By Matthew Hayward Madam Speaker, distinguished colleagues, and fellow legislators, I rise before you today on behalf of my constituents who have expressed their concerns regarding the issue of income tax. As their representative, it is my duty to ensure that their perspectives are taken into account and that their deeply held principles are given the consideration they deserve. Some of my constituents hold the belief that an income tax suggests the state has ownership over its citizens and possesses the authority to determine how much of their hard-earned income they are allowed to keep. They argue that this concept bears a concerning resemblance to slavery, as it infringes upon the fundamental right to self-ownership. I understand that this may be a contentious viewpoint. Still, it is crucial that we, as legislators, listen to the concerns of all citizens, regardless of whether or not we personally agree with them. In doing so, we uphold the democratic principles that our great natio...

Did the Tea Party really shut down the government? With the last federal shutdown behind us and the possibility of another one looming in the months to come, there is a lot of misunderstanding and blame-shifting going on. I hope to clear up the smoke and mirrors both parties, and the media throw up. Please understand there is a big difference between political theory and political reality (most of the time). I’m going to save us all time and myself some embarrassment by leaving out, for the most part, political reality. I’m not going to get into political reality because it is rarely taught in college or high school, and most people who are involved with politics or follow it closely are truly clueless about how things work. Let’s not pretend we are an informed public; instead, let’s ensure we all are on the same page with how things are supposed to work. In theory, how our government was designed to function “of the people, by the people, and for the people” is much b...