Sunday, October 16, 2011

Rand Paul Hearing on Government Assault on Private Property

Senator Rand Paul on Friday hosted a roundtable discussion, "PROPERTY WRONGS: A Discussion With the Victims of the U.S. Government's Assault on Private Property," to bring to light a few of many instances of overreach by the U.S. government.

Sen. Paul plans to introduce legislation in the coming days addressing the issues brought forth in today's hearing.

Witnesses included Henry Juszkiewicz, CEO of Gibson Guitars; Mike and Chantell Sackett of Idaho, whose current battle with the EPA is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court this winter; Victoria Pozsgai-Khoury of Pennsylvania, who was representing her father's continuing battle with EPA over erroneous wetland regulations; Peter Nimrod, chief engineer of the Mississippi Levee Board, currently suing EPA to allow for a pumping station in the Mississippi Delta region; and John and Judy Dollarhite of Missouri, rabbit breeders whose side business was shut down and fined by the USDA.

In opening remarks, Senator Rand said:
When I was elected last year, I proclaimed that I had a message, a message that we've come to take our government back. Since then, many have asked, "You've come to take back your government, but from whom?"

The answer is quite simple, we wish to take our government back from the unelected bureaucrats who are trampling our rights and invading our businesses.

In fact, the Declaration of Independence sums up our frustration well when our founders complained of the King,

"He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance."

At every turn businessmen and women are harassed by their government. Be it OSHA, the IRS, or the EPA. Property owners are beleaguered by the Army Corps of Engineers taking their property through absurd interpretations of what constitutes a wetland.

A woman and her father in Mississippi were sentenced to 10 years in prison for putting dirt on a low area of a residential development. A man in Michigan was given three years in prison for moving dirt on his own land because the government decreed it a wetland.

32 Federal agencies are now armed. The Department of Agriculture now has SWAT teams that have been involved with raiding organic food stores that sell raw milk and private citizens selling bunnies have been tormented with outrageous fines.

The Fish and Wildlife Department also has armed agents. They have swooped in to harass and shut down American businesses that violate foreign laws. That's right: We now have armed agents enforcing foreign laws on American soil.

It is a disgrace and must end.

11 comments:

  1. God bless Rand Paul!

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  2. Nothing will happen, talk, talk, talk, yak, yak, yak. We have heard it all before and will hear it again. Nothing will change the hearts of our handlers, they are without ears. We all know the horror stories, they come week after week. Same shit, different faces. America is mesmerized and beat into the ground by all the crappy laws. All the Rand's in the world cannot put Humpdy back together again.

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  3. Mr Wenzel: I am here in Saudia for 1-2 years. Finally got internet on my mobile fone. Your blog is my home page. God bless you and kudos to you for your work. Cheers.

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  4. Scarlett, I disagree. We haven't heard it all before. The liberty movement is gaining a lot of ground. We are still small, but we are growing.

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  5. Scarlett, I hope you are wrong but fear you are right. We as a country need to elect more Rand and Ron Pauls and then we can start changing things, but as it is, the correct side is a minority as compared to the right and the left.

    Even the other tea party candidates are largely bark no bight. At least Rand is introducing legislation in an attempt to right wrongs instead of just talking about it.

    It's funny, because after the last election, the Republicans read the Constitution but have done little to change things that are unconstitutional. They have talked about cutting spending but have only slightly lowered future increases-- that is not a cut worthy of mentioning in my book.

    At least a few Congressmen are trying to change things but they are still the minority, just like Austrian Economists. We may be making some headway, but it is slow. Don't give up. Support the people who make a positive difference and fight the people that don't.

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  6. I have to admit watching Rand take these bureaucrats to the woodshed in these hearings is awesome.

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  7. http://www.nationofchange.org/rise-regressive-right-and-reawakening-america-1318776936

    Robert Reich stole that great word "regressives" you coined. Nothing to see here, of course. What else do you expect from the media.

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  8. +1 to you anon. Rand is not his dad (yet) but with things like this he's on the right path. Good for him!

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  9. I wish Paul would make this speech in Albany. New York is one the highest states for Eminent Domain abuse.

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  10. "They have swooped in to harass and shut down American businesses that violate foreign laws. That's right: We now have armed agents enforcing foreign laws on American soil."

    This is so hard to believe (and although it may be true) could you please provide some well-documented examples of this happening?

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  11. Anon - I can't paste a link for some reason, but search "shotguns and department of education" you'll find an egregious example.

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