Everyday America

Happy Independence Day! 

The fight for personal liberty and freedom now occurs on a daily basis. Join Everyday America as we spearhead this effort.

This letter says it all!

This is a letter as read on the Glenn Beck show. It reveals the sentiment of many, "Just get back to the Constitution." It is long, but worth it.

I'm a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now. You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would horribly feel so disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut job am I? Will you please tell me?

Well, these are briefly my views and issues for which I seek representation:

One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution. P.S., I'm not a racist. This isn't to be confused with legal immigration.

Two, the TARP bill, I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you no, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.

Three: Czars, I want the circumvention of our checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution and honor it.

Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There is more to say.

Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night and then go on break. Slow down!

Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real obligations. Why don't you start there.

Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes. Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census over with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.

Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs. That is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person. Why do you want me to hate my employers? Why ‑‑ what do you have against shareholders making a profit?

Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.

Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. Have you ever ripped off a Band‑Aid? We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.

Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk. Please try ‑‑ please stop manipulating and trying to appease me with clever wording. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.

Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.

Take a breath. Listen to the people. Let's just slow down and get some input from some nonpoliticians on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed reading our bills into law. I am not an activist. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent. I work. I'm busy. I'm busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.

I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not. It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is such urgency and recklessness in all of the recent spending.

From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on you to bring our concerns to Washington. Our president often knows all the right buzzword is unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don't want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we're morons.

We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented. You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work , pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone and we are now looking up at you. You have awakened us, the patriotic spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office. We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn't ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us when he will rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.

Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this. We don't care. Political parties are meaningless to us. Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them. Because we will get you fired and they will not save you. If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be one by one. We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent? Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming.

What should a Supreme Court Justice believe?

 What kind of person should be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court? A person who understands they are not the sole and final interpreter of the U.S. Constitution. We need a person who doesn’t have a big ego, and understands it’s their job to listen to the council of the founding fathers. The Supreme Court is not a place for making policy. The only way to change the Constitution is by amendment. The Supreme Court can only provide opinions on what is contained within the Constitution, not what they would like it to contain.  The Constitution is a document which is designed to limit the reach of the federal government. Instead of abiding by this, the Court has worked to expand the reach of the federal government for the past two generations. It is also important to understand that it is not the job of the federal government to bail people and companies out of their poor decisions. A principle which is not well understood is that a free people are saddled with responsibility equal to their freedom. Historically, the United States has been the freest country in the world. Because of this, we must all bear the personal responsibility of supporting ourselves and our families. This will ensure a great country for years to come. If any current or future justice disagrees with the above, should not hold the position of Supreme Court Justice in the United States of America .

Mob rule

 What is the difference between a mobster and a politician without deeply rooted principles based in our country’s founding documents? Not much. A mobster uses a gun and brut force to obtain money and power from unwilling people, a politician uses a piece of paper and the governmental infrastructure. According to Michael Franzese, one of highest earning mobsters of all time, the one book all mobsters were required to read was “The Prince” by Machiavelli. This book is considered one of the great works of political thought. The summation of the book is “do whatever is necessary to constantly gain power and stay in the seat of authority.” This is all most politicians ever do. It is obvious some are better than others at it. We are dealing with gangsters at heart when it comes to many government officials. The one thing we still have available to fight this mentality is the vote. We can always replace these political animals with people who care about our founding principles. Otherwise, be ready to pay protection money to the government in the form of carbon tax, healthcare tax and 50 other kinds of taxes they will dream up in the next few years. Forgetaboutit.

Healthcare takeover

Why in the world is the federal government even considering an unconstitutional takeover the healthcare system? The most conservative estimate says the federal government alone has given each and every person, regardless of age, a debt to pay off of $35,000. That is $140,000 for a family of four. Now the government wants to you to pay for one of the biggest segments of the entire economy. Not only does the federal government want to sink us further into everlasting debt, but it wants to make our decision for our personal health. If we accept this massive takeover, we deserve what we get.

 Is this state and country based on "We the People" or "We the Courts"?

·        Courts only issue “opinions” about the law.

·        The Legislature and Governor can still stop this.

·        This is a pivotal moment in Iowa history.

·        Let your voice be heard. If not now, when?

 Press release concering Iowa Supreme Court's opinion on same-sex 'marriage'

Court’s opinion is only an opinion

DES MOINES – Everyday America and many Iowans are disappointed in the Iowa Supreme Court’s opinion to uphold a lower court’s decision to permit same-sex marriage in this state. It’s clear the High Court doesn’t understand the Constitution or its role in interpreting law and not creating legislation from the bench, Everyday America co-founder Jason Hamann said.

“This is purely a legislative action covered under the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA),” Hamann said. “The court only issues an opinion on Constitutional cases and the opinion is in no way bound by the force of law. If we would like to change centuries-old tradition and law concerning marriage in Iowa , it should be done by amendment. If proponents of same-sex marriage want to have that in Iowa , they can pass an amendment legalizing same-sex marriage in the state. Otherwise, the legislature has already spoken clearly on the matter.”

“This case should never have been in the judicial system to begin with,” Hamann said. “Justices who voted for ‘marriage’ do not understand the simple principle of separation of powers and should be censured by the legislature.”

Censuring shouldn’t stop with the Supreme Court justices, Hamann said.

“Any executive branch official who in any way participates with issuing same-sex marriage licenses should be censured and voted out of office or fired if appropriate,” Hamann said.

Everyday America collected thousands of petition signatures in 2007 and delivered them to the State Capitol urging the Iowa Legislature to address District Court Judge Robert Hanson legislating from the bench. In late 2007, Hanson ruled on this same case declaring DOMA unconstitutional, thereby allowing one same-sex couple to be married before putting a stay on his own opinion. Hamann and Everyday America co-founder Bill Salier stressed the legislature failed Iowans by their inability to impeach Judge Hanson.

What is truly unfortunate is the message the Supreme Court’s decision sends to Iowa ’s young people who are learning civics and government in that the sanctity of the Constitution isn’t worth the paper on which it is written, Hamann said.

“Every government official vows to uphold, protect and defend the Constitution,” Hamann said. “If they don’t, they have no business holding a position in government on any level.”

Your vote in jeopardy!

Iowa is attempting to join a disturbing number of states in passing bills that would make the Electoral College and your vote irrelevant. The states which have already passed (at least in part) similar bills are: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine,  Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Washington. These states are attempting to tread on your right to vote.  

Why is the Electoral College so important?

The Electoral College was part of the Great Compromise when designing the Constitution. The small states wanted assurances that states with larger populations could not pass policies or elect candidates who would leave the smaller states without a say. In order for small and large states to agree on a Constitution, our founding fathers devised the Great Compromise. The Compromise said that the House of Representatives would be divided according to the population of each individual state. But the U.S. Senate would have two Senators per each state. This would give smaller states an additional say in order to assure smaller states would have a more equal voice within the federal government. The Electoral College was a result of the Great Compromise to elect the President of the United States . This system simply gives the smaller states a little more weight to their vote in order to ensure small states still have a voice. The reason the Electoral College exists hasn’t changed from the day it was proposed. A majority of citizens live on the coasts today. Without the Electoral College, the middle of the country would truly be “fly over” states. You would never see another national politician go inland again. Your vote for president would count for nothing! The current system has been one of the main reasons the United States has been successful for the past 220-plus years. It helps to balance power between the states.

Everyday America vows to run a candidate against any politician of either party who supports an Electoral College change in Iowa . So far Rep. Pam Jochum and Sen. Michael Connolly have introduced bills. If you are from the Dubuque area, please contact us if you are interest in running against these people. Everyday America WILL find candidates. We are willing to help anyone out who intends to run against such candidates in any state. These are serious times. Our very VOTE is at stake right now!

The Conservatives: Why we Fail, and the Fix

Guest editorial by Chad Steenhoek, EA chapter leader in Ames,IA

Why does the conservative movement consistently fail in America? That answer is simple – it is misunderstood, and that must change if we ever plan to fix it. I don’t boast an Ivy League background, I grew up in Iowa. So while I don’t have the pedigree of other talking heads, I am a thinker. It is my hope that even though I may not gain instant credibility with you, you will see the truth in what I am saying.

We must first look at our opponent. It is a group that’s going to challenge our path, which they should, just as I pray we are going to challenge as well. They are the American left. More precisely they are the "do-gooders," the more government crowd, the common good groupies and currently the government. They live for more government, they push it at all times, they seek jobs in government, and they create jobs in government for each other. They never quit. They are tenacious, they are always on message, and they are well-organized and well-funded, mostly by government. They haven’t seen a problem the government couldn’t fix. They are masters at politics -- never under estimate them.

Conservatives want to keep the Constitution just as it is, in balance. We want to keep it chained down between Rulers Law (Tyranny) and Anarchy. We want just enough government to keep us safe, protecting our rights to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. We want to work hard, and keep what we have earned, so that we may provide for our family and friends. We are inventors, entrepreneurs, employers, factory workers, bankers and farmers. If our Nation calls upon us we will volunteer for its protection, sending our young men and women off to secure its freedom. We don’t hesitate to spill our blood at the tree of liberty.

Our shortcomings are many: We have little desire to enter into government, we have no passion for politics and we don’t fund ourselves and don’t expect the government to pay our way. We don’t have a cohesive message, or organizational structure. We are fractured into three groups of moral voters, national defense voters and economic voters. Each of these groups represent key pillars of conservative thought, but apart from the whole conservative movement they can also be our weakness.

We think because we are willing to die for our Country that we should get a pass on serving in government. We think that we have earned the right not to serve in our government. We have inaccurately bestowed virtues on government that it has not earned. We have ignored our duties in government, and in politics because of these misjudgments. We do not have the passion or desire to do the work of politics. It is not who we are.

John Adams once wrote, "I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy."

If we do not get back to the study of politics and the execution of leadership, we will have no one to hold to account but ourselves. The American Left in our country is out working hard for what they believe in. They hold their leaders accountable, they work at swaying the American people, and they indoctrinate the young of our Country in universities. What do we do? We sit here in the freedom provided to us by our forefathers, paid for in blood, and do nothing. There is no greater insult that could be heaped upon our heroes. We must fight for what we believe in with no chance of death, no chance of being killed at any moment, and we choose to do nothing. We have the luxury of studying politics, to maintain our freedom, in the comfort of the peace they provided and yet we sit idle.

What can we do to fix this problem? Educate yourself. Learn what’s in the Constitution and why it works. I recommend reading Dr. W. Cleon Skousen’s book "The Five Thousand Year Leap". Educate others: friends, family, start a study group of adults or young teens. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper. Call a radio show, call your representatives and educate them. Write in a chat room or blog. Run for office: school board, county supervisor, state legislator, United States legislator. Become a judge. Volunteer to help elect virtuous people of similar ideals. Hold your elected officials accountable. If an elected official is doing things that are unconstitutional, vote them out, no matter which party they are with. If a judge makes a ruling that is unconstitutional impeach them. If a President or Governor is acting unconstitutionally vote them out, or impeach them. If the leadership of your own party is not holding the line on the constitution, run against them, or vote them out. Hold your church accountable. If it is not fostering the growth of a moral and virtuous people, leave or get involved and change it. Never give up, never unplug, and never forget that this is the greatest country in the history of the world. Remember that we are all Americans. Remember how we felt connected to everyone in America the day after 9-11? Go and be a 9-12 American. You are not alone.

Next time you see a serviceman or woman at an airport returning to family from overseas, tell them thank you, and show them your appreciation by doing all you can here at home. You may not owe it to yourself or to me, but have no doubt, you owe it to them.

The Press Release for the Everyday America stimulus plan.

DES MOINES -- If President Barack Obama and Congress are hell-bent on spending more than $800 billion to revive the economy, then they should consider an economic stimulus plan that will actually work, Everyday America co-founder Bill Salier said Monday.

      Salier, a former U.S. Senate candidate and a leading voice of American ideals, suggests the government must significantly reduce unconstitutional spending in the federal budget. Then, Everyday America’s economic stimulus proposal would pay $950 billion into the Social Security and FICA trust funds. This figure is the estimated amount Social Security and FICA will collect this year. Once the funding is paid into the Social Security and FICA trust funds, the EA proposal would eliminate Social Security and FICA taxes from all Americans and businesses for one year.

      This plan will inject close to $1 trillion into the U.S. economy in one year, and the money goes to who will spend it most wisely, the American people, Salier said. This also eliminates any bureaucracy or additional government programs that the American people don’t have money to sustain, he added.

      The median family of four earned $75,000 in 2007, which under the Everyday America plan that family would keep an additional $5,750 of their own money to spend on bills and purchases to help stimulate the economy. Their employers would also have $5,750 it would save under this proposal to save current jobs and stimulate economic growth of businesses on Main Street instead of just Wall Street.

      "These are the ideas Republicans and moderate Democrats should be presenting," Salier said. "It only makes sense if you want to stimulate the economy you put it in the hands of the consumer, everyday Americans, not special interests and greedy government officials."

      For too long everyday Americans have shouldered the burden at the expense of special interests, Everyday America co-founder Jason Hamann said.

How do we get out of this mess? The answers are all in our online store! We recommend The 5,000 Year Leap as a great starting point.

Mission statement

Everyday America believes an educated voter is the key to a good government and great nation. Everyday America will teach the voting public through all available means about how the Constitution and Declaration of Independence relate to today's everyday problems. The public must realize that the Constitution is the rulebook for government. The voters must make politicians accountable to our rulebook. Otherwise, we have a government that begins to serve the special interests and politicians themselves instead of the people. That is what you see happening today.  Please help Everyday America spread the word about an accountable government that fixes, not hinders our everyday life.