Featured letter: Convention would rein in federal abuse of power

A Convention of States must be called to limit the abuses of power and jurisdiction of the federal government. Major abuses have effectively caused four crises:

1. a spending and debt crisis which, even if the federal government confiscated everything owned by all private citizens, it wouldn’t cover the debt;

2. a regulatory crisis in which executive branch agencies regulate with no accountability;

3. a state sovereignty crisis caused by congressional grants to states that attach mandates, turning state legislatures into mere regional agencies of Congress;

4. federal takeover of decision making on every level, including state and local.

Liberty requires strict adherence to the principle that power is limited and is constitutionally delegated. Liberty is not a partisan issue. Washington, D.C., will never relinquish power regardless of the results of coming elections. Today it’s too big an issue to be completely resolved by elections, too entangled in the daily affairs of everyday people.

Without the intervention of a Convention of States convened for the purpose of reining in these abuses, the enormously overreaching federal government will continue to bankrupt our nation, embezzle the legitimate authority of the states, and destroy our liberty.

This story was originally published May 25, 2016 at 6:08 PM with the headline "Featured letter: Convention would rein in federal abuse of power."