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A Better U.s. Constitution?

If you’ve read it, you may have noticed that the U.S. Constitution, in designating how representatives were to be apportioned by population, excluded “untaxed” Indians, and counted each black slave as three fifths of a person. That’s in the first couple paragraphs, by the way. Fortunately it was changed when the 14th amendment was ratified.

Obviously the writers had the prejudices of the times they lived in. The lesson here is that we cannot create a perfect constitution that will stand the test of time. To think so is to think we have nothing to learn. Any document that is so important will need to be changed as we learn more and progress in our political and moral ideas.

Of course it could be dangerous to create an entirely new constitution, given the politics that would go into writing and ratifying it. Still, if we were to do so, what should it include? I can think of many changes that I would like to see, including an electoral process that is less based on geography and more on citizens political beliefs. In such a system, representatives would be elected not by districts but by voters across the country who share common political causes or goals.

But apart from the specific provisions throughout a new constitution, there is one important change that I would like to see right up front: A declaration of purpose and intent. The current document governing the United States is vague enough that there are many “gray” areas. The result is laws that may or may not be unconstitutional, based on differing interpretations. Differing interpretations are inevitable to some extent, but a clearer statement of purpose would resolve much of the confusion. An example follows.

A New Constitution – Preamble

“The government of the United States has only the powers specified in this constitution, and may not do anything which is not explicitly authorized by this document. The intent of this document is to protect the rights of individuals within the country, both citizens and all others, and that is the only valid purpose of government. When the United States government acts outside its borders, it must still act in accordance with this constitution, and refrain from violating the rights of individuals. This is in recognition that rights are not a gift of government, or an earned privilege, but are inherent in every human being.”

The idea here is to state plainly what the intent of the constitution is and what the proper purpose of the government is. This makes it much easier to determine when a law is allowable or unconstitutional. Combined with the clear enumeration of powers laid out in the rest of the document, there would be much less room for mis-interpretation than there currently is.

It also makes it clear that rights are not a matter of citizenship. Any and all who are within the jurisdiction of the government are to have their rights respected and protected. Also, the government cannot violate an individual’s rights just because that person is not within the borders of the country.

Finally, this preamble states that government power is limited. The current United States Constitution is supposed to do this as well, but is vague in many ways. A new constitution should state plainly what the government is allowed to do, and should require that all new laws specify the constitutional clause that authorizes them. This will prevent much of our useless legislation, and help prevent an abuse of power on the part of the government.

Copyright Steve Gillman. For a look at what else might be in a New Constitution, visit: http://www.999ideas.com/new-constitution.html

QUEDOS Launch Panel – Government: Transparency and Freedom of Information [Part 1 of 4]


Sir Nicholas Montagu [Chair], Professor Michele Barrett and Professor Wayne Parsons

Non Profit Organizations and Church Grants

Many non profit organizations do not consider the idea of using church grants as a viable way to fund their ministries. Some local parishes don’t accept monies from the government or other outside sources because they may be afraid there will be strings attached. At the same time, other churches may not be aware that this type of funding is available to them. There is a recent initiative designed to aid in expanding the role that churches and not for profit groups take in social problems that our nation faces.

Churches who apply for grants from the government should start whenever they decide to write a grant proposal, because, like anything dealing with the government, the application process tends to be drawn out and fraught with red tape. When some groups prepare to request church grants, it may take as long as six weeks to put together all the information they will need. Companies like Here-4 You Consulting have made it their mission to assist your parish or group in applying for grants that are available. They generally charge a fee that will equal a relatively small percentage of the monies your church or group might receive.

Many of the grants that your group applies for can’t be used to run the day to day operations of a church. These monies are not to be used to pay rentals on buildings, or utility bills. The free church grants that you may qualify for may be given to you only if you have a specific need. For example, if you are trying to start a new at-risk children’s ministry, the grants may be there to help you. The money can help you start up a program like this.

In the United States, the former president started a program for faith-based grants. These would offer federal funding to charitable and religious groups who need it. Some people view this as controversial, and possibly bridging the supposed gap between church and state, since churches are usually already tax-free.

Church grants can be quite helpful, as long as you handle them correctly. Some volunteers and church members may be a little too eager to spend new grant monies, especially if your group was cash-strapped before you received the grant. Make sure that your church members and employees understand that the grant money must be properly allocated, and only spent for the programs you specified when you wrote the grant proposal.

Here-4-You Consulting are part of NPFunds.com. They are specialists in acquiring church grants within the Christian community.
Ann Smithson is a writer for www.npfunds.com who has experience in the financial sector.

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Shami Chakrabarti – Defend Freedom of Religion Rally


Shami Chakrabarti (Director of Liberty) Defend Freedom of Religion, Conscience and Thought Rally. 20th November 2006. Organised by BMI and Liberty. For more information, please go to www.bminitiative.net

401(K) vs IRA

Today’s marketplace offers lots of choices in terms of retirement planning vehicles. The 401(k) (or 403(b) for the nonprofit sector) and Individual Retirement Account (IRA) are two of the most common. While they share some similarities, the differences are more important for the impact they could have on the growth of your retirement funds. However, though the differences are clear, the question of which type of account is better does not have a clear answer. As you will see below, some features of the accounts may be perceived by some as advantages and as disadvantages by others. Investment preferences and retirement are personal matters, so you should weigh the options carefully before you choose an account that makes the most sense for you. In fact, if you can afford to contribute to both types of accounts, you should do so to round out your investment portfolio.

Tax advantages

The most obvious and impressive similarity between a 401(k) and IRA is the tax benefit. Money placed in both types of accounts is tax free until you withdraw and use it. More accurately, it is tax deferred. You defer the tax until you use the money. The same is true for money earned by these accounts-until you take it out, you don’t have to pay income tax on the earnings. Recent tax law changes also allow tax credits for certain types of IRAs under specific conditions. Check with your tax professional to see if opening an IRA to take advantage of such credits would be beneficial for you.

The tax benefits of an IRA are income-dependent. If you make more than an allowed amount in a given year, your contributions to your IRA may not bring any tax advantage at all. Furthermore, IRA contributions may not be fully deductible if you contribute to a 401(k) in addition to your IRA. Once again, it is smart to check with a tax professional so that you can plan your retirement contributions to maximize your tax benefits.

There is also a down side to these tax benefits. If you withdraw money from your IRA or 401(k) before you reach age 59 (and one half!), you will not only have to pay tax on the amount you withdraw, but will most likely be stuck with an early withdrawal penalty as well. The safest route is to not touch these accounts until you retire. If you must tap these funds, do so only with the advice of a tax professional so you are not surprised by unpleasant notices from the IRS come April 15.

Contribution Limits

Because the money you put into retirement accounts is tax deferred, the IRS limits the amount you may stash away. The amounts change based on your age and the rate of inflation (and the whims of Congress), but generally, $2,000 is the limit for IRAs and approximately $10,000 is the limit for 401(k) plans. Learn the rules and limits and consult with an adviser to learn how to maximize the tax advantages available to you.

Employee Benefit vs Individual Account

The biggest difference is simply that a 401(k) is offered as part of an employee benefits package, while an IRA is owned and administered by the individual account holder. This difference accounts for one of the major advantages of a 401(k) over an IRA: your employer usually matches your contribution to your plan up to a given percentage. For instance, if your contribute 2% of your pay to your 401(k) each pay period, your employer might match your contributions, essentially doubling your money. For many people, this benefit alone is reason enough to choose a 401(k) over an IRA if they must choose one or the other.

Freedom of Choice

There are also disadvantages inherent in the company ownership of the 401(k). Because more than one person owns funds in the overall account, a third party, usually an insurance company or other financial institution, administers the account. This results in less freedom for you in administrative options, such as changing, starting, or stopping contributions and in how your funds are allocated. For instance, company 401(k) plans might offer 10 mutual funds to which you can distribute your money out of the many thousands that are available. Because you are the sole owner and administrator of an IRA, by contrast, you can place the money in any investment vehicle for which you’re qualified. That freedom is essential for hands-on types who prefer to manage their own affairs and accept credit or blame for success and failure.

For some, this freedom is not an advantage at all; some people do not want to trouble themselves with asset allocation and mutual fund performance. If that describes you, a 401(k) would better serve your needs because your employer’s plan likely has an account manager watching its performance to maximize security and returns.

Whatever your preference, you are not limited to one choice or the other. Many people have both a 401(k) through their employers and an IRA. If you can afford it, contribute the maximum allowable amounts to both accounts. You’ll enjoy the tax advantages now and will be better prepared for retirement in the future.

Workforce Solutions – Human Resource Outsourcing is located in Utah and provides HR outsourcing services such as retirement benefits, payroll processing, etc. Learn more about 401 k vs. IRA.

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Grayson v. Broun on the Constitution


This is Rep. Alan Grayson and Rep. Paul Broun discussing a bill to deny funds to one specific named organization in a Science and Technology markup. Such a bill is known as ‘a bill of attainder’.

SPORTS: Nandua soccer team heads to Falls Church on Tuesday for state playoffs

SPORTS: Nandua soccer team heads to Falls Church on Tuesday for state playoffs
ONLEY — Nandua’s soccer team will be heading to Falls Church on Tuesday to take on George Mason High School in the first round of the state playoffs.

Read more on Eastern Shore News

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