David A. Armstrong

An ongoing public dialog about Utah state government and the issues of interest to Utah citizens.

Immigration

Hot topics around the country, illegal immigration and immigration reform are drawing comment from many sides. Liberals feel the humane thing to do is to offer amnesty to the millions of illegals how are already in the country and to throw open the borders to millions more. Conservatives think the best thing to do is to deport the ones who are here and to close the borders to the rest.

Because the federal government has been unable to decide what to do, state governments are stepping up to the task. Arizona, sharing a border with Mexico, has dealt with the problem of illegal aliens from a long time. The legislature there has recently passed laws that are making it more difficult than ever for illegals to make a live and make a living in their state.

The most recent assault on the influx of illegal aliens in Arizona is a law that punishes employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers. An interesting and telling response has come from the Mexican state of Sonora, which shares the border with Arizona. According to an article in the Tucson Citizen, nine legislators from Sonora recently visited Tucson and held a press conference in which they demanded that the Arizona law be repealed. Their rationale: a large influx of repatriated Mexicans returning to Sonora because they cannot work in Arizona is disrupting the local economy and overloading the local schools. Apparently the Mexican economy and infrastructure is dependent on undocumented Mexican workers living and working in the United States and sending their paychecks back to their families in Mexico.

Quoting from the Tucson Citizen article posted on 16 January 2008:

"How can they pass a law like this?" asked Mexican Rep. Leticia Amparano Gamez, who represents Nogales.

"There is not one person living in Sonora who does not have a friend or relative working in Arizona," she said in Spanish.

"Mexico is not prepared for this, for the tremendous problems" it will face as more and more Mexicans working in Arizona and sending money to their families return to hometowns in Sonora without jobs, she said.

Read more comments on the issue of Immigration

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North American Union and the Security and Prosperity Partnership

Representative Marci Kaptur spoke on the floor of the US Congress regarding the illegal and unconstitutional involvement of America in the North American Union. View the CSPAN video.

Read more comments on the North American Union and the Security and Prosperity Partnership
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Constitutional Government

Limited Government: Are the Good Times Really Over?

From an article published in Imprimis
March 2008 - Volume 37, Number 3

by Charles R. Kesler

Amidst all the campaign slogans calling for change in the federal government during this election season, "utterly missing ... is a serious focus on limited or constitutional government." The Democrats want more government, not less, so they can promote their ideal of socialism. The Republicans, however, are promoting a socialist program as well, called "compassionate conservativism". Both parties believe the a bigger, more expensive, more powerful federal government is the solution to the problems in the dangerous world in which we live.

Mr. Kesler makes seven propositions to show how and why limited, constitutional government is the real answer.

Read more about Mr. Kesler's propositions for restoring constitutional government.

Political Loathesomeness

From an article by Walter E. Williams
Department of Economics
George Mason University (9 April 2008)

Do any of the prospective nominees of either party deserve respect from the American people? The answer partially depends on your knowledge, values and respect for the U.S Constitution.

When either Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton or John McCain take office, they are going to place their hand on the Bible and take the oath, "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

It will be a phony affirmation, but what's worse is that the chief justice of the United States, who administers the oath, and the average American will believe the new president.

Read Professor Williams' entire article.

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The Economy

America Is Bankrupt

The following two videos present the views of David Walker, the head of the U.S. General Accounting Office, i.e., the chief accountant of the federal government. His message: The American government is bankrupt. We are mortgaging the future of our children and grandchildren at accelerating rates. It is not only irresponsible, it is immoral.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=I-16u9x3tfE

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zXIufIXPsYs

Watch these videos, and then realize who has put us, the American people, in this position. Our representatives, whom we have been sending to Washington for a generation, have robbed us. It is time to vote for principle instead of politics.

60% of Today's Oil Prices Is Pure Speculation

The price of crude oil today is not made according to any traditional relation of supply to demand.It’s controlled by an elaborate financial market system as well as by the four major Anglo-American oil companies.As much as 60% of today’s crude oil price is pure speculation driven by large trader banks and hedge funds.It has nothing to do with the convenient myths of Peak Oil. It has to do with control of oil and its price
-F. William Engdahl/Financial Sense Online

Story:

http://www.financialsense.com/editorials/engdahl/2008/0502.html

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