For example, did you know that President Obama’s request to raise the debt ceiling by $2.4 trillion through the next election comes to $20,000 per every American family. If we’re going to raise the debt burden of every American family by $20,000, we owe it to them to start cutting spending and tearing up those credit cards.

This week, I spoke on the House floor in support of “Cut, Cap, & Balance” as a solution to our debt crisis. Please watch my speech and let me know what you think.

“We think we can do what the tea party did,” Jones said in an interview with The Fix. “They stepped forward under a common banner, and everybody took them seriously. Polls suggest there are more people out there who have a different view of the economy, but who have not stepped forward yet under a common banner.”

“There’s a lot of organizational muscle behind the initiative, and Van is one of the most inspiring figures in the progressive movement, so I’m looking forward to these efforts, and they certainly come at a time when Republican overreach has primed progressives to take action” said Markos Moulitas, the founder of the liberal blog network Daily Kos.

Jones launched his group last night with a one and a half hour long event live streamed from NY.  He called the the fact that the US has a major debt and deficit problem “a dangerous lie” and led the crowd in chants of “America is not broke!”

Somebody should tell that to the CBO, who reported this week that our long term debt is going to doom the economy.

Without providing any facts, Jones compared fiscal conservatives to al Qaeda,

“Paul Ryan’s budget would knock out more critical American infrastructure than our sworn enemies ever dreamed of knocking out.

Most of his speech was the same old progressive schpeil, the rich don’t pay their fair share, unions built middle-class America, people do not make enough money, yada, yada, yada. He even used the SHMOTUS’ line about paying taxes being patriotic.

Jones’ project demonstrates how little the progressives learned from the tea party movement.  The tea party movement is all about empowering the individual, it would not have had the same passion and staying power if the organization and the message came down from a central organization.  To this day there is not one united tea party group and the national organizations that do exist are more bottom up than top down.

Part of the reason the tea party movement grew is that voters were sick and tired of being lied to by their representatives and other politicians. Starting with an obvious lie, that the US is not being strangled by its debt, will not win them many supporters.

Despite what Van Jones and the progressive movement believes, Americans are not stupid.  Sure The American Dream Movement may pick up some support at the beginning, but it wont take long to realize that the Van Jones-led group is to the tea party movement, what Milli Vanilli was to music. And in the end, Americans do not like fakers.

But not this time.

I predicted doom if Obama was elected. Sadly the results are far worse than imagined. The economy is in shambles. America is staring at economic disaster — Armageddon. Even me, the eternal optimist is scared at what the future holds. We are the Titanic, headed straight for the iceberg.

America has always been a land of boom and bust. It’s just part of business cycle. But Obama and his socialist cabal have channeled Hoover and FDR, who turned an ordinary bust into The Great Depression with a toxic strategy of more government, more spending, more debt, more rules and regulations strangling business, higher minimum wages, more power to unions, more entitlements, higher taxes, more printing of money by Fed, and trade tariffs. This is the Obama blueprint squared.

The question this time is, is Obama doing it because he understands nothing about business? Or does he understand exactly what he’s doing? Is Obama’s goal to overwhelm the system, incite crisis, sow doubt about capitalism, and force the citizens to beg for government to save them, thereby opening the door to Socialism? Is Obama’s plan to redistribute the wealth, and at the same time to bankrupt the people with wealth and power, thereby crippling his political opposition?

Does it really matter?

Here’s where the story gets downright frightening. This time the results are going to be dramatically worse than 1929. This time we are facing The Greatest Depression ever.

Why? Because The Great Depression had NONE of problems and obligations we are now facing:

In 1929 America was not $100 trillion in debt and unfunded liabilities.

In 1929, most of our states were not bankrupt, insolvent and dependent on the federal government to survive.

In 1929, we had far fewer government employees living off taxpayers. Today 1 out of 5 federal employees earn over $100,000. California lifeguards and Las Vegas firemen earn $200,000. 77,000 federal employees earn more than the Governors of their states. Government employees retire at age 50 with $100,000 pensions for life. The postal service – without competition- loses $8 billion annually. Protected by their unions and the politicians they elect, government employees are bankrupting America. Even FDR said he could not imagine allowing public employees to unionize.

In 1929, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid didn’t exist. The federal government had no such obligations threatening to consume the entire federal budget within a few years.

In 1929, there was no such thing as welfare, food stamps, aid to dependent children, or English as a second language programs. American’s didn’t consider it the responsibility of government to pay for breakfast and lunch for school students – let alone illegal immigrants.

In 1929, we didn’t have millions of illegal immigrants and their children collecting billions of dollars in entitlements from U.S. taxpayers.

In 1929, legal immigrants wanted only to work. My grandparents from Russia and Germany received no government benefits. They worked day and night to provide for their family and become American citizens. It was sink or swim.

In 1929, we had 150 million citizens with a strong work ethic- all motivated to earn the American Dream for their children and grandchildren. Americans were hungry in 1929. Today the hungry, motivated citizens and entrepreneurs are in China and India.

In 1929, we had an education system that was the envy of the world. Today our public schools are in shambles. We spend the most in the world, and get among the worst results. The difference today? Teachers unions are in charge, instead of parents

Our students are taught socialism and the great benefits of big government. They graduate with few skills, qualified only for low paying manufacturing jobs that no longer exist- they’ve been shipped to China and India. What will this workforce do for the rest of their lives? Live off the government dole? Who will pay for it?

In 1929 children had hope for the future. Today they are hopeless, helpless, and clueless – an entire generation that only knows drugs, gangs, rappers, government handouts, teen pregnancy- and it goes downhill from there.

In 1929 taxes were much lower. Forget the tax rates- they were meaningless. In those days we had a cash economy, so most businesses paid little or no taxes. Sales and FICA taxes didn’t exist. Today the combined local, state, property, gas, sales, FICA and federal taxes are the highest burden in history. This stifles entrepreneurship and hinders the financial risk-taking necessary to create jobs and get out of a Great Depression.

Do you get the picture? Disaster looms. We are staring at the Greatest Depression ever.

Still doubt me? Did you read the recent news report of 80 teen girls all pregnant in one Memphis high school? That’s 80…eighty…in one high school. This is happening all over the USA. Who will pay the bills?

We are in deep, deep trouble. There is no easy way out. The noose is tightening. The economy is crumbling. The situation is turning more hopeless by the hour. The more government gets involved, the worse it gets. Coincidence?

The solution is simple- cut government, cut spending, cut entitlements, cut taxes, stop the wars, end the Fed, term limit politicians, and back the dollar with a gold standard. Or, like so many other great empires of history, America may never recover from this Greatest of All Depressions that Obama is driving us directly toward.

Dale’s crime?  He forgot to renew the barber license he earned 54 years ago.

The bureaucrats are saying that in order for Dale to return to work, he has to pass a 75-question examination, similar to the one he passed in 1957.  Further, he has to demonstrate to their satisfaction that he still knows how to cut hair:

Dale had to post a sign in his window saying that he was closed until further notice.  He doesn’t want to cut through all the red tape and isn’t sure what he’ll do next.

As Institute for Justice Senior Attorney Clark Neily explains in the video above:

Americans have a constitutional right to earn a living in the occupation of their choice, free from unreasonable government interference.  What happened to this man is the very definition of unreasonable.  A properly engaged judiciary is one that takes rights seriously, including the right to earn a living.  And it says to government officials, you have to treat people reasonably.  You have to respect their constitutional right to earn a living.

Of course, Dale is not alone.  In November, IJ economic liberty expert Paul Sherman spoke about armed government agents raiding barbershops and handcuffing barbers in front of their clients.  Big Government readers know that occupational licensing abuse is rampant in America.

The Institute for Justice recently filed suit in Louisiana on behalf of monks threatened with crippling fines and jail for selling caskets.  We’ve represented entrepreneurs of all stripes that want nothing more than a chance to pursue their American Dream by being able to compete in the marketplace free from arbitrary government regulations.

Such laws proliferate today for one reason: Our nation’s judicial system fails to meaningfully protect the right to earn a living.

IJ enters courtrooms across America determined to vindicate economic liberty.  And more often than not, we find that judges are neglecting to perform their core responsibility:  Simply put, our country is desperately in need of judges who will judge what the government is actually doing.

That is why the Institute for Justice has established the Center for Judicial Engagement.  As Clark Neily puts it:

The Institute for Justice created the Center for Judicial Engagement to educate the public and persuade judges to fully enforce the limits our Constitution places on the government’s exercise of power over our lives . . . . And when we succeed, what you saw in this case – the state of Oregon putting a man out of business who’s been cutting hair for over 50 years – that will never happen again.

Check out the Center for Judicial Engagement online.  What do you think about CJE?  And do you think Dale Smith should be allowed to cut hair?  Let us know your thoughts on our Facebook page.

In Kim Houghton’s case, you get a major First Amendment lawsuit.

Kim Houghton decided after a successful, 20-year career in advertising that she wanted more.  She wanted to realize her American Dream and become an entrepreneur in a business focused on dogs.

She had the gumption to quit her job and make her dream come true:  Wag More Dogs is a high-end canine daycare located next to a popular dog park in Arlington, Virginia.  Kim commissioned an outdoor mural on her wall that has cartoon dogs, bones and paw prints as a way to give something back to the park she’d frequented for years, and build up some good will for her new business.

The mural was a big hit.  After all, who doesn’t like puppies?   Things were smooth for a few months.

And then Arlington bureaucrats got involved.

Officials blocked Kim’s building permit and told her that she could not open unless she painted over the mural or covered it with a blue tarp.

Her crime?

Painting a piece of art that—in the eyes of government officials—had too strong a “relationship” to her business.

According to city bureaucrats, a mural that depicted something other than dogs would be fine.  Turn those adorable puppies into fire-breathing dragons or flying pink unicorns and she’d be back in business.

But because Kim’s sign shows puppies, it’s illegal.

Under the threat of losing her American Dream, Kim was forced to purchase an expensive tarp and cover the mural.   Several months later, it remains covered.

Today [FRIDAY], the Institute for Justice is showing up in federal court to change that.  Economic liberty expert Rob Frommer, the IJ attorney who filed the federal lawsuit on Kim’s behalf, is asking a judge to allow Kim to remove the tarp and once again display her mural.  Specifically, Rob wants a preliminary injunction so the law cannot be enforced until the lawsuit is settled.

As Rob explains in the Daily Caller:

Today I will ask the judge for a preliminary injunction, meaning we want the court to temporarily stop the city from enforcing this terrible law until our lawsuit strikes it down for good.  When we prevail, we will have done more than just help Kim tear down a tarp.  We will have advanced the cause of liberty by vindicating in federal court a simple but incredibly important legal principle:  Under the First Amendment the right to speak is just that, a right—not a privilege for government officials to dole out as they please.

The editorial board of the Washington Post agrees with Rob.  In a powerful editorial written in conjunction with the launch of the lawsuit, the paper wrote:

[The lawsuit] notes that there would not have been a problem if the mural depicted flowers, dragons or ponies instead of dogs. The absurdity that reveals should cause Arlington residents to wonder about their government’s grasp of common sense.

What do you think?

Are Arlington officials using common sense?  Or are they violating Kim’s rights by playing art critic with her sign?  Please let us know your thoughts on our facebook page.

But Texas bureaucrats tried for years to shut him down.

In a classic case of economic protectionism, Carl and all other Texas equine dentists were told they had to spend up to $100,000 and four years at veterinary school, where they would learn next to nothing about caring for horses’ teeth, or else abandon their occupation.  To top it off, they were threatened with massive fines and even jail.

Instead of giving up his American Dream, Carl teamed up with other Texas horsemen and the Institute for Justice to fight for their right to earn an honest living.

And this week, they won.

On Tuesday, a Texas judge struck down the effort by the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners to put equine dentists like Carl—known as floaters—out of business and leave the state’s approximately one million horses without proper dental care.

Clark Neily, the Institute for Justice senior attorney that filed the lawsuit, said:

The judge made clear to the Vet Board that enough is enough.  The ruling means that Texas’ horse teeth floaters are free to go back to work.  This case shows that when the government violates the law, entrepreneurs can fight back and win.

Horses’ teeth grow constantly and thus occasionally need to be filed—or floated—an important procedure that ensures horses can chew properly. For centuries, the practice has been performed by specialized “horse teeth floaters” whose knowledge of equine dentistry often far exceeds that of veterinarians.

Texas’s blatantly anti-competitive regulation served the sole purpose of maximizing the incomes of largely untrained, unqualified, ill-equipped veterinarians at the expense of horse owners and Texas entrepreneurs.

The Texas Vet Board previously recognized that the state’s one million horses could not be serviced by vets alone, stating that “there are not enough veterinarians skilled in equine dentistry to meet the public’s needs.” But that didn’t stop the Board from changing its tune and sending waves of cease-and-desist letters to floaters, ordering them to stop working immediately.

Futher, the Board denied that it had changed its floating policy, stalling the IJ lawsuit for two years.  The Board would eventually acknowledge its policy change, but claimed that its actions could not be challenged in court.

The Board was wrong again.

The lawsuit garnered significant national coverage.  The Economist profiled the case in an article titled Of horses’ teeth and liberty:  The home of unbridled capitalism has more red tape than you think, concluding:

The late Mancur Olson, an economist, predicted that interest groups will grow in number until they cause their host society to slip into economic decline. America  . . . surely needs more watchdogs (and horse floaters) to growl at the regulators.

Indeed, Carl Mitz and the Texas floaters fought back, and didn’t stop until they won.

Join IJ online at facebook, twitter and You Tube.

1,200.

That’s right, well over a thousand hours.  Plus, you’d have to pay thousands of dollars to cover the cost of your classes and pass a written exam.  Only then will the government give you a license—that is, permission to cut hair.

Now what happens if you’re already a successful barber but didn’t have a chance to stop working and jump through all the hoops needed to get that license?

Armed government agents could raid your business and handcuff you in front of your clients. Indeed, this is already happening.  Institute for Justice economic-liberty expert Paul Sherman explains:

According to the Orlando Sentinel:

As many as 14 armed Orange County deputies, including narcotics agents, stormed Strictly Skillz barbershop during business hours on a Saturday in August, handcuffing barbers in front of customers during a busy back-to-school weekend.

It was just one of a series of unprecedented raid-style inspections the Orange County Sheriff’s Office recently conducted with a state regulating agency, targeting several predominantly black- and Hispanic-owned barbershops in the Pine Hills area.

In “sweeps” on Aug. 21 and Sept. 17 targeting at least nine shops, deputies arrested 37 people — the majority charged with “barbering without a license,” a misdemeanor that state records show only three other people have been jailed in Florida in the past 10 years.

The operations were conducted without warrants, under the authority of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation inspectors, who can enter salons at will. Deputies said they found evidence of illegal activity, including guns, drugs and gambling. However, records show that during the two sweeps, and a smaller one in October, just three people were charged with anything other than a licensing violation.

Barbers with years of experience and lots of satisfied customers are being subject to harassment, embarrassment, and hundreds of dollars in fines, simply because they cut hair without having gotten permission from the government.

This is not an isolated incident.

The Institute for Justice recently launched a nationwide “city studies” investigation examining barriers to entrepreneurship in eight American cities.  We found that government at every level is harassing more and more citizens and forcing ever-increasing numbers of people to get government permission just to earn a living.

We also profiled a series of entrepreneurs in a campaign called The Power of One Entrepreneur.   These reports demonstrate the amazing and positive effects that a single entrepreneur can have on their community.  And yet, government barriers around the country are kicking entrepreneurs out of work and preventing countless others from ever realizing their American Dream.

As Institute for Justice President Chip Mellor explains in the USA Today:

America was once known as the Land of Opportunity. It could be again, but not until state and local officials get out of the way of entrepreneurs trying to fulfill their dreams of new business and new prosperity for themselves and their families.

If the government is serious about creating jobs in this jobless recovery, perhaps it should put away the handcuffs and start allowing entrepreneurs to put themselves and others to work.

Join IJ online at facebook, You Tube and twitter.