February 12, 2008 (LPAC)--
"Defend the General Welfare?"
"Show Me Where in the Constitution it Says That!"
This point was the central issue today, as fights over the HBPA continued in the New Hampshire State Legislature. LaRouche Youth Movement member Meghan Roulliard testified at the second public hearing held by the State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee on HCR-14, "Urging Congress to establish the Homeowners and Bank Protection Act." The first hearing occurred on January 15th, where LYM member Stephanie Nelson had to testify to defend HCR-14 against attacks from the State Bankers' Association, when the bill's sponsors wouldn't.
Despite the fact that the world's financial system has only gone into further stages of hyperinflation and economic crisis since January (exactly as presented in the LYM testimony), certain NH Assemblymen have not called on Congress to halt the crisis. Far from it; they have run the other way by attaching an amendment to HCR-14, which makes it a completely irrelevant resolution in support of the Federal Congress's HR-3609 (a bill proposing to halt the foreclosure crisis by having people declare bankruptcy).
At today's hearing, the Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Kris Roberts, testified first in favor of the resolution, despite the fact that "bankruptcy's not fun for anyone," and defended the amendment as something which would have the "least market disruption." A young New Hampshire citizen and LaRouche supporter testified next, telling the committee that the amendment completely ignores the larger crisis in the financial system, and that if the committee backs down, they're letting Congress off the hook. His testimony was followed up by LYM member Meghan Roulliard. She began by announcing that the HBPA, without any goofy amendments, was scheduled for a vote in the Rhode Island Statehouse this week. She re-emphasized that the nation is in the middle of a financial meltdown, and that any legislation that tried to separate the housing crisis from that was absurd; that protecting the banks had been a main feature of the original resolution! Roulliard ended the testimony with a challenge to the representatives: "So, its simple: defend the general welfare, or force the population to foot the bill so as to "prevent market disruption". What would you want to tell your constituents about where you stand?"
At this point, committee member Rep. Alfred Baldasaro was so agitated by the testimony that he whipped out his copy of the Constitution, and sputtered, "Defend the General Welfare?! Show me where in the Constitution is says that!" Roulliard responded, "…the preamble," Baldasaro repeated "Where?!" Another committee member next to him loudly whispered, "the PREAMBLE!"
Also agitated was President of the State Bankers' Association, Jerry Little, who lived up to his name by saying, "I wasn't going to testify today, but now I have to" and proceeded to attack not only the original HCR-14, but also the amendment, on the basis that any interference would disrupt the free market. "The free market can solve the problem, it just needs a little push."
The committee will meet again in one week, on February 19th, to vote on the amended HCR-14, and will hopefully show that they have guts enough to drop the populist amendment and defend the general welfare. In the meantime, LaRouche PAC organizers will be mobilizing all over the country to continue the flood of demands for the HBPA and overwhelm Congress before it's too late.
