Congressman John Campbell's Blog - Green Eyeshade Blog

Friday, January 25, 2008

Posted by: John Campbell at 11:30 AM

This weekend, House Republicans are meeting for the annual members retreat. One of the major topics of discussion will be how to reclaim the reputation for fiscal responsibility.

The way I see it, House Republicans have two strong courses of action.

First, House Republicans should take the offensive and declare a moratorium on earmarks. There would be some resistance from some Republicans Members of Congress who habitually request earmarks, but the this party is supposed to be that of fiscal restraint…the way the earmark system operates now is far from fiscally responsible.

Second, House Republican Leaders will have the opportunity to name an anti-earmark advocate to the vacancy on the House Appropriations Committee. This would send a clear signal to the American people that Republicans are dedicated to fiscal responsibility. Jeff Flake has made it known that he wants the spot, and has been a consistent and vocal opponent of the earmarking process.

I support both an earmark moratorium and Jeff Flake for the Appropriations seat. However, what course of action to be taken is still in question. The opportunity to take a stand has come and, if Republicans are truly dedicated to regaining their principles, this weekend will truly be one for the books.

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wise woman writes:	Friday, January, 25, 2008 11:42 AM
Second the Motion
Republicans need to act fast to course correct their errant path. These are two excellent ideas. Republicans in Congress can influence the outcome of the 2008 election by sending a signal to us all that they can be trusted fiscally. No time like the present -- do it.
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eddie writes:	Friday, January, 25, 2008 12:07 PM
The only real progress
toward fiscal sanity is the elimination of the income tax system. Anything less will leave us in the current cycle of boom bust. Of course the only way to eliminate the income tax is to replace many of the members of Congress this fall. Once they see their buddies falling, the others will fall over themselves getting in line to eliminate the income tax system. The income tax system by itself is the single greatest restraint on economic growth in America. If you want econcomic growth, eliminate the income tax. If you are satisfied with the current economic boom bust cycles, keep the income tax. Keep taxing productivity.
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IGoCommando writes:	Friday, January, 25, 2008 2:36 PM
eddie
Although I would shed no tears for the destruction of the IRS (no tears of sorrow that is,) economic cycles existed long before the United States instituted an income tax. Economic cycles are a way of life. We can excacerbate them through foolish intervention such as like currency mismanagement, and increased taxation, but they'll never go away.
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IdahoPhil writes:	Sunday, January, 27, 2008 10:21 AM
Firt Things First
I agree with the Congressman. Let' sent a clear signal that Republicans want to get back to their roots. Fiscal responsibility, Strong Defense and Free Markets. If the GOP is serious about keeping the White House this is the first order of business. Get the people's confidance back. Then push on to to bigger issues.
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vidsurfr writes:	Sunday, January, 27, 2008 1:01 PM
No Longer Republican
Given what the Republicans now stand for, I will probably never vote for another one. Why should I? I work 50-70 hours per week to barely make it in OC and pay the highest marginal tax rates. If I made the same amount of money by sitting on my butt, I would have paid only 15% thanks to you. Hmm..., over the years we have seen the gap between the very wealthy and the rest of us just grow larger. Could it be because the very wealthy are those that get the most benefit from lower capital gains? The opportunity is that the democrats are not much better. They'll tax me more (but at least they'll tax very wealthy even more). Recapture the votes of professionals by creating incentives for productive workers instead of incentives for those that have already "made it". Level the playing field by treating income as income no matter what the source...which by the way allows you to get rid of the AMT and be fiscally responsible. Nevermind, just remembered, it's the very wealthy that pay for political campaigns, so I guess we'll never see them pay their fair share.
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Hurricane Bruiser writes:	Monday, January, 28, 2008 10:55 AM
Earmarks are not the problem
Earmarks may be somewhat of a problem but the real dollars and real problems come about from Congress not following the Constitution and voting for and regulating areas that they have no authority to begin with. If the GOP would just stand up and say that they cannot vote for xxxxxxx because they have no authority to do so, and an amendment would be necessary to give them the authority, then we would be getting somewhere.
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tim_cuchullaine writes:	Monday, January, 28, 2008 12:15 PM
But an immaterial fraction
Of the federal budget, earmarks are great talk radio fodder, little more. The real cancer is the boom-bust cycle brought about by government intrusion into monetary affairs. Like Chinese emperors or medieval lords before them, the Congress-Federal Reserve Syndicate arrogates power first by subjecting the citizenry to legal tender laws; then by expanding the money supply unto reckless, speculative bubbles (induced by artifically cheap interest rates), only to retract it when the bubbles burst. Lacking the liquidity necessary to service the current portions of their debts, individuals and small business cast themselves on the tendermercies of government. Help comes, but at the price of liberty and ownership of one's future labor. Study the New Deal. Left to itself, the free market would chase out bad money with good. Peaceful, productive, honest workers would never have to choose between liquidity and purchasing power, as they do now. But persons who can reject the political class' currency are dangerous in that they can also reject its policies, at least to the extent that they reach beyond the scope of federal government specifically enumerated in the constitution. The general welfare clause ceases to be a blank check. Once you gain an understanding of the absolute power exercised by the Congress-Fed Cartel and perpetuated by the income tax ('twas no coincidence that we received a central bank and confiscation of our productive labor within a span of months, in 1913), you can appreciate the futility of seeking to recover limited government while leaving intact legal tender laws and a central bank. As it appears the media will not allow Ron Paul a fair hearing, prepare to be borne along the tides of false prosperity to the whirlpool of insolvency. I can only trust that the American middle class has served the purpose for which it was intended.
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About John Campbell

John Campbell is a member of the House Financial Services Committee, and has taken a leadership role in addressing the country's top economic issues. Campbell serves as a member of the Joint Economic Committee, and House Committee on the Budget. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from UCLA and a Master's Degree in Taxation from USC.