Wise Up Republicans
by Carol Derbis

So what will the answer be to this dilemma raised in your last issue of excessive government spending by Republicans? Is it that Republicans in the Congress are feeling omnipotent, because they have been in the majority so long, they can somehow forget how they got there?

It seems to me that we voted for Republicans because the Republican Party Platform promised smaller government. Is that correct? Or is my memory suffering from a massive senior brain blip? There are a handful of Republicans in Congress who are trying to keep things in line. Tom Coburn comes to mind as one of the outstanding members. But the "leadership" makes it impossible for those with high ideals to get anything done.

I read Sen.Coburn's book Breach of Trust with great interest. Years ago I knew a young Republican who was named as a replacement for a Senator who had died. This young Senator went to Washington full of wonderful, broad sweeping reforms that needed to be done. He thought poverty could be better handled if the poor were required to work for what they received instead of just giving them free housing, food stamps and a welfare check every month. But Congressional "leadership" disagreed. Therefore, this young Senator was assigned to very minor committee work where he could accomplish nothing. Every time he tried to put forth a bill to improve a particular situation, it was assigned to a "committee" for study - and, of course, never made it out of committee. So Coburn's book was not a shock to me. I guess some of those involved in the deceptions and the breaches of trust were a surprise.

What really frightens me is this: if the Republicans don't wise up, American voters will give up on the Republican Party. I've been a life-long Republican, though I don't think I've voted a straight ticket in my life. I do try to study candidates and what they stand for before I vote. As it has turned out, of course, I do vote Republican about 99% of the time. Because I believe in our Constitution. I believe in our Bill of Rights. I believe in the Declaration of Independence.

I have read minimal pieces of the Federalist Papers, just enough to get the gist of what our Founders had in mind when they formed this "more perfect Union". I believe that they stood for our Right to Freedom of Speech. But I think they probably did not foresee how that would be abused and turned against this country. But that, alas, is a digression, isn't it?

The Republicans. What can we do about them? I've been of a mind lately to think that maybe we need to gather the leaders who are now Republicans who believe as I do in limited, smaller Federal Government and form a third powerful Political Party. Let's see, perhaps we could call it the Federalist Party - in honor of the fact that we would have as our guiding principles those things laid out for us in the Federalist Papers.

There would be an absolute rule of that Federalist Party that anyone who actively pursued any action that was in violation of Federalist Party principles would be immediately and irrevocably ousted from the Party - no judges involved! It would be part of the contract they would sign if they are running for office under the auspices of the Federalist Party. That Party would have its own Special Committee who would be charged with enforcing the Federalist Principles.

Shall we start making up a list of those principles?

1) We believe in stronger State Government, with the Federal Government following those principles as set forth in our Constitution, our Bill of Rights and our Declaration of Independence;

2) Any member of this Federalist Party who speaks in a public forum will uphold the Principles as set forth herein. Failure to do so will result in immediate, irrevocable ouster from this Party. Any member so ousted can appeal this decision to our (?committee to be named) Special Committee only. There is no appeal available in the Federal Court System. A signature hereon signifies member's agreement with this rule;

3) Every member of this Federalist Party agrees that he/she will be honest in every single transaction, speech and dealing with other people. So-called "Political Correctness" can be harmful to this nation, because it allows threats to this nation to go undetected and uninvestigated. Members will tell the truth, even if it is "politically incorrect";

4) The Federalist Party will work tirelessly to ensure SMALLER Federal Government. It will return to the State and Local Governments all those functions which could and should be controlled on a local level;

5) Welfare: The Federalist Party will completely overhaul this country's Welfare System. Every male and female who is able to work will be required to work in order to receive assistance of any kind. There will be NO more free rides. People do, occasionally, run into 'hard times' and assistance will be available on a very limited basis, for a very limited time. Anyone found to be avoiding work by any false means will immediately be removed from the rolls of assistance and be put to work in a mandated work program to be run by individual states. (States will receive guidance from the Federal Party on the details of this program.)

Okay, you get the idea. I know - Pie in the Sky, right? But why not? We are getting so far away from our Constitution as it is written, that it's hardly recognizable any more. And the worst thing is, there's nothing a little private citizen like myself can do about it. Of course I write to 'my legislators' (coming from California, my choices are not great!). Of course I write letters to editors, blog in blog spots, etc.but that's not changing anything! Senators write back a nice polite letter - and you know from what they've written that they haven't even seen what you wrote to them! And I don't discriminate. I write to other Senators and Congressmen from other states with whom I either agree or disagree. But the responses are generally the same. So instead I stay here and feel totally helpless as the Country I love gets further and further away from that which was envisioned by our Founders.

And again, my biggest fear is that voters will give up on the Republican Party and turn to the Democrats. And with the Democratic leadership the way it is right now, that would be disastrous for democracy! Many, many of those in Democratic Leadership are becoming so socialistic! Even Hillary, with all of her pretending to the contrary - we know which way she will take this country.

So, please tell me. What is the answer? What can we do? I've written to a couple of Senators with these same concerns - and received a form letter thanking me for letting them know my 'thoughts' on issues important to me.

Carol Derbis, Oceanside, CA

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