Dear editor:

After reading Zac Taylor’s misguided editorial of Aug. 29 in the Powell Tribune, I find it necessary to set the record straight. In the Wyoming State Constitution, Article 1, section 36 and 37; state that “rights not enumerated are reserved to the people” and that the U.S. Constitution is the supreme law.

And of that, Article 4, section 4 is the required oath of office for all officials. The primary writer of the federal constitution was James Madison, who was given credit for 80% if it. Madison stated in the Federalist Papers that, “Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government.” Thus in both of our state and federal constitutions there is no authorization for government to have the power to subsidize or give grants to any business or individual. Madison had made it clear to Hamilton that subsidizing the rich or the poor was both immoral and unconstitutional, in a Constitutional Republic.

When King George IlI subsidized his favored businesses, like the ship builders and cannon makers, these concepts were called Mercantilism, in Mussolini’s time they were called Fascism and today they are called Crony Capitalism. 

Years later the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791 and Madison was elected to the House of Representatives. In 1794 a bill was proposed in Congress to appropriate $15,000 to assist some French refugees. Madison stood on the floor of the House to object, stating, “I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.”

Years later John Adams explained: “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God and that there is a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.” “If Thou Shalt Not Covet and Thou Shalt Not Steal are Commandments of heaven, then they must also be included into our laws.”

The solutions for Wyoming are to privatize the Wyoming Business Council and to abolish all of the unconstitutional funding subsidies and grants to businesses. Forward Cody must be abolished and James Klessens should go get an honest job along with Aaron Davidson and Sandy Newsome, just like the rest of us! Quit feeding off of the hard working taxpayers of Park County! As far as a new shooting range is concerned, Cody already has an excellent long range one. Send back the proposed $10 million in stolen property tax money back to the rightful property owners of the money. Quit violating both of our constitutions and the Ten Commandments.

Richard Newell

Cody