I would like to take time over the next several weeks or months to address, one by one, the various Planks in the CP Platform. To begin with I will only address those Planks specific to the CP of Wisconsin Platform then, if motivated, I'll tackle the National Planks. Since much time has been devoted to the first Plank already (that's the Sanctity of Life Plank, fyi...), I will start a bit further down the list and proceed alphabetically.

This week's Plank is titled "Borrowing Money" and it reads: "The CPoW calls upon Congress to refrain from incurring debt, except upon the formal Declaration of War pursuant to Article I, Section 8, and solely for the purpose of financing such a constitutional war for its duration or to fulfill obligations undertaken during and as part of that war, and to refinance the national debt to prevent default."

One of the things I truly admire about the CP Platform is the amount of time that Godly men have put into the wording of this entire document. As was pointed out to us very plainly during the Clinton administration, words mean things. All words, not just some, have an intended meaning and purpose for being used. It's not enough to say "is", you have to define the meaning of the word as it is used in context, or so former President Clinton purposed during his impeachment hearing when he asked "what is 'is'"?

For the purpose of this week's commentary I will define "Borrowing Money" as - seeking and receiving permission from the rightful owner to temporarily use that which belongs to the owner. The key word there being "temporary", I think.

The Constitution imparts Congress with the duty to create, or mint, money. At the time the document was drafted all real money was in the form of gold and silver coins. In today's world of fiat treasury notes the ink on the paper is worth more than the face value of the denomination since our fractional reserve banking system allows for a mere five percent (or less) value to dollar printed. But that subject is another Plank entirely so I will move on.

"The Constitution Party of Wisconsin calls upon Congress to refrain from incurring debt", a simple, if not elegant statement. The meaning of the words is clear enough, although for my money it doesn't go quite far enough... It's like asking an alcoholic to refrain from taking another drink after they've been in the bar for hours. Chances are the addiction is in control and the addict is unlikely to listen to reason.

But, for the sake of this commentary, let's examine that statement a bit further. What we're saying to Congress is, "don't borrow money" plain and simple.

Article I of the U.S. Constitution, which deals with the legislative branch, in Section 8, which defines the "Scope of Legislative Power" begins with the statement "The Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;" and the second item in Section 8 states "To borrow money on the credit of the United States;".

Asking Congress to "refrain from borrowing money" is nothing more than the owner of the money, that being "we the people", telling our elected officials to be good stewards of the resources they have been entrusted with.

Ideally, the first item in Section 8 should provide for the necessary funds to run the government through the collection of taxes, duties, imposts and excises. Any expenditure outside the legitimate ability of Congress to raise funds necessary for the administration of the United States is unconstitutional. However, the authors of this document understood that there may be occasion from time to time, wherein the legitimate expenses may temporarily exceed the amount of money collected by legitimate means. Therefore the second statement was added authorizing Congress to borrow money on the credit of the United States.

The CPoW Plank recognizes this legitimate need but seeks to limit Congressional borrowing to a time of declared war and only then for the purpose of funding such a declared war. The United States Congress has not declared war since December 11 of 1941 so our current level of national debt, (ready for this?) stands at $8,455,570,242,849.69 (taken from http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/). That's 8.5 trillion (yes, trillion with a "T") that the United States owes to various creditors.

At our current population of 299,263,444 we each owe $28,254.61. But that number increases by $1.68 billion dollars per day, or as I kept refreshing that web page, it works out to about $3 additional per person, per day - every person. A new born baby in the United States today incurs a share of this national debt to the tune of $28,000, compounding hourly (one penny every 4.5 minutes), the child born seconds ago will enter the work force at age 18 owing $47,176.21 towards the national debt.

And the government doesn't considered this slavery because why?

I started out this commentary with the intent of explaining, providing a basis for, one Plank of the CPoW Platform. Instead I have managed to anger myself at the reality that by the time my youngest child graduates from college my family's obligation to the national debt will total more than three-hundred thousand dollars. I sure hope my kids, or their husbands, get good paying jobs...

Awaiting that time, and failing a change for the better in our nation, it will be a new item in the list of things we currently pray for every night. May God Almighty bring about an awakening of the American citizen before this financial house of cards collapses, burying everyone in the mess.

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