roosevelt spread the wealth and power once more. Slowly---GREED takes over and only a caring government watches out for the taxpayers being abused! 
Commented: Sunday, July 12th, 2015 @ 8:05 am
By: Gene Scarborough
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“Nullification is the doctrine, which states that any law that is made without legal authority is immediately null and void and therefore unenforceable.”
Below my two cents worth without benefit of legal training and some logical gaps I am sure. We all practice nullification when we choose to disregard something we disagree with. In government, the law is not enforced. In private matters, it is the civil disobedience of not following the law. The legal argument is who has the overriding authority to enforce a law. The constitution places the determination of legality in the courts but the enforcement in the executive branch. Ignoring the law is nullification by another name. A fundamental tenant of political arguments is to disparage the opponent when you cannot refute the facts. Thus, terms like racism, homophobic and etc. are used to divert from the argument to the participant. States’ Rights are the form whereby individual states can refuse to enforce laws that they deem illegal. It is based on the principle from the Constitution that what is not given to the Federal Government is left to the States. Today we have local jurisdictions practicing nullification. Sanctuary city refuse to enforce the immigration laws not because they are illegal but because they disagree with the law. That is call anarchy and is a natural progression of a failure to make compromises based on rule by law rather than majority rules. I have very limited legal training, but my understanding is that in the legal world “right and wrong” are not the issue. The issue is “correct or incorrect” based on the rule of law. In my opinion, Lincoln was “incorrect” in his application of the law during the Civil War but the South was “Wrong” in its practice of slavery which was against the “certain unalienable Rights” principle expressed in the Declaration of Independence which Diane points out: after all, the Declaration itself was a secessionist document Poorly worded or crafted laws leave open the argument of the latter but simple laws leave little legal room. “Thou shalt not steal”, is a simple example leaving little legal room for debate. How did I do?
Commented: Sunday, July 12th, 2015 @ 6:55 am
By: Bobby Tony
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It's a complicated issue, therefore, maybe, at some point, Diane will do the 'Readers Digest' version.
Commented: Saturday, July 11th, 2015 @ 8:23 pm
By: Stan Deatherage
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The magic of good sales is to make complex things simple. In this case, a complex thing is still complex!
I would appreciate a simple and rational summation of what Diane is really trying to say. I think it is good, but far to complex for most to understand.
Commented: Saturday, July 11th, 2015 @ 8:15 pm
By: Gene Scarborough
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Diane is not like that.
She is just a regular gal, who devotedly cares about our nation, and the terrible direction that it has taken.
Commented: Saturday, July 11th, 2015 @ 2:30 pm
By: Stan Deatherage
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One thing is for sure, next time I try to write an op-ed on my political beliefs, I will double check my facts if not my conclusions. I would hate to be ruled out of order or submit hearsay bluster.
Commented: Saturday, July 11th, 2015 @ 2:26 pm
By: Bobby Tony
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Ted, I now have the aforementioned Book Review, and plan to mix it in this weekend.
Diane and I will be spending more time together, which we both have planned to do for years, but have been too busy to find the time. Maybe now, if we can both fine a way to accomplish common goals and make money in the process, we shall be be successful in that endeavor. I'd like to hire one of her kids to help us. Smart children everyone. In fact her and Doug's daughters are becoming young women now.
Commented: Saturday, July 11th, 2015 @ 2:05 pm
By: Stan Deatherage
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SD: I hope Little Friend will continue to write. I will read all her articles while on vacation. Maybe her technical training helps focus her writing.
Commented: Saturday, July 11th, 2015 @ 1:33 pm
By: Ted McDonald
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BT: Thanks for the Cliff note. I like to start with a summary.
Commented: Saturday, July 11th, 2015 @ 1:17 pm
By: Ted McDonald
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Bobby Tony, It is good that you recognize the estimable prowess of my little friend with such a big brain.
It is my hunch that Diane will be writing quite a bit more. We may even see her here in the comments section. In fact, Diane just informed me that she has a book review coming to us.
Commented: Saturday, July 11th, 2015 @ 1:13 pm
By: Stan Deatherage
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Another informative and complete post regarding the possible abuse of governments and the demonization of dissenters. For those with short attention span please reread the next to last paragraph and view the Video.
Commented: Saturday, July 11th, 2015 @ 12:42 pm
By: Bobby Tony
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