Objective- Freedom Read online

  OBJECTIVE;FREEDOM

  by

  James Huber

  © 2015 JamesHuberbooks LLC

  This book and series is dedicated to Rose. She has been more than a wife. And what a wife. She has been a proofreader, a critic, a counsellor, and my love. If not for her this work would just be a jumble of words and ideas. She inspired me, encouraged me and made me see that I could do it.

  “All political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority and instituted for their benefit. The faith of the people stands pledged to the preservation of a republican form of government and subject to this limitation -- only they have at all times the inalienable right to alter, reform, or abolish their government in such manner as they may think expedient.”

  Paraphrased from the Constitutions of Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah.

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States, Robert Curtis,” the sergeant-at-arms of the Senate intoned.

  The members of the two houses rose and applauded, some out of courtesy, some out of loyalty, and some because it was illegal to throw things at the president. The most enthusiastic were the Northeastern representatives. The least enthusiasm came from the Southwest, who didn't believe the president represented

  them, and they felt they were being used. There was nothing to do about it. All they could do was show their contempt for the gathered body.

  Vice President Elliott Randall was a member of the Southwestern delegation. During the primary elections, the party dropped him from the ticket because of his age and lack of appeal to younger first-time voters. Since the other party’s nomination was the weakest yet presented, the reelection of the sitting president was almost a certainty.

  The sitting vice president wasn’t involved anymore. A member of the old guard, but not quite the protégé of Johnson and Rayburn, he had different political views. Vice President Elliott Randall barely stood to greet the president. He offered a wet-fish handshake and immediately sat down.

  If the president doesn’t need me, I sure as heck don’t need him, nor do I need to be his bootlicker, Randall thought. I need to talk to the Senators from the Southwest. I want to see which way the wind’s blowing down there. I’m sure they’ll talk to me. I can no longer tolerate an ever-intrusive Federal government. I fought it all my life and accomplished nothing. If I can’t fight it from within, maybe I can from without.

  The president began with the usual mundane opening. “My fellow Americans, the time has come to act, and act we shall.

  Within the next three months, there will be dramatic changes made under my auspices as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and as the Chief Executive of the government. I won’t be doing any end runs around Congress. They will be fully informed of my coming actions. I won’t issue any executive orders without the full knowledge of the Senate and House of Representatives.”

  Some hoots and hollers came from the floor, which the president couldn’t ignore.

  “I know you’ve heard that before, but I have kept faith these last four years. No one can fault my reputation on that.

  “In a recent study, we’ve found that certain departments of the government are unnecessary. Some are simply outdated. Others are ineffective.”

  Those last words almost made the vice president laugh aloud. It was about time others should see that as a problem. Duplication of effort, overlapping authority, and edicts had almost ruined the country.

  He said nothing. His time would come. He was a political operative long before that young man was able to feed himself.

  Vice President Randall would wait, then he would act when he saw fit, not at the whim of a money-grubbing corral of lawyers and bankers.

  President Curtis continued, “A plan is being initiated to eliminate some Cabinet posts and shift the responsibilities to others. Most of you will agree that the ones being eliminated won’t be missed. Others will disagree strictly for political reasons and party loyalty.

  “Yes, some people will be without jobs, mainly Cabinet secretaries. These actions won’t affect the unemployment picture. They should have jobs to fall back on.”

  “If not, they can go on the chicken-dinner speech tour and grab more money from personal appearances than they’re paid for working.

  “Most of the people working in the Departments will find jobs in other Departments or offices. Some will be able to retire or will be given retirement packages. Some will bump others out of jobs down the line. This is common practice in the Civil Service. A civilian employee, such as a GS-12, may bump a GS-11, and so on down the line. That’s been practiced for many years.”

  The announcement caused increased stirring and unrest. Some legislators wanted to perpetuate the bureaucratic monster. Most didn’t realize how it grew into such an unwieldy, self-serving problem. The Civil Service is a necessary part of a nation, but having massive duplication and nonfunctioning departments and agencies revealed partisan politics. The Civil Service wasn’t the problem. An ever-expanding Federal government was.

  “We can’t do away with too many military bases, because our military is already downsized to its minimum. I will instead reduce the required military ranks at each base, fort, port, and command. Let me give you an example. In the US Air Force, a four-star general is the Commander of the Air Education and Training Command.

  “For many years, during the Vietnam conflict, the position was capably filled by a three-star lieutenant general. It will be again, as will all major air command positions. The only four-star generals or admirals will be the Chief of Staff and Vice Chief of Staff of each service. Those generals on active duty can retire or serve out their present assignments in their current rank. Their replacements will be at the lower rank. This applies to all officers of similar rank in the various uniformed services.”

  “By the same token, the most-senior members in the enlisted forces are the senior NCOs and petty officers, called E-7, E-8, and E-9. E-8 and E-9 will be phased out by attrition. E-7 will become the highest rank attainable by most enlisted people. E-8 ranks will be limited to one per unit. There will be one E-9 per service. The current E-9s and E-8s will be phased out. They can retire or serve out their assignments without fear of losing their rank.

  “What will help the morale of the military? The Chiefs of Staff devised a plan to offer members of the military to be stationed in their home state if possible, so they can be closer to home. We believe this will help morale. This step will be placed into action as soon as I return to the White House today. All the military chiefs have agreed, as have the state governors, so we see no problems.”

  President Curtis sipped water, taking a break from his extemporaneous speaking.

  “The next item will be extremely unpopular for many. It has always been a sacred cow since the days of the Roosevelt Administration. No one has dared address is in the manner I am about to. It’s time to stop worrying about votes and start working on rebuilding our country.

  “Effective today, all people who receive aid and assistance, such as Medicaid and food stamps, will be called to their local offices to be recertified, to prove their eligibility. Those who can’t prove their need will cease to receive aid from the government.

  “Those who are homebound may send an advocate, or a social worker can visit them in their homes. The same applies to government housing. The entitlement, as it has been called, is no longer automatic. Nor should it be called an entitlement. A person is entitled to what he has earned or inherited. No one is entitled to gifts or handouts.”

  The pronouncement drew another round of applause and catcalls, though they came from different segments of the audi
ence. Even the vice president agreed. It was time someone showed some steel on that issue. His home state of New Mexico was almost bankrupt because of Medicaid, Welfare, and aid given to illegal aliens.

  Elliott Randall doubted the president’s ability to make the program work. Sure, he said it wasn’t politics, but the people he addressed played politics for many years and knew what the game was. Every one of them would sell out their families for more votes, and they assumed the president would do the same.

  “I have a complete list of the upcoming changes. I see all of you have your laptop computers. The information will be forthcoming in an e-mail from the White House.

  “That’s all I have to say for today. I want you to know this isn’t politics. This is real. My time for politics will be over in a few short years. Since I’ve been reelected to my second and final term, I want to leave a legacy of accomplishment rather than politics.”

  The president exited through a rear door, and the meeting broke into chaos. The vice president didn’t try to gavel it back to order. Instead, he walked away from the podium with the Speaker

  of the House. The vice president had been convinced by the New Mexico governor that his help was needed more in his home area in the Southwest than in Washington. He felt he owed more allegiance to his home state than to a president who betrayed him and the trust formerly placed in him.

  When they arrived at the speaker’s office, Vice President Elliott Randall drafted his letter of resignation to the Secretary of State, as did the Speaker of the House.

  They felt the president depended too heavily on his young advisors. They also felt he no longer needed advice from them. Neither had been consulted on any of the president’s proposed changes. Both men were fed up with the goings-on in Washington.

  It was folly to fight a system that was finally out of control. They couldn’t continue the struggle. The president ignored them for advice.

  They didn’t know President Robert Curtis was under more pressure than any man who held the post since Richard Nixon, nor were they aware that Curtis was working himself into a physical breakdown.

  When President Curtis returned to the White House’s Oval Office, he sat in his chair and turned to face the windows, watching cars drive by and guards make their rounds. How much easier his life would have been had he simply remained a low-level clerk. He heard his legal clerk in the other office typing the e-mail that would be sent to members of Congress. Before going back to work, the president said a silent prayer that all would go smoothly.

  He didn’t think it would.

  CHAPTER TWO

  From: The Office of the President of the United States Robert Curtis

  To: Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the United States

  On the advice of Attorney General of the United States Denise Menton, and various astute Constitutional lawyers, I hereby make the following Executive Order. This order takes place immediately. Any and all personnel affected will begin the transition, to be completed before the summer break of the House of Representatives and the Senate. If it is not completed, I will take immediate action to complete it.

  The following cabinet offices will be eliminated:

  The Office of the Secretary of the Interior will be eliminated. All duties will be assumed by the Secretary of Agriculture. The states will become responsible for their own National Parks. The designation of National Parks no longer applies. All parks will now be State Parks. The states, by virtue of our default, will now collect all park fees.

  The Office of the Secretary of Labor will be abolished. All necessary duties will be moved to the Office of the Secretary of Commerce. Labor produces commerce, so the two should be joined.

  The Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services will be abolished.

  Most of the department’s duties will be eliminated. Those that can’t be will be assumed by the Secretary of the Treasury.

  The Office of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development will be eliminated. All functions, duties, and responsibilities will be eliminated. The private sector has housed people for many years. If you need a place to live, you will have to earn it. Urban development, as the name implies, should be a local function operating without government interference.

  The Office of the Secretary of Energy will be eliminated. This is the first to be shut down. This department has not accomplished its mission. The Energy Department was created to expand the production of domestic petroleum products and to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It has not worked. Anything that fails this badly must be eliminated.

  The Office of the Secretary of Education will be eliminated. All duties will be assumed by individual States, Counties, and Municipalities. These smaller governments will benefit in the long run. They should dictate or ordain what is to be taught and how.

  The Office of the Secretary of Veteran Affairs will be eliminated. All duties will be moved to the Department of Defense. Because veterans are no longer active in military service, that should not change the responsible department. This is a clear example of duplication of effort.

  The Office of the Secretary of Homeland Security will be immediately eliminated. This has been a totally ineffective organization. The Transportation Safety Administration has been a thorn in the sides of travelers. Not one supposed terrorist has been caught.

  Repeatedly, this agency has proven it isn’t doing its assigned duties. It is a bloated department, and past directors have not even answered yes or no to straightforward questions. I have yet to understand how Congressmen and Senators can ask questions about events and circumstances of which the Department Secretary has no knowledge. It is a perfect example of over government.

  The position of White House Chief of Staff will be eliminated, to be filled by the vice president. He should be more than just a political buddy. He should be the president’s right-hand man and advisor, someone who knows everything the president knows. He has only one Constitutional duty—to break a tie vote in the Senate.

  When Vice President Harry Truman was sworn in after President Franklin D. Roosevelt died, Truman wasn’t aware of the Manhattan Project. That is not the way to run a country. Vice President Elect Ronald Sutherland is fully on board for this duty. He also recognizes the need to eliminate offices that duplicate efforts and diminish results. Vice President Sutherland has been instrumental in forming this list.

  The office of the National Security Advisor will also be eliminated. This position is a Department-of-Defense responsibility. If the Secretary of Defense can’t do it, he isn’t doing his job. If he isn’t capable, he will be replaced, as will any other Department Secretary who isn’t big enough for the job. I have no fear of this happening. The office of the National Security Advisor has been nothing except a political reward. Political rewards are going by the wayside.

  I hope to have a law passed to police lobbyist activities on the Hill. I honestly see no possibility of this passing. Some people gain too much from the lobbyists for the practice to be outlawed.

  The following agencies will also be eliminated:

  The Office of Management and Budget will be abolished. All duties will be assumed by the Treasury Department, where it was for many years. Another appendage isn’t what this country needs.

  Instead, we need solid fiscal management. We don’t need more ill-founded, partisan advice.

  The Environmental Protection Agency will be abolished immediately. It has been a hindrance rather than a help for many years. There is no positive proof it has accomplished anything it set out to do once it was created. American workers and factories are the most productive in the world. They know now not to cut their own throats by poisoning the air or water.

  The Office of the Trade Representative will be abolished. Few will argue that it is an unknown, unneeded agency.

  The office is trade representative for whom or what? I have yet to find an answer for that, so it will cease to exist.

  The Ambassador to the Unite
d Nations will be downgraded to a minor position under the Secretary of State, who will assume all those duties. We will take immediate action with the UN to move it to Europe or the Middle East, which are the areas that always have problems. Those countries can handle the situation on their own. The United States has supported this organization by supplying troops and materials for brush-fire wars throughout most of the previous century.

  When someone says the UN will send troops to help, it’s American troops for the most part. That will cease immediately. We will provide support, housing, and an economic structure for the organization. The UN has until the beginning of summer to vacate New York and find, if it can, another country willing to babysit it.

  The Office of the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors will be eliminated. The functions of the office are totally a Treasury Department responsibility. I believe it is the main function of the Treasury Department to advise Congress and the president of economic trends, facts, and needs.

  The Small Business Administration will be eliminated. The States may fund it individually. The national government has accrued too much criticism for interfering in small business. Governing edicts from Washington, DC, aren’t feasible to small businesses. That is over. Small businesses built this country.

  We need only look at people like Edison, Ford, the Wright brothers, Steve Jobs, and Bill Gates for inspiration. They were small businessmen, and none of them needed someone many miles away to administer for them.

  Here are some basic economic facts and figures. Each Department Secretary receives $196, 700 per year.

  Nine Cabinet posts at $196,700 per annum equals $1,770,300 per annum, not counting staff, expense accounts, or travel, and supplies.