Receipts

                    The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday comes from Article I, Section 9, Clause 7:  "... a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time."  This clause tells us that We The People have the right to know where our tax dollars are going. 

The Founders were concerned about accurately accounting for the people's money and preventing fraud, theft, or waste.  At the time this clause was written, the accounting procedures were much more difficult that it is now with calculators and computers to help with the work.  While the task has been made easier with modern conveniences, the morals of many of those involved today have taken a dive.  Many of the taxpayers' dollars are being spent extravagantly, embezzled, or fraudulently redistributed.

                    The fact that the Founders put "chains" on the federal government partially saves the dollars of the American people.  "There are limits to the length to which Congress may go in its exercise of the appropriations power.  Congress's power, in this respect, like all of its other powers, is subject to the Bill of Rights and other constraints in the Constitution.  Congress may not, for example, in the guise of appropriating, subject named individuals to bills of attainders explicitly prohibited by the Constitution…."  (See Gary Kepplinger, The Heritage Guide to the Constitution, p. 165.)