I am one of those simpletons that believes the Constitution means what it says.

Like that often ignored passage of the 4th Amendment: “Nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation”. As an architect in LA, I deal with government all too often. Ingenious taking of property happens almost routinely now where I live , because the government cannot be sued for damages in land use cases. Therefore, there is no penalty for government to take your property without compensation. You might spend a half million minimum getting your property back and could actually win, but without money for your time or other loses. But then again, in our legal roulette system, you have a high probability of losing and getting nothing.

As far as taxes, I kinda thought that phrase in the 13 th Amendment, “No state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws” kinda meant that somehow taxes were to be applied equally in some sort of fashion . Phony, absurd and ridiculous ideas of fairness shouldn’t apply, but in our fashionable Democrat controlled world they do big time. But that’s just me.