To review Part 1 (#700436)
Scoring rubric is as follows:
5 - This law promoted 360 degrees of freedom. Bitcoiners around the world would champion this
4
3
2
1 - This bill is something straight out the communist/socialist playbook very anti freedom. Leads to forever wars endless spending and bad wellbeing for the american people
Now a look at the second Lummis bill that became law. Public Law No: 111-262 (09/28/2010))
H.R.1177 - 5-Star Generals Commemorative Coin Act (111th Congress (2009-2010)
The Bill in Summary:
5-Star Generals Commemorative Coin Act - (Sec. 3) Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar clad coins in recognition of five United States Army Five-Star Generals: George Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower, Henry "Hap" Arnold, and Omar Bradley, alumni of the United States Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
(Sec. 4) Requires the design of the coins to include portraits of the generals.
(Sec. 5) Restricts the issuance of such coins to calendar year 2013.
(Sec. 7) Requires specified surcharges in the sale of such coins, which shall be paid promptly to the Command and General Staff College Foundation to help finance its support of the College.
The Score (2/5)
Unlike the Girl Scout coin which gave the potential of increasing human well being by empowering young American girls to learn skills and make life long friendships, this one is funding war college and the accomplishments of past generals.
The idea of honoring war generals who were pivotal figures in the World Wars is admirable but do we actually need them on the money? Or on precious metals? On $5 gold coins and $1 silver coins?
War generals can be honored in museums or at military bases. The American public doesn't need to honor these men on any economic currency unit. While this isn't 100% fueling the military industrial complex it does amplify men who killed hundreds of thousands of people some who I am sure were innocent civilians but were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. What makes this bill even more anti freedom and human well being is that the proceeds go to fund more war.
If the defense budget was lacking support I could understand this but selling coins to fund military command school to pump out more generals is a bit overboard. America invests enough as it is to the war effort. The last thing it needs is to sell coins on the tax payer dime to pay for more war college. I would have had more respect for Lummis if the proceeds to this bill went to help veterans who need help or other programs that promote well-being for the soldiers.
The reason I didn't give this a one is because they did this on somewhat "hard" money. While the gold and the sliver content is much more valuable than the denomination of the coin it is still better than printing these men on paper money. These coins will never be used as legal tender and most likely be used as collector items by war history buffs or by those looking to stack gold and sliver coins to protect their purchasing power from the inflating dollar.
Overall Lummis if you are going be considered the bitcoin senator you have to do better than this.
Total Score (5/10)
After two bills Sen. Lummis has 5 points out of a total 10. That is good for 50% freedom score.
One might think these two coin bills are inconsequential. But here I would argue they do matter. First, is the time that these Senators use to craft, vote, and approve these bills is a real opportunity cost for our policy makers. Besides the two interest groups who this impacts 99% of Americans probably don't care about this but yet time is devoted to it.
Second, as coins get minted that is a cost to the USA Government. One coin was for well-being. The other was about honoring war generals. A cost that the taxpayer has to burden. If you asked Americans if they wanted their tax dollars to be spent on the US mint to make these coins they would most likely say no. This could have easily been done by the private sector. The US government didn't have to use a law for this.