Nestled along the Blue Mountain Ridge in northwestern tier of Northampton County is thirty square miles known as Lehigh Township, home to 9,700 people. Unless a gigantic hog farm is proposed, it's pretty quiet up there.They don't like lots of hogs, even with lipstick. They don't like them up there, or in the nation's capitol, either. Last night, supervisors unanimously approved advertising an ordinance condemning the Federal Health Care Reform Act as unconstitutional, and calling on AG Tom Corbett "to protect the citizens of Lehigh Township from any and all effects of the Federal Health Care Reform Act."
According to Township Secretary Treasurer Alice Rehrig, Corbett has been invited to attend the April 13 supervisors' meeting.
The text of this proposed ordinance is below:
WHEREAS, Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution establishes the specific powers of the Congress of the United States; and
WHEREAS, The 10th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States establishes the powers and authority not granted to the Federal Government are belonging to the States and the People respectively; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors of Lehigh Township recognizes that the Federal Health Reform Act violates the limitations duly imposed on the Federal Government; and
NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby ENACTED AND ORDAINED, and it is enacted and ordained by the Board of Supervisors as follows:
1. The Board of Supervisors of Lehigh Township, on behalf of the citizens of Lehigh Township, do fully support and encourage Pennsylvania Attorney General, Tom Corbett, in joining with numerous Attorneys General in several States, in challenging the constitutionality of the Federal Health Reform Act.
2. A letter of support shall be crafted and sent, to Attorney General Tom Corbett, on behalf of Lehigh Township Board of Supervisors, and the citizens of Lehigh Township, requesting that the full power of the Office of the Attorney General be utilized to protect the citizens of Lehigh Township from any and all effects of the Federal Health Reform Act.
3. This Ordinance shall become effective immediately.
23 comments:
Yokels.
They are Americans participating in their government.
What a bunch of ignorant rubes
Like most states, we are in terrible shape financially, lacking money for schools, roads or health care. We cannot afford bankrolling frivolous lawsuits.
It is hard to understand how the states are harmed in any way by the billions of dollars the Medicaid expansions will pour into their states to cover millions of their residents, many of whom would otherwise be treated by providers without compensation. But in any event, states can simply opt out of Medicaid if they choose not to participate.
The Supreme Court has long upheld spending clause programs that require states that accept federal program funds to comply with federal program requirements, and this law simply follows those precedents.
Under the reform legislation, insurers must take all applicants regardless of pre-existing conditions. The insurance market can only function if healthy people buy insurance, helping to share the cost burden with those who get sick. We cannot simply let people wait until they are sick to purchase it.
But more fundamentally, people who can afford insurance and don't buy it are simply being irresponsible. An auto accident or serious disease can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Why should the taxpayers or health care providers have to finance the care of those who refuse to buy insurance?
The Constitution gives Congress the power to regulate commerce among the states.
The Supreme Court has long held that this authority reaches all economic activity. The court has recognized as legitimate exercises of the Commerce Power the authority of Congress to prohibit the growing of a few marijuana plants on a window sill for personal medical use or to outlaw a doctor's performing of a partial-birth abortion.
Choosing whether to buy insurance or impose your health care costs on others is economic activity subject to that authority.
God bless local communities for standing up to the monster federal government. Nobody should be forced to buy anything in this country that isn't required to participate in a privilege (e.g. operating a motor vehicle).
And why all the snipes from the left? Our current president was a proud community activist. He's called it one of the high callings of American civic life. This is the working definition of community activism in the face of Goliath foe.
It's rewarding when hypocrites are hoisted by their own petard.
No state has to do anything, except make its choice known to the federal government. section 1333 of the act allows states to apply for a waiver to take a completely different approach to covering their residents if they have a better idea.
I have other complaints to make upon this vexatious occasion; but I forbear troubling myself or you any further. I must freely confess, that since my last return, some corruptions of my YAHOO nature have revived in me by conversing with a few of your species, and particularly those of my own family, by an unavoidable necessity; else I should never have attempted so absurd a project as that of reforming the YAHOO race in this kingdom: But I have now done with all such visionary schemes for ever.
Captain Gulliver
"Like most states, we are in terrible shape financially, lacking money for schools, roads or health care. We cannot afford bankrolling frivolous lawsuits."
Or unfunded mandates. Or forcing everyone to buy health insurance. Congress has never forced its citizens to enter into a contract with a private insurance company.
There is nothing frivolous about this suit at all, although I'll agree it's an uphill battle.
Way to go LT! Do not allow corporate greed to stand in the way of protecting your citizens. CAFO's produce nothing more than hormone and antibiotic laden Frankenfood. Way to go chairman Darryl Snover!
Anon. 5:03, Let's be nice if we can.
Capt. Gulliver, Good luck with that then. "Allentown is Nice" is a few blocks down the blogosphere.
Anon 4:33
Your post is ignorant. Lehigh Township is a nice place, you should be supporting the attempt by local government to keep it that way.
Twp. rights, ride on! I saw that my Twp. asphalt covered a road I never use, so I am taking them to court to pro-rate my taxes. Why should I pay for paving a road I will never use. Right on my friends, Oahre is right. He knows, he is a lawyer and would not mislead us right?
Stand up to big government at all levels. Those Twp. supervisors are out of touch with the people.
Don't tread on me!!!!
Pappy!!!
Yes. We should always defer to the federal government. It knows what's good for us.
And how many trillions of dollars has the Bush administration and the republicans that led us into war in Iraq cost us?
Exactly. It matters not what party is in charge. The federal government should not be trusted and should be resisted.
The defense budget this year is $685 billion. We spend $94 billion to provide healthcare to the populace and THAT is out of control?
These Americans have selective perception to say the least.
Does the defense budget, which dos provide for our security, force Americans to enter into contracts with private companies. Does it impose unfunded mandates on state government?
This ignorant rube could kick your ass.
Apparently there are a fair number of people who have either inadequate mental capacity to understand the Constitution, or simply choose to disregard it entirely. The Constitution, to be worth anything, must be held sacred, and rigidly observed in all its provisions. There is no power given to the government to affect charity, whether for 20 dollars, or 20 billion dollars. The abuses of power simply cannot be allowed to continue, if we desire this union to remain intact and solvent. As well intentioned as many programs are (Social Security, Medicare, and many, many others), they are all outside of the bounds placed on the federal government by the founding fathers. That We the People have allowed these usurpations is a terrible thing, and history has shown that nations who follow this path are destined to crumble from within.
The Constitution is not sacred. The founding fathers were men, mortal men, slave owning men. The original Constitution applied to white land owning men. I hold the Constitution to be one of the greatest achievements of human governmental documents. Yet it must always be remembered as a template to our laws and not the modern equivalent of the Ten Commandments.
Some of you people would have America become like the medieval Italian city states. Get a grip. We are a complex society that needs to adapt to the world environment.
Tom
Your right on. When did they speak to the people last. Some have been on entirely too long. We need term limits
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