THOMAS JEFFERSON

• At 5, began studying under his cousins tutor.
• At 9, studied Latin, Greek and French.
• At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages.
• At 16, entered the College of William and Mary.
• At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.
• At 23, started his own law practice.
• At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.
• At 31, wrote the widely circulated "Summary View of the Rights of British America" and retired from his law practice.
• At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress.
• At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence.
• At 33, took three years to revise Virginia's legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.
• At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia succeeding Patrick Henry.
• At 40, served in Congress for two years.
• At 41, was the American minister to France and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.
• At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington.
• At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president of the American Philosophical Society.
• At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions and became the active head of Republican Party.
• At 57, was elected the third president of the United States.
• At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase doubling the nation's size.
• At 61, was elected to a second term as President.
• At 65, retired to Monticello.
• At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.
• At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia and served as its first president.
• At 83, died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence.

"I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent and of human knowledge that has ever been gathered together at the White House - with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."
John F. Kennedy’s April 29, 1962 dinner honoring 49 Nobel Laureates

"When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe."
Thomas Jefferson, Jeffersonian Cyclopedia p143

"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world."
Thomas Jefferson, Jeffersonian Cyclopedia p227

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
Thomas Jefferson, Jeffersonian Cyclopedia p271

"If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretence of taking care of them, they must become happy."
Thomas Jefferson, Jeffersonian Cyclopedia p271

"No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms within his own lands."
Thomas Jefferson, Proposed Virginia Constitution. FORD ED., ii, 27. (June, 1776.)  

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
Thomas Jefferson, Jeffersonian Cyclopedia p449

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical."
Thomas Jefferson, Jeffersonian Cyclopedia p663

"And I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies; and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale."
Thomas Jefferson to John Taylor in 1816

"Bank-paper must be suppressed, and the circulating medium must be restored to the nation to whom it belongs."
Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes in 1813

Kim Holmes, Heritage Foundation Vice President of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, and Director of The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies, spoke about the 2011 version of the Index of Economic Freedom in Nashville recently. Unfortunately, the inventor of economic freedom, America, has dropped to 9th in the world and second in North America, among 183 countries at 77.8% or MOSTLY FREE, rather than FREE which requires an 80% minimum rating. Data used to compile the index is unbiased and is pulled from a variety of sources including the IMF, the World Bank, the United Nations and others.

Economic freedom is defined as the fundamental right of every human to control his or her own labor and property. Benefits of economically free countries include better per capita income, economic growth rates, human development, democracy, the elimination of poverty, and environmental protection. The more economically free a country is, the better they fair in all these areas.

The ten facets of measurement The Heritage Foundation uses in measuring economic freedom around the world include Business Freedom, Trade Freedom, Fiscal Freedom, Government Spending, Monetary Freedom, Investment Freedom, Financial Freedom, Property rights, Freedom from Corruption and Labor Freedom.

The stimulus bill increased federal government spending to 25% of GDP from a recent historical rate of about 20%. Debt as a percentage of GDP has deteriorated. The government takeover of health care raised prices and disrupted markets lowering us a half point in our freedom standing all by itself. Bailouts and government takeovers have rocked markets, stifling investment and job growth. Government interference in auto bankruptcies violated the rights of shareholders and bondholders. The US corporate tax rate is the highest in the world.

According to Heritage, there are steps that can be taken to reverse this trend...

1. Reduce Federal Government spending.
2. Repeal Obamacare.
3. Pass pending FTA's with South Korea, Panama, and Columbia.
4. Restore financial integrity. (End TARP, Get the government out of bankruptcy proceedings. Repeal Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Repeal Dodd-Frank, etc.)
5. Reduce American's tax burden. (Establish a flat tax for both personal and corporate income and simplify the tax code.)
6. Repeal eminent domain as established by Kelo.

This was an informative, but disturbing talk revealing serious concern for the future of America. Please review the statistics and discussion for yourself at http://www.heritage.org/index/