Wake Up, People!!

The government of the United States has overstepped it's bounds by offering a "bailout" for the mortgage industry. Of course other industries are going to come forward and ask for money. The auto industry hopped right up there and started with "can I have some too?". Now comes Citigroup. Who is next? Where is gov't going to draw the line? What do you think the first industry under that line is going to think? Government's job is not to get involved in private industry. Their job has to do with National issues. National debt, national policy, international policy, national defense, national trade, international trade, blah blah blah. Private business is to be left to the private sector. It should be enumerated somewhere. Oh, you know, I think it is. Let's see, where was that.... Yes! The Constitution of the United States of America! I wonder what that says? Article 1, section 8 follows:

Section 8. The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Do the proposed bailouts fall under the "general welfare of the United States"? I would imagine that you could stretch it out to fit there. However, everything else enumerated in the section has to do with national issues. "All duties, imposts, and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States". Everyone is to be taxed equally, but certain groups are allowed large amounts of money given/loaned to bail them out from bad business practices and the results of a slow economy? You know what, I want a bailout. I'm going down the toilet. My heat and electricity should be off in the near future, my cable, my car payments have been caught up by my uncle so it won't be repossessed.... People aren't buying my product, either. Economy is slowing down, and I am forced to change my way of living, maybe find a different place to live, maybe shut down business. It sucks, but if there is no demand, there is no point being in the business. Let private companies figure it out for themselves. The smart ones, the good business people will survive and persevere. The strong companies will go on into the future, and the ones who refuse to adapt to a changing economy will fail. It will get worse before it gets better. A lot of people stand to lose employment, and that will be bad for the economy as well, but once in a while, the cycle has to start over. Let it. We will rebound as a stronger country for it. Stop with the socialist crap.