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In the last 100 Days we have seen people imprisoned and deported without due process in court, and we know that unelected Elon Musk has taken away tax dollars from government programs established by our elected representatives. Citizens should not tolerate more violations of our basic freedoms and Congress needs to call a halt to this process of dismantling the most successful democracy and economy in the history of the world.
We must not forget the importance of ensuring due legal process for everyone to avoid the unjust imprisonment of anyone. Also we need to resist taxation without representation to prevent rich tyrants from robbing the poor people of our country. We must preserve due process and representative legislation for taxation because these are the two most basic rights that we have developed over nearly nine centuries of struggling to establish and protect freedom, equality and justice in human societies.
The right to a fair trial is the due process every individual must have to remain free of tyranny. Due process is slow because it takes time in court to give each person a reasonable hearing. If our government is not willing to give this basic right to each person, none of us can be sure that we will be free tomorrow. Those who displease powerful dictators in China and Russia disappear and/or die in unexplained accidents or illnesses. This tyranny must not be the fate of free American citizens.
Taxation without representation is not as personal as imprisonment, but it may hamper economic freedom and social progress. Taxes can be helpful so long as they are just and fair. When he was creating a budget to build roads and schools, WV Gov. H.G. Kump said: "taxes are the way the people pay their bills." Sharing the responsibility for public functions is reasonable and progressive as long as it is needed by the whole society, and the tax rates are not more than tax payers can afford. Reasonable taxation is a fine art, and it can make life better for everyone.
Now we are seeing cuts in federal programs that are greatly needed in West Virginia, but state officials are not able to get federal funding. After winter flooding in WV coalfields, Gov. Morrisey asked for help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA], but cuts made by the unelected Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency [DOGE] reduced funding for FEMA, and West Virginians got nothing.
Also, WV Sen. Capito has not been successful in seeking funding for sick miners because the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health [NIOSH] established by Congress has been cutback by DOGE. The richest man in the world has been a clear example of the rich robbing the poor to avoid paying higher taxes. Congress should protect programs that help poor people suffering from natural disasters and occupational hazards. What kind of government makes poor people suffering while the rich wield chainsaws to cut the funding that poor people need?