An Overlooked Line in Declaration Brought to Light

On this 4th of July, allow me to take a moment of personal privilege to congratulate my parents, Robert and Earline Cole on their 74th wedding anniversary. Both in their 10th decade of life still love each other till death do us part. Congratulations.

On its last day in session, the US Supreme Court handed down a ruling in the case of West Virginia v EPA that, without making specific mention, brought to light an overlooked line in the Declaration of Independence. One of the specific grievances against King George was a single sentence of just 23 words.

The grievance reads: “He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.”

It almost appears as if the founding fathers peered into the crystal ball to see the state of our nation two centuries down the road. We brought upon ourselves the thing we hated – the administrative state.

The administrative state is not mentioned in the Constitution. Although it resides in the Executive branch, it is not one of the branches of government. While the Constitution makes no mention of it, the administrative state has grown to enact more rules having the force of law and issues even more guidance documents. A guidance document may not have the force of law but for all practical purposes it carries the weight of law through implication and sometimes intimidation.

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote a concurring opinion which pointed to the rapid growth of the federal government. In one of his footnotes, Gorsuch noted that between 1970 and 1990 the Code of Federal Regulations grew from 44,000 pages to 106,000. While Congress passes 200 to 400 laws each year, the administrative agencies issue 3,000 to 5,000 final rules. (Footnote 2 in Gorsuch concurring opinion page 7)

Quoting from the Federalist papers, Gorsuch wrote, “the framers believed that a republic— a thing of the people—would be more likely to enact just laws than a regime administered by a ruling class of largely unaccountable “ministers.”

So, as you celebrate another year of America’s Declaration of Independence, keep in mind that it takes more than a mighty military to maintain our freedom. Like erosion slowly moves the earth underneath one grain at a time, our freedom is in danger of being taken over one regulation at a time by “a multitude of New Offices” and “swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.”

Have a great Independence Day and resolve to stay free.

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Wayne Johnson Will Sue to Stop Joe Biden from Cancelling Student Loan Debt

Early voting starts today. If you are in the 2nd District, I support, and ask you to vote for Wayne Johnson for Congress in the Republican primary. Here is just one reason why.

Joe Biden came out last week with his plan to cancel student loans. Wayne Johnson fired back with a promise to do more than just talk about how bad the plan was.

“I will sue Joe Biden.” Five action packed words summed up Johnson’s practical problem solving approach.

Tucker Carlson said that Wayne Johnson is the most knowledgeable man in America on the issue of student loans. He served in the Trump administration running the student loan program and saw the multitude of problems with the student loan program and recommended that the entire program be killed.

I wrote about Wayne’s common sense approach to solve the problem in an article last January. (“When You’ve Dug a Hole, Stop Digging”) What Joe Biden is proposing is not a solution.

Read Wayne’s press release below and you will see why I support Wayne Johnson. He is willing to tackle serious issues for our nation and the 2nd District. Wayne does not just talk the talk. He walks the walk.

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 28, 2022
CONTACT: Dan McLagan
media@johnsoncongress.com

Trump Education Official Wayne Johnson Declares
“I Will Sue Joe Biden” To Stop Student Loan Debt Cancellation

“Taxpayers should not be forced to make an in-kind contribution to the Joe Biden or Sanford Bishop re-election campaigns”

Columbus, GA. – Former senior Trump Administration DOE official, and Republican Congressional candidate, Dr. Wayne Johnson said he will file a lawsuit against the Biden Administration if it moves to unlawfully cancel student loan debt by way of executive action, as the administration signaled it is intending to do.

“The White House, the Department of Justice and the Department of Education all know that any unilateral or broad form of student loan debt cancellation requires full congressional approval,” stated Johnson.

Johnson said Biden and Secretary Cardona are bending to the wishes of Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders with the belief that if they push the “idiotic” forward, no one will object in the courts.

“I will bring a Federal lawsuit if this is done,” said Johnson. “I will seek an immediate injunction and make a promise to the American taxpayers that I will do all I can to stop this overreach by Biden.”

Tucker Carlson interviewed Johnson in 2020 and said Johnson knows more about the federal student loan program than anyone in the country.

“Our nation’s student loan situation is a sad, sad mess,” said Johnson. “In fact, it’s a financial abomination affecting millions of families. To do something like what Biden and just about every Democrat is wanting to do — just giving away taxpayer money, without any plan to stop this problem going forward — is political pandering at its worst and a prime example of why we need to ‘Stop the Stupid’ in Washington.”

Johnson, who oversaw the $1.7 trillion student loan program during the Trump Administration as the Chief Operating Officer for the Office of Federal Student Aid, has previously called for eliminating the entire Federal Student Loan Program. His proposals have recommended “defined dollar limit” federal grants and having banks and other lenders, including schools themselves, offer student loans and otherwise provide for the financing of higher education for students.

“Canceling student loan debt while leaving the program itself unchanged is a recipe for continuously repeating this crisis,” Johnson explained. “That is the definition of insanity and will continue to send future generations into debt. It also creates the ongoing moral hazard of people expecting that if debt is cancelled once, it will be canceled again in the future; so why not borrow to the max, believing full well it will never have to be paid back.”

“Taxpayers who pay their debts, work hard and live within their means should not be handed a bill for a purely political act by a president who is floundering in the polls,” Johnson said. “Taxpayers should not be forced to make an in-kind financial contribution to Joe Biden’s re-election campaign or that of Sanford Bishop and other liberal members of Congress who are running scared from the debacle that is our current situation in Washington.”

“There is a way that we as a nation can solve this problem of runaway, out of control student loan debt and absurd college cost. However, it will require Republicans in Congress to take the “Bull by the horns” to change law and bring fiscal sanity into play. I am the Republican who has the knowledge and experience to lead this”, according to Dr. Johnson.

Johnson is a rock-solid conservative candidate in the Republican Primary in the 2nd Congressional District covering Middle and Southwest Georgia. Johnson served as a Senior Official within the Trump Administration, was an officer in the U.S. Army and is an Eagle Scout.

Johnson obtained his undergraduate and doctoral degrees from Mercer University and his MBA from Emory University. He was born, raised and currently resides in Macon.

www.JohnsonCongress.com

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When You’ve Dug Yourself in a Hole – Stop Digging

In this commentary, I will address the Federal Student Loan program. For full disclosure purposes, I am paid as Campaign Manager for Wayne Johnson for Congress. The opinions I share on DonCole.com are mine and I am not being paid to write this article.

Student loans were in the news when the Covid suspension of payments was about to end this month. President Biden kicked the can down the road until May, thus postponing another political disaster within his administration when millions would have to begin making payments again. Continue reading

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Sickening Surrender

Sometime on Monday afternoon, I began to experience a sickening feeling. The last American aircraft was flying out of Kabul.

Hundreds of Americans were still stuck in Afghanistan having been refused entry to the airport. Most will hopefully be allowed to leave the country after September 1 when it is clear that the Taliban, not the United States, gave them permission to leave.

It is likely that some will be detained, perhaps even incarcerated for alleged espionage or other crimes against the ruling authorities. The State Department and President will perform the official wringing of hands and say that it is unacceptable.

That line of “unacceptable” has always made me laugh. How can it be unacceptable if we are accepting it by doing nothing? Continue reading

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Don Cole Qualified for Office

The late Tip O’Neill, Speaker of the US House of Representatives during the Reagan Administration, once said, “All politics is local.” He even wrote a book by that title. 

Local politics is government closest to home. You can see news reports about events around the world, but you feel it when your car hits that pothole in the street, or the garbage truck runs late. 

Because “all politics is local,” I qualified for Ward 3, Cordele City Commission last Friday, August 20. Continue reading

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Show Trials, Freedom, and Kudzu

Her words were reminiscent of a forced confession and apology to the benevolent Communist Chinese government. Her chilling statement; however, was not made in Beijing. It was made in a United States Courtroom in Washington, DC. Continue reading

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All Government Money Comes from You

We need to talk. As a nation we have spent on Covid relief as if money was perpetually flowing from an endless fountain. 

Employers cannot find workers because for some it is more profitable to draw government benefits. 

Don’t get angry at the person taking the benefits. The individual drawing the payments did the research and determined that it was worth the effort to apply for it and receive it if qualified. Continue reading

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Reapportionment – A Reason for Optimism in the 2nd District

There is little choice but to expand into strong Republican counties. The 2nd District could finally be competitive.

Every ten years we have a census in the United States. The purpose of the census is to determine the number of representatives from each state in the US House of Representatives. States and local governments also use the census to redraw the political districts, from Congress to County Commissions and many more.

The Supreme Court has established a rule commonly known as, “one man, one vote” for political districts. Continue reading

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