Our Unconstitutional CONGRESS - Congress spending money on programs not stated in the Constitution.

"It is impossible to find in the Constitution any language that authorizes at least 90% of the civilian programs Congress crams into the Federal budget today."

Since its frugal beginnings, the Federal government has come to subsidize everything from Belgian endive research to maple syrup production to the advertising of commercial brand names in Europe and Japan. In a recent moment of high drama before the Supreme Court, during oral arguments involving the application of the interstate commerce clause of the Constitution, Justice Antonin Scalia pressed the Solicitor General to name a single activity or program that our modern-day Congress might undertake that would fall outside the bounds of the Constitution. The stunned Clinton appointee could not think of one.

During the debate in Congress over the controversial 1994 Crime Bill, not a single Republican or Democrat challenged the $10,000,000,000 in social spending on the grounds that it was meant to pay for programs that were not the proper responsibility of the Federal government. No one asked, for example, where is the authority under the Constitution for Congress to spend money on midnight basketball, modern dance classes, self-esteem training, and the construction of swimming pools?

Certainly, there was plenty of concern about "wasteful spending," but none about unconstitutional outlays. Most Federal expenditures fall in this latter category because it outside Congress' powers under the Constitution and represents a radical departure from the past. For the first 100 years of our nation's history, proponents of limited government in Congress and the White House routinely argued--with great success--a philosophical and legal case against the creation and expansion of Federal social welfare programs.

The enumerated powers of the Federal government to spend money are defined in the Constitution under Article I, Section 8. These powers include the right to "establish Post Offices and post roads; raise and support Armies; provide and maintain a Navy; declare War ..." and conduct a few other activities related mostly to national defense.

No matter how long one searches, it is impossible to find in the Constitution any language that authorizes at least 90% of the civilian programs Congress crams into the Federal budget today. The Federal government has no authority to pay money to farmers; run the health care industry; impose wage and price controls; give welfare to the poor and unemployed; provide job training; subsidize electricity and telephone service; lend money to businesses and foreign governments; or build parking garages, tennis courts, and swimming pools.

The Founding Fathers did not create a Department of Commerce, Education, or Housing and Urban Development. This was no oversight. They did not believe that government was authorized to establish such agencies. Recognizing the propensity of governments to expand and, as Thomas Jefferson put it, for "liberty to yield," the Founding Fathers added the Bill of Rights to the Constitution as an extra layer of protection. The government never was supposed to grow so large that it could trample on the liberties of American citizens. The Tenth Amendment states clearly and unambiguously: powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

In other words, if the Constitution doesn't specifically permit the Federal government to do something, the Federal government doesn't have the fight to do it.

The original budget of the U.S. government mainly abided by this rule. The very first appropriations bill passed by Congress consisted of a mere 111 words. The main expenditures were for the military, including $137,000 for "defraying the expenses" of the Department of War; $190,000 for retiring the debt from the Revolutionary War; and $95,000 for "paying the pensions to invalids." The latter was the Federal government's first welfare spending activity. As for domestic activities, $216,000 was appropriated. This is roughly what Federal agencies spend in 15 seconds today.

Today is called cyber shopping day or some such nonsense name but it boils down to shopping online instead of dragging yourself all over town and standing in lines to check out. Today was online discount day, so today I went shopping...never left my comfortable chair and never ran out of Crown Royal...what a way to shop. Some even had free shipping. So go to the sites, choose your items, (called shopping) enter your items, confirm your purchase, then sit back and wait 5 to 7 business days until Santa arrives in the big brown truck and parks in your driveway, not on your roof...What I save on roofing tiles is worth it as that sleigh and those reindeer just cause problems...so I am done except for the last minute stocking stuffers and I figure a bag of Reese Cups and snickers will fill that bill nicely.... No rush, no stress, no rude people to contend with, no lines, no waiting, no lugging heavy bags to the car, no traffic jams, no problems.......Kinda like a Lamborghini on cruise control on the Autobahn...just sit back and enjoy the ride. This shopping web seminar is approved by the National Association of Old Lazy Farts.

Stuffed are you...stomach feeling a little uneasy today...TUMS not doing the job for you? Thinking about all that leftover food in the fridge that you have to eat today, tomorrow and this weekend that caused all of this.

Fear not there is an answer. Forget the leftovers or feed them to the animals. Treat yourself to a culinary smorgasbord of mouth watering leftover alternatives.

Here are two you can try starting today and Saturday.

Gingered Spam Salad

1 cn Spam, sliced matchstick size
1/4 c Finely chopped ginger root
1 ea Small red onion, finely
Chopped
1/2 ts Garlic powder
1/4 c Freshly squeezed lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
1/2 ts Oriental dried chili powder
1/4 c Chopped cilantro leaves
8 ea Cherry tomatoes
Thai bird peppers and
Cilantro sprigs to garnish

Combine all ingredients in a sealed glass or plastic container to
marinate. Refrigerate at least two hours or preferably overnight.
Stir or shake occasionally to evenly coat. One hour before serving,
stir in cilantro. Serve on a bed of torn lettuce of your choice.
Garnish with quartered cherry tomatoes, Thai bird peppers and
cilantro sprigs.

Serves 1..adjust for party sizes....

Coconut Beer Batter Spam with Raspberry Horse

2 3/4 c Flour
2 tb Oil
2 Eggs
3/4 c Cold water
2 c Beer, flat
3/4 ts Salt
Dash pepper
1 1/2 ts Garlic powder
12 oz (1 can) Spam or Spam Lite
2 c Shredded coconut
RASPBERRY SAUCE:
1 c Raspberry sauce or jelly
3 tb Horseradish sauce

Open beer and leave at room temperature over night.

Chill beer and then add water, oil and eggs. Mix just
enough to break the egg yokes. In separate bowl, mix
flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add to liquid
ingredients, while stirring slowly. Add coconut and
stir slowly.

Prepare deep fryer as directed by manufacturer. When
oil is ready, dip one inch wide strips of Spam in beer
batter and deep fry until they float to the surface.

To make raspberry sauce, combine raspberry syrup or
jelly with horseradish sauce in small bowl.

Dip in raspberry sauce and enjoy.

Serves 4.

A lesson of life in 2:29

When I was a child growing up in Lumberton, NC. I was what would have been called at the time "A child of privilege" Now that's an old term that gives away my age group. This was only due to the fact that my father was a surgeon and Chief of Staff of the local hospital and had his own private Urology practice. Me personally...I was a dufus as a child. My parents did not raise me as a "privileged" child. I wore blue jeans and keds and rode a Schwinn bike. When I was 16 my father bought me a vehicle...(a 1956 Willis jeep)(no top).....This was 1964.

On Friday nights we would all load up in the family car (a 1957 Ford Country Squire and head for Calabash NC.



I loved these Friday night trips to Calabash due to the fact that there you could eat the best freshest seafood in the world...It was fresh off the fishing boats that docked at Calabash. Steamed and raw oysters would be shucked by a staff member at your table for as long as you could eat them. Hush puppies like you never had in your life..(crispy on the outside and sweet on the inside)..





At this time there were only two yep two eating places in Calabash and you drove down a dirt road off the main highway to get to either one. They have long been upgraded for the times but the original and best there ever were were

Dockside:



and Capt John's



Sometimes we would leave Calabash and go to Myrtle Beach and spend the night or even the weekend and head back to Lumberton Sunday night.

I remember and miss those Friday nights....In my world, those were the "good ole days".....