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E-mail'Pay czar' unconstitutional
Upon hearing about Kenneth Feinberg, the Treasury Department's "special master" for compensation, limiting the pay of top executives, I checked the Constitution for the express duties of the executive branch (Article 2, Section 2) and found no reference to any authority over private industry. I then made phone calls to my representative in the U.S. House and to both of my U.S. senators to inquire if they would confront the executive branch on its abuse of its constitutional authority.
The response from two of the aides was that they did not know what the feelings of their superior were and that they would refer my question to them for a reply. This is sad enough by itself.
The response from the aide in Sen. Bob Casey's office was, "I don't think he's concerned about the Constitution." Whether the aide was referring to Sen. Casey or Mr. Feinberg or the president, I do not know, but it was quite disturbing. I responded by saying that all of our representatives in government are required to take an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and asking what happened to that. The young man responded by saying that a number of court rulings had been made and that the decision to do this was based on them.
The courts are not the Constitution. The question remains: Where is the constitutional authority for this and many other actions of our government today?
Someone considerably more intelligent expresses my fear. Thomas Jefferson said: "Were we directed from Washington when to sow, and when to reap, we should want bread."
Are we a nation ruled by law (the Constitution) or have we become a nation ruled by man? Thomas Jefferson also said: "In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution."
D. King
Hempfield
