As much as we talk about how we are forced into compliance with the wishes of the Federal government, a large percentage of compliance is brought about through pure bribery and often, outright extortion.

It ranges from the "Look we could get a $5 million grant from the Department of the Interior to pave our bike paths!” to "Nice little life you have here, be a shame if anything happened to it”.

There are several states, like California, that are crowing about budget surpluses. Interesting, because in 2020, before the pandemic struck, California was predicting a $54 billion deficit. Now it is estimated close to 40% of its "surplus” came from the federal government through the Democrats’ American Rescue Act, the rest through bookkeeping gimmicks and higher taxes.

The Biden Administration has been handing out money like Halloween candy. Even if the strings are thin and long, the states get used to their affluence and by extension, so do the counties, cities, and towns that the state bureaucrats chose to dole out the cash.

People ask me all the time how we can fight back.

This is how – break the money hold the Feds have over you, your local and state budget by lobbying your mayor, city council, county government and state representatives to stop taking federal money.

1 To "stop taking federal money." Hahahahaha. You have to be kidding me. We elect senators and representaives based on the sole criteria of how much federal money they can bring. That is the only purpose they serve - to bring federal money to the district that elected them. If they bring too little they are voted out of office.

2 That is true Bill. That's the point I think Michael was making in a way. He is blaming the American People for electing hogs as opposed to principled people.

I don't see it happening either. It's become part of our psyche. And anyone who tries to eschew federal money is villified in the public mind quite quickly.