HUNTLEY – “I assume you’re here because you feel like something isn’t going quite right,” Chad Kent, the featured guest at an April 26 meeting of the Huntley Tea Party at the Huntley REC Center, told the crowd.
Kent, a Northern Illinois speaker specializing in the U.S. Constitution, told the crowd they were right, and their concerns stemmed from the country straying from its most important document.
The reason the Constitution has held up for centuries, he told the crowd, is because it is based upon human nature. It takes into account people’s natural desire for power and, therefore, places checks and balances in between the country’s executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
Kent contrasted this system with communism or socialism, which he said sought to fit human nature into an idealized, “perfect” system.
Following the background of the thinking behind the Constitution, Kent explained the natural pyramid structure of government it set out to create.
He explained that citizens, who are the largest group, are at the bottom and should have the most power to make decisions. The next level is made of local governments, whose officials are closest to voters. They can be more easily held accountable by voters, so they can be trusted with significant voting power.
“Anytime somebody is voting on something, they need to be interested in it directly,” Kent said. “It needs to affect them, because if they’re not [affected], they’re going to vote differently than if it affects their family or their house.”
The next level is made of state government, which is less in touch with voters than local government and less accountable. At the top of the pyramid is the federal government, which Kent said could be trusted with the least amount of power because federal politicians have the least in common with voters.
“If these people thought that social security was going to affect them, if they didn’t have a fancy pension, would it look like it does now? Probably not,” Kent said of federal legislators. “If these people thought they were going to get the same third-rate healthcare that you’re going to get, do you think they would pass the healthcare bill? No.”
Federal government, Kent said, should only be in charge of decisions that affect the country as a whole, like national defense, foreign relations, and immigration.
Kent took issue with two groups he believed have far too much influence in Washington: lobbyists and executive agencies. While calling himself and the Tea Party lobbyists, he made clear that when cash contributions are exchanged for favorable laws or tax breaks, the integrity of the legislature is compromised.
“It’s when this lobbying becomes profitable that it becomes an issue,” he said.
Rather than enact laws to curb lobbyists, Kent suggested Congress turn the cold shoulder to special interest groups who offer money.
“If you take away their ability to give them those special tax breaks, what happens? Lobbyists are like raccoons; if you put the lid on the garbage, they go away,” he said.
Bribery in Congress is not the only issue, according to Kent. He spoke on federal executive departments, which he said have undue influence in lawmaking and cannot be held accountable by voters in the same way legislators can.
“We gave [our government] the power to make laws, to make legislation; we did not give them the power to make legislators,” he said.
Kent used the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as an example. The agency is responsible for setting health and safety standards, inspecting to ensure that businesses follow them, and imposing fines for businesses that do not pass inspections.
“The phrase ‘judge, jury, and executioner’ doesn’t have a positive spin for a reason,” Kent said.
Kent ended his presentation with a call to action for attendees, telling them the decisions they make today will affect the lives of their grandchildren and future generations.
“Go home and get involved like your way of life depends on it,” he said.
He added that with resources like social media and smart phones, people have more access than ever to politicians. He encouraged attendees to approach representatives online and in person and ask them about the decisions they make.
“Be cordial, be determined, and be honest, and you’ll be able to do amazing things,” he said.
