To the editor:

Everyone is complaining about the “swamp” and how it needs to be drained in Washington DC. The “swamp” does not just exist in Washington DC, it’s alive and flourishing in our states, counties, cities and townships as well. Not all perhaps, but too many. Why is this happening? Where do you think these “swamp rats”, as many are called, come from? They come from a wide array of backgrounds and localities, and you, that vote, elect them. Those elected locally can be your friends and/or neighbors, maybe even a relative. What about your State Representatives and Senators? How many of you know them or even who they are?

When it gets up to Federal Representatives and Senators, who among you know them, other than what you read in a newspaper or see on TV? To most people they are total strangers and yet, they have the biggest impact on virtually every aspect of our lives, liberties and property rights. More than that, departments of this, that and the other have an even greater impact and those department bureaucrats, with power to implement un-legislated rules, regulations and “fines”, have been created by those total strangers you voted for.

Much of what is being discussed here was caused by actions taken about 107 years ago when Amendments 16 and 17 were ratified. Sixteen gave the Federal Government the authority to take money directly from your earnings and 17 removed the voice of the States in the United States Senate. Both were contrary to the principles and beliefs of our Founders when they created our Constitution to form a national government with “limited” powers clearly defined.

If one understands the principles and why our Founding Fathers gave us a republic and not a democracy, one would see and understand how our Constitution was corrupted by those two amendments and how many politicians, “swamp rats” if you prefer, use it to increase the power of the government “over” the people rather than us having a government “by” the people. If things aren’t changed by the people in a peaceful, Constitutional way, we will lose our republic and we will have a democracy and “mob rule”.

Roger Baumann

Wabasso