Federalism feuds: Enough already

As far as the education issue goes, it seems Republicans have flipped sides and have recently supported the growing federal intervention. I agree with George Will that we have learned since Taft, and the No Child Left Behind Act has waked up conservatives all over the nation.

When looking at ways to reduce the amount of “coercing” going on in our current system of federalism, we see three main points that need immediate attention: education, immigration and disaster response. In order to return to a more traditional grass-roots form of government, dual federalism comes to mind. Let each level of government have specific jurisdiction first, then see how the system could be altered and cooperate later.

Our cake of federalism has gone from a neat layer cake to a more interesting marble cake, but has now become a muddy mixture in which no one truly knows what role they play.

We as a nation are in dire need to clean up our system of federalism. I hope we don’t see any issues controlled by the president alone that flip flops every time a new person takes office.

We need to involve all three branches and establish roles for local, state, and federal governments in such a way that they no longer obstruct each other.

Jake Reiske

Mundelein