When I initially wrote this headline – I had written “THE Nuisance….”
It, of course, immediately thereafter occurred to me – that there are hundreds (thousands?) of such agencies, boards, bureaus, commissions and departments.
So I went with “YET ANOTHER Nuisance….”
The Deep State…is REALLY deep.
Filled with hundreds (thousands?) of agencies. Populated by millions of career bureaucrats.
Whose primary imperative is keeping their ridiculous, ridiculously cushy gigs. And whose secondary imperative – is increasing the power they lord over We the People.
Donald Trump ran for President – on Draining the Swamp. We the People elected him – to Drain the Swamp.
The Deep State Swamp – is having none of it.
Millions of these careerist hacks have ever since been acting to undermine the duly elected President of the United States.
We are currently in the midst of yet another Deep State strike. This ridiculous “whistleblower” leaker – who filed a report on a Trump-Ukraine call he/she didn’t actually hear.
But that is just one of the big ones – about which we become aware.
The hundred (thousands?) of agencies, boards, bureaus, commissions and departments – are almost all impeding the Trump agenda to varying degrees.
One way the Deep State refuses to Drain – is refusing to adhere to the President’s government-wide deregulatory mandate.
Presidential Executive Order on Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs
When The Boss issues an order – it’s an order.
The Swamp Creatures view the President’s orders the way pirates view the Pirates’ Code – “more like guidelines than actual rules.”
The nuisance government Swamp Hole refusing to comply with the President’s perspective on (less) government – is the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).
From Wikipedia:
“The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, statutorily named the Tax and Trade Bureau and frequently shortened to TTB, is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury, which regulates and collects taxes on trade and imports of alcohol, tobacco, and firearms within the United States.”
The TTB – is actually the third largest tax collector in the federal government (after the Internal Revenue Service [IRS] and Customs and Border Enforcement).
With government money confiscation – comes much power.
And the TTB is currently using it against the President We the People elected – and all of US.
What major annoyance is the TTB quietly inflicting upon us?
Distilled Spirits – Notices of Proposed Rulemaking
Here’s just some of the titanic stupidity….
“TTB is proposing to comprehensively amend its regulations governing the labeling and advertising of alcohol beverages….”
This is the unelected TTB – looking to unilaterally, fundamentally transform how ALL adult beverage purveyors both label and advertise their products.
That’s not at all a MASSIVE power grab.
What’s supposed to happen – if you actually want the government to do this – is:
Our elected Congress – drafts a piece of legislation calling on the government to do this.
Our Congressmen are then subjected to We the People availing ourselves of our First Amendment right to “lobby Congress for redress of grievances.” Meaning we tell them what we think of the proposed legislation.
If Congress decides to then do so – both houses of Congress pass the bill. And then our elected President – signs the bill into law.
All of these players have one thing in common: Accountability to We the People at the ballot box.
But of course this President – would never, EVER sign this nonsense into law. As it is antithetical to his electoral mandate to Drain the Swamp.
So the Deep State Swamp Creatures are end-running this President – and the entire Constitutional process.
What else is the TTB looking to unconstitutionally do?
The new regulations would mandate all whiskey barrels be 50 gallons.
The industry uses, of course, a wide variety of sizes – from 5 gallons to 53 gallons. And the standard whiskey barrel – is 53 gallons.
So the government mandate – will undo literally hundreds (thousands?) of years of distillation business practice.
Both by killing the 53 gallon industry standard – and assaulting the small, boutique distillers who have made small batches of spirits for…ever.
Almost all distillers will have to fundamentally transform their distillation processes – to adhere to this ridiculous mandate.
Which means: As always with all things Big Government – Big Business is the only part of the private sector that can absorb the government blows.
Hundreds (thousands?) of small distillers – and very many of the larger ones – will have to simply stop creating their beautiful products.
The TTB is looking to inflict other, additional damage upon the very many industries it in part oversees – but you by now get the idea.
This TTB nonsense – is everything government always is.
Totally pointless actions.
That grievously harm the private sector.
Inflicted by unelected bureaucrats – accountable to no one.
And in this instance:
All of this is transpiring in direct contravention of this President’s mandate and order – to REDUCE government regulations and regulatory costs.
This raft of TTB power grabs – exponentially INCREASES regulations and regulatory costs.
This must be stopped. By any means necessary.
Almost certainly the best way:
With the entirety of TTB leadership, President Trump needs to yet again reach for his “The Apprentice” catch phrase:
“You’re fired.”
This first appeared in Red State.