Where in the US Constitution is Congress Granted the Authority to Spend Funds to Directly Subsidize Industry?

Where in the Constitution is Congress granted the authority to spend funds to directly subsidize industry, or to enter into joint ventures with automobile companies, or to guarantee loans to favored business owners?
Yet, since the New Deal, by applying very expansive readings of the General Welfare Clause, the Supreme Court has allowed Congress to redistribute wealth from taxpayers to favored business interests. Some spending that benefits businesses, such as infrastructure spending and the funding of courts to enforce contracts, also benefits the population as a whole. But those are expenditures that benefit all companies and citizens generally and are usually not geared to a specific activity or industry. The programs of the corporate welfare state, on the other hand, do not fit this definition.

http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa592.pdf

” to provide for the general well fare” has been used to justify just about anything.

However, “not expressly provided for shall be reserved to the state” is pretty much ignored.

(These are paraphrases. I did not look up the text. It is readily available. I am just quoting from memory.)

The point you are really bringing up here is that no written law will ever countermand the will of the people. Even a dictator can not rule, should even a small percentage of the population demand otherwise.

The people of the US, contrary to their opinions early in our nation’s history, believe more and more that the government must reduce our liberties in order to grantee our security.

That translates into everything from protecting some large private institutions with large cash infusions to eliminating the right to privacy.

I agree with your concerns.

Jerry

X1 MOBIL: mobile marketing for BMW X1 launch activities

Garmin nuvi 465T Automobile Navigator 0100078600 $291.37 Garmin nuvi 465T Automobile Navigator 0100078600

Garmin nuvi 3750 Automobile Portable Navigator 0100085840 $326.65 Garmin nuvi 3750 Automobile Portable Navigator 0100085840

Garmin nuvi 1300 Automobile Navigator 0100078240 $128.24 Garmin nuvi 1300 Automobile Navigator 0100078240

Automobile – Michael Bugler – Greeting Card $2.89 “The classic automobile on this masculine card is set on a maturely colored and artistic background. Send a nice greeting, guy to guy, with this very unique card. 4.75″” x 4.75″” Folded Card”

Alzheimers Activities $33.99 The Best Friends Book of Alzheimer’s Activities features 147 versatile, easy-to-implement activities – both formal and informal – that allow the caregiver to create “the art of being together.” Special emphasis is placed on small group activities and “one-on-one” impromptu moments. Softcover, 199 pages.

---

Comments are closed