For some odd reason, my family is on the US Taxpayers Party’s mailing list. We just got their newsletter... and might I say I’m convinced that the future of our nation rests on the Constitution/US Taxpayers Party winning next year. Not.
Here are a few of the 21 platform items the newsletter lists, and my responses to them:
2. Taxes - Reduce all Federal, State and local taxes in Michigan.
First of all, do you wish state and local taxes were lower in Michigan? Fine. But federal taxes? While it would be nice to send less to the IRS than other states (after all, we do receive less in return), it's kind of illegal. Besides, we need taxes to run the government.
5. Election Reform - Reform elections by requiring the use of paper ballots.
Okay, I could actually sign on to this one.
9. Restore the Republic - Review the alleged ratification of the 17th Amendment to the U.S.Constitution.
The 17th Amendment provided that US senators be elected directly by the voters instead of by state legislatures. While the Wikipedia article does mention some criticism of the Amendment, it does not say that any controversy surropunds whether the amendment was actually adopted. So maybe it was a grammatical mistake (of which there are many in the newsletter); maybe they took issue with the 16th Amendment, which deals with income taxes. Wikipedia discusses their qualms in depth.
13. Drinking Water Treatment - Eliminate fluoride and chlorine used to treat drinking water in Michigan.
What, don't they want their teeth?
Oh, and by the way:
[O]ur candidates pledge to the party to uphold the constitutions or face lifetime expulsion from the party.
"Agree with us or else!"
Ahh, third parties. Say what you will about the major parties, but let's be glad the Constitution Party doesn't have more than a snowflake's chance in Hades!
2 comments:
I agree that the Constitution/Tax Payers Party is ridiculous at best and at worst harbors some far right elements (their candidate for Attorney General last year spoke at a racist rally), but I wouldn't use them as a way of dismissing all third parties, which you seem to do with your "Ahh, third parties" comment.
On a related note, you might also want to look into the flouride issue -- numerous scientists, researchers, and activists have raised serious questions about the "healthiness" of flouride.
I'm not dismissing third parties; I'm just saying some of them can be a source of hilarity, i.e. expelling those who don't follow them blindly.
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