California Libertarian Alliance

 “By the end of the year, the federal government may have totally restructured the American healthcare system. This health-insurance industry takeover may lead to widespread taxpayer subsidies for elective abortion. A new national energy tax may be imposed to reduce carbon emissions. The secret ballot for union organization may be effectively eliminated, swelling Big Labor’s ranks and coffers. Or maybe none of these things will have happened. “

“Hard as it may be to believe, that last prospect looks most likely….”

Jame Antle III looks at how conservative opposition to big government – so silent when big government conservatives ran the country under Bush – may save us from the Democrat’s full monty http://www.amconmag.com/article/2010/jan/01/00012/

“The National Security Agency is building huge new storage facilities to store the unconstitutionally gained data on the American people’s telephone calls and Internet traffic permanently, including new buildings in suburban Salt Lake City, Utah, and San Antonio, Texas.”

“The NSA has been keeping permanent records of all American’s telephone call habits and Internet traffic since shortly after September 11, 2001, according to major news reports, without the constitutionally required warrants from a court.”

“No longer able to store all the intercepted phone calls and e-mail in its Ft. Meade, Maryland, headquarters, the NSA is engaging in its own housing boom. How much data will these giant, multibillion dollar new facilities hold? According to James Bamford of the New York Review of Books, the facility in Utah alone could hold data that will be measured in Yottabytes. Never heard of Yottabytes?…”

Full column by Thomas R. Eddlam @ http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/constitution/2177-nsa-supercenters-to-store-americans-private-data-permanently

David Boaz of The Cato Institute looks at the new Gallup Poll which shows Americans think government is taking too much power. Mr Boaz points out that  “The independents who swung the elections in 2006 and 2008 clearly think things have gone too far. An administration as smart as Bill Clinton’s will take the hint and rein it in.”

Full commentary by David Boaz  @ http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/09/22/americans-dont-want-it/

PRINCETON, NJ –” Americans are more likely today than in the recent past to believe that government is taking on too much responsibility for solving the nation’s problems and is over-regulating business. New Gallup data show that 57% of Americans say the government is trying to do too many things that should be left to businesses and individuals, and 45% say there is too much government regulation of business. Both reflect the highest such readings in more than a decade.”

Complete report from the Gallup Organization on their poll @ http://www.gallup.com/poll/123101/Americans-Likely-Say-Government-Doing-Too-Much.aspx

“Things seem to be unraveling quickly for the new administration. The latest unemployment numbers are worse than the last reports. For all the billions of dollars spent and committed to fixing our economic problems, the situation is only getting worse. This was to be expected by those who understand the root causes of the problems.”

“Throwing money around and creating more government programs is both simplistic and damaging to the economy. Of course, the administration claims that we would have been much worse off without these efforts. You can’t improve this situation by adding to our mountain of public debt for the benefit of big banks and other special interests.”

Full column by Rep. Ron Paul  (Rep-Tex) @ http://www.freeliberal.com/archives/003903.html

Steve Chapman looks at how President Obama’s big government binge is alienating moderate and independent voters who helped elect him http://www.reason.com/news/show/135769.html

Nick Gillespie looks at the Senate career of Ted Kennedy – a master strategist who helped Democrats and Republicans expand the power of the federal government. Find out what you will be paying for the rest of your life @ http://www.reason.com/news/show/135658.html

“Tom Ridge gave the standard resignation line when he stepped down as Secretary of Homeland Security shortly after the 2004 elections, but last week he revealed that there was much more to the story.”

“In a forthcoming book, Ridge complains that the weekend before Election Day, Bush administration officials leaned on him to raise the color-coded threat level. Dismayed, Ridge refused the demand, and concluded he needed to resign. “I wondered,” Ridge writes, “Is this about security or politics?” ”

“That’s a question we ought to ask about DHS as a whole. Since its creation in 2003, the department has done little to provide genuine security and much to encourage a pernicious politics of fear. We’d be better off without it.”

Full Column by Gene Healy @ http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=10480

Doug Casey makes the case against “W” @ http://www.lewrockwell.com/casey/casey16.1.html

“Seven months ago, President Barack Obama took office with a 79 percent approval rating — the highest in three decades.”

“The Kennedy-esque cult of personality that surrounded the new president led many conservatives and libertarians to fear he’d be able to work his will in Congress, dramatically increasing the size of government.”

“Yet, cap and trade has dropped off this year’s legislative agenda and today Obama’s signature initiative — national health care — remains stalled, growing more unpopular by the minute.”

Column by Gene Healy @ http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=10463