Hamilton on the Limits of Decentralization

Federalism has always meant a partnership among the states and between the states and the federal government. Just as there are certain public goods that are indivisible so that individuals cannot purchase them and so devolve upon government, so there are federal goods that the states cannot divide and pay for individually and so must devolve upon the federal government. Defense and foreign policy are indivisible not only among individuals but also among the states. In an economy with an enhanced level of decentralization as existed in the late 18th and 19th centuries it is beneficial for defense and foreign policy to be handled by the federal government. In the Federalist Papers No. 25 Hamilton wrote this:


"It happens that some States, from local situation, are more directly exposed. New York is of this class. Upon the plan of separate provisions (of defense), New York would have to sustain the whole weight of the establishments requisite to her immediate safety, and to the mediate or ultimate protection of her neighbors. This would neither be equitable as it respected New York, nor safe as it respected the other States. Various inconveniences would attend such a system. The States, to whose lot it might fall to support the necessary establishments, would be as little able as willing for a considerable time to come to bear the burden of competent provisions. The security of all would thus be subjected to the parsimony, improvidence or inability of a part. If the resources of such part becoming more abundant and extensive, its provisions should be proportionally enlarged, the other States would quickly take the alarm at seeing the whole military force of the Union in the hands of two or three of its members...Reasons have been already given to induce a supposition that the State governments will too naturally be prone to a rivalship with that of the Union, the foundation of which will be the love of power; and that in any contest between the federal head and one of its members, the people will be most apt to unite with their local government..."

Thinking of subsequent events, the Civil War and 9/11 for instance, Hamilton's vision was accurate, not just about federalism but about New York as well.

Velvet Hammer of Ironic Surrealism Posts

Mitchell

Just in case you weren't aware. Jerome Corsi brought up the fraudulent COLB on Fox and Friends yesterday morning.

A Freeper posted a transcription.

[Corsi on Fox News 8/15/08]
Jerome Corsi...There are substantive issues...They said I got the incorrect date of Senator Obama’s marriage...what would be really helpful is if Senator Obama would release primary documents like his birth certificate. The campaign has a false, fake birth certificate posted on their website. How is anyone supposed to piece together...

Steve Doocy - What do you mean they have a false birth certificate???

J - The original birth certificate of Obama has never been released and the campaign refuses to release it...

S - couldn’t that just be a state of Hawaii produced duplicate...?

J - No, it’s a, there’s been a good analysis of it on the internet, it’s been shown to have watermarks from photoshop, it’s a fake document that’s on the webs site right now and the original birth certificate, the campaign refuses to produce.

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2062283/posts?page=30#30

Isn't that rich? ;) From his mouth to the MSM's ears. And of course since Media Matters is all over 'The Obama Nation' story they have published the rumor on their website.

- Velvet Hammer
Ironic Surrealism II

FEDEX TRACKING NUMBER FOR FEC PETITION

The following is the FEDEX tracking number for the petition I have mailed to Donald McGahan, chief of the FEC:

8668 4531 1020

The following is the FEDEX tracking number for the letter I sent to Ms. Janice Okubo concerning her misinterpretation of the Hawaii Revised Statutes and to which she did not respond:

8665 5102 3295

Petition with over 5,400 Signatures Sent to Donald McGahan, Federal Elections Commission

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) petition has over 5,450 signatures. I removed a couple of signatures and comments that were inappropriate or included inappropriate remarks. I am fedexing the petition to Mr. Donald McGahan, Commissioner of the FEC and copying the cover letter to the other members of the commission.

The Fedex Tracking Number for the petition is: 8668 4531 1020

My transmittal letter is as follows:

PO Box 130
West Shokan, New York 12494
mlangbert@hvc.rr.com
http://www.mitchell-langbert.blogspot.com
August 6, 2008

Mr. Donald F. McGahan, II, Chairman
Federal Election Commission
999 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20463

Dear Mr. McGahan:

I enclose herewith a petition with 5,451 signatures that I circulated 10 days ago. The petition is available for public view at:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Federal-Elections-Commssion/index.html

In addition, the signatures can be viewed online at:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Federal-Elections-Commssion/signatures.html

I called your office on Friday and your secretary informed me that you had not responded to my letter of more than one week ago.

Much of the concern of the 5,450 plus signers of the enclosed petition is the lack of responsiveness and attention that the Federal Elections Commission and the state boards of election have paid to verification of candidates’ identities. There seems to be no governmental body, including the Federal Elections Commission, that is willing to step forward and say that it is responsible for the competent administration of elections. In particular, you should be requiring fingerprint, birth certificate, passport, criminal record, driver record and insurance, credit history and similar information of all candidates under your jurisdiction. I do not understand how you can verify the financial information about and ethics of candidates if the same candidates may be committing identity theft and may not legally be candidates at all as defined under federal elections law. Are you certain that no federal candidate at present has engaged in identity theft?

The petition reads as follows:

The signers of this petition request the Federal Elections Commission and Mr. Donald McGahan, FEC chairman, to take responsibility to verify the eligibility of Mr. Barack H. Obama to be President of the United States. Mr. Obama has refused to produce a physical certified, stamped copy of his birth certificate. An electronically-displayed image displayed by his official campaign website has been alleged to be a forgery. We request that the FEC require Mr. Obama to authorize the FEC to obtain an official copy of his birth certificate and if he does not produce the authorization that the FEC reject his registration as a presidential candidate; that the FEC not monitor his campaign finances during the primary or election; that votes cast for Mr. Obama and reported by the states' boards of elections not be recorded and displayed by the FEC; and that Mr. Obama be considered in violation of 2 USC 437g for filing a false statement on FEC Form 2, as specified on that form.

This letter and my earlier letter, like the petition, have been posted on the World Wide Web at http://www.mitchell-langbert.blogspot.com

Sincerely,


Mitchell Langbert
PO Box 130
West Shokan, New York 12494
mlangbert@hvc.rr.com
http://www.mitchell-langbert.blogspot.com

Cc: Steven T. Walther, Vice Chairman
Cynthia L. Bauerly, Commissioner
Matthew S. Petersen, Commissioner
Caroline C. Hunter, Commissioner
Ellen L. Weintraub, Commissioner