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To: Harpo Speaks
Harpo Speaks wrote:
But, just for the heck of it, if you could make just one change to the Constitution, what would it be?
Actually, there was a "Bill of Federalism" site which had 10 (I think) really good proposed amendments. I'll give you my top two. The first is my own idea,
The “You Represent Us” amendment:
  1. Congress shall make no law establishing compensation or benefits for United States Represenatives or United States Senators.
  2. Any law of the United States which provides for compensation or benefits for United States Senators and/or United States Representatives, which is in effect at the time this amendment is ratified by the several states shall be null and void after December 31 of the year of ratification.
  3. Effective January 1 of the year following ratification of this amendment, United States Representatives and United States Senators shall be employees of the State they are elected to represent. They shall receive compensation and benefits as defined by the legislatures of their state. They shall be subject to all laws which apply to elected officials of their state.

This does a few things. First Congress can't vote to raise their own salary. Second, they get a weekly or semimonthly reminder of who feeds their family and who they really work for. In some ways, this partially mitigates the damage done by the 17th amendment. I'm seriously considering setting up a website and a campaign for that amendent.

My other top priority would have to be the Repeal Amendment. Or something like it. This would allow a supermajority of the states to pass resolutions specifically identifying any law, united states code section or code of federal regulations section. If such a law, code section or regulation is specifically identified by 2/3rds (some versions of this have 3/4ths) of the states as being repealed, it is repealed. No futher action required by the Congress.

This also gives some power back to the states, again mitigating some of the damage of the 17th amendment.

It would never happen, but outright repealing the 17th amendment would also be a great idea.

17 posted on 06/20/2011 5:57:23 PM PDT by cc2k ( If having an "R" makes you conservative, does walking into a barn make you a horse's (_*_)?)
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To: cc2k
Not a huge fan of Rand, but her proposal sounds reasonable:

Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of production and trade.

I would only edit it to state, "This amendment shall not be construed to prohibit laws against violence and fraud."

40 posted on 06/21/2011 7:13:00 AM PDT by Thane_Banquo
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