Sleeping giant stirs

Sleeping Giant Stirs

I read an editorial in this morning paper that should give Americans food for thought, but I doubt if they even will take a bite.

The article begins by commending Colorado's Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) that restricts government's growth. The bill was initiated and passed as a constitutional amendment a decade ago by the citizens of Colorado. This law requires the state to refund tax payments in excess of the prior year's collections after adjustment to inflation and population growth. It means the state's politicians can no longer tax as much as they want, nor squander as much as they can get away with.

The editorial then go on to laud California Governor, Arnold Schwartzenegger who wants Californians to pass his version of TABOR called "Live Within Our Means Act" that would limit state budget growth to the average budget growth of the past three years.

The difference between the Colorado and California plans, however, is that in Colorado the citizens initiated the program and in California, the state did the initiating. Colorado's is a bottom-up law while California's is the usual top-down sneaky law.

In November, more than a dozen states will have a TABOR bill, or a candidate proposing one, on the ballot. Many states already possess what they call "Taxpayers Bill of Rights". Most, however, are all meaningless, merely declaring what citizens can or cannot legally do. Few of these bills restrict the power of politicians to tax and spend.

Furthermore, as usual, the political power structure in Colorado--via the governor--is currently proposing "Referendum C" that will allow the state to keep excess tax money and, in essence, begin the chipping away of TABOR.

What I wish to point out in this blog is that Colorado's TABOR is an example of how direct democracy (true democracy) works as opposed to how representative democracy (pseudo-democracy) does. In DD the citizens initiate the laws and regulations under which they live, whereas in the pseudo-democracy under which we Americans live, the opportunistic politicians and their wealthy masters do.

Common citizens all over the world are dipping their toes into the waters of DD and bottom-up law-making, timidly beginning their revolution against the corruption, militarization, and wars initiated by top-down governments.

If you haven't already done so, I recommend visiting the website www.movementfordirectdemocracy.com just to see what's really going on in the world outside the fantasy world of illusion created by the American mass media.

Just remember, our world could be a better place to live, for the future will be whatever current generations will it to be. What do you will it to be, and how will you help to make it happen?

Have a wonderful day!