government bill of rights

• How Local Government Scorned the U.S. Bill of Rights

BY DOUG STINEHAGEN AND DOUGLAS BRUCE Today is the 218th anniversary of the adoption of the Bill of Rights. Our city government recently showed how little it respects the freedoms listed there.

• Gazette, The; Colorado Springs, Colo.
• January 18, 2010

• Provisions of bill of rights excepted from powers of government; to forever remain inviolate

• Texas Constitution

• Obama Wants 'Second Bill of Rights' That Guarantees Government Welfare

To: BOOK EDITORS Contact: Peyton Knight, +1-202-828-1202, for ATI-News|Zogby

• U.S. Newswire
• October 30, 2008

• Q&Amp;a with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist

The Bill of Rights is a tangible way to educate the public about their rights and to reinforce the responsibilities of agency and agency employees. Since I established the Bill of Rights for agencies under my purview, we have been contacted by other state and local government agencies wanting to follow suit. The Bill of Rights is enforceable by my administration and is also backed by our Constitution and Florida's strong open meeting and public record laws.

• News Media and the Law
• Vol. 32 Nbr. 1, January 2008

• Battle Over Spending Limit Continues After Arizona Gov. Veto

After fighting for years, small-government advocates thought they had a victory as the Legislature passed HB2707, the so-called Taxpayer Bill of Rights measure that would place strict limits on how quickly government spending could increase. But their celebration was short-lived, as Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed the bill on April 28, despite the fact that it found broad GOP support in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

• Arizona Capitol Times
• May 12, 2011

• Taxpayer Bill of Rights Headed for Referendum ; State House: The Proposal to Cap State Government Spending Will Be Sent to Maine Voters Later This Year.

Organizers of a drive to cap government spending and give voters the final say on tax increases have enough support to send the issue to a statewide referendum this year. Supporters of a so-called taxpayer bill of rights submitted 51,611 valid signatures to the state, about 1,100 more names than needed to place the issue on the ballot. The referendum will be held at the general election Nov. 7 unless the Legislature moves up the vote to the June 13 primary election. Lawmakers could actually adopt the proposal during the current session, though it almost always rejects such initiatives and sends them to voters.

• Portland Press Herald
• May 04, 2006

• Our Readers' Views

Honor Bill of Rights' guarantees Dec. 15 is a date that should be held most dear to all Americans. It was set aside by President Franklin Roosevelt to honor the most precious document of American government: the Bill of Rights. No other nation has such civil liberties guaranteed to their citizens.

• The Columbian
• December 16, 2008

• Guest Column: Constitutional Rewrite

Crushing national debt. Out of control spending far beyond government's defined role and scope. Entitlements far beyond the public's ability to pay. What separates the State of Colorado from these devastating characteristics of the federal government and many other states in our union? TABOR - the Taxpayers Bill of Rights. There has been a lawsuit filed in federal court against TABOR by a likely group of folks, the majority of whom live off, or have a direct interest in, sustained and/or increased government spending. There has been some coverage about the lawsuit, but surprisingly not what one might expect in light of the fact that this lawsuit's primary mission is in fact, an attempt for a federal judge to reinterpret the Republican Form of Government Clause in the U.S. Constitution. ...

• Gazette, The; Colorado Springs, Colo.
• June 20, 2011

• Government Should Not Abuse the Constitution; James Madison Created Bill of Rights to Benefit the Citizens

Memo to: Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, principal author of the majority decision in Kelo v. New London. From: James Madison (deceased), principal author of the Constitution and Bill of Rights

• Telegraph - Herald (Dubuque)
• July 10, 2005

• Liberty Comes Alive Once a Year ; Bill of Rights Day Marks an Opportunity to Punish Anti-Freedom Politics

Wednesday was the 219th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights - the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. Bill of Rights Day should be the pre-eminent Anti-Politician Day on the American calendar. Instead, it has become simply another pretext for rulers to delude the ruled, an opportunity that the Obama administration is exploiting. Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1787, "A Bill of Rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inference." Yet, some of the Founding Fathers - such as Alexander Hamilton - fought tooth and nail against codifying any limit on politicians' power. The second president - John Adams - did all he could to destroy any restraints on the feds' power to suppress criticism ...

• The Washington Times
• December 16, 2010