If I was the king of the world, I tell you what I'd do.
When in the course of message board events you reach a critical mass of things that need fixing, you must make a paradigm shift. Today's shift will be in fundamentally readjusting our nation back a notch or two. As the momentary king of the world, I will make these changes and then abdicate the throne with the understanding that it may all come back to the way it is today. But, for now, just doing a soft reset should suffice.
Big Change number one: The
sixteenth amendment is hearby removed and relegated to the dust bins of history. The income tax is the single largest destroyer of personal liberty and abuse of power in this nation. Where else are your required to provide your full name, ssn, address and other contact information? You must also disclose what you earn, what you do, how you invest, what or how much you give to charity, who your mortgage is with and how much interest your paid. This information readily tells anyone how much your home is worth, and all of the above information is required on every member of your household as well. Additionally, the IRS is able to enforce this abomination using tactics not authorised anywhere else. This is not personal liberty, it is Big Brother, and only a step away from the Gestapo. I will place the
Fairtax into operation for a period of four years so as to collect the data to prove or disprove its' value.
Big Change number two: The seventeenth amendment is gone, history, dust, archives, fuggetaboutit. Our founders intended the voices heard at the National level were to represent the states and the people. While there is no longer a possibility of open revolt or secession, that doesn't mean the state voices are redundant. Each state is a separate entity in and of itself and is able to provide a unique perspective to every issue. How the states select Senators is thier call. They may elect them via the citizenry, they may appoint them via the legislature or the Governor, they can make it a hereditary office for all I care. But without the seventeenth the states are no longer required to hold a vote of the citizenry unless that is the choice of the state. The House will speak for the people, and the Senate will speak for the States with the Govenors voice.
Big Change number three: From now on Congress will be in session all year long just like the US Military. Each Congressman will earn 2.5 days of paid vacation each month for a total of thirty days per year. Just like the .mil congress will work M-F taking weekends and holidays off when the workload permits. Additionally, Congress will draw no pension until the member in question has a minimum of twenty years service at which point they can draw fifty percent of thier base pay.
Big Change number four: All legislation generated by Congress must meet the following criteria: Every bill must clearly and openly reference the specific passage of the US Constitution that authorises the Federal Government to take this action. Additionally every amendment to the bill must also reference the Constitution and justify why it is not a separate bill in its' own right. For example. A bill to appropriate monies for national defense must explain the authorising article, and cannot have abortion or immigration provisions included therein.
Big Change number five: All legislation introduced must be voted on in the order it was introduced notwithstanding emergency bills which at the discretion of the Speaker or the President and will be voted on immediately. No more bills being passed over because the dominant party doesn't wish to discuss them.
Big Change number six: All presidential appointments requiring congressional advice and consent will receive an up or down vote within thirty days.
Big Change number seven: All agencies within the US Government will be screened for constitutional relevance and thier continued existence justified using that criteria. For example, if there is no provision for the Department of Education constitutionally speaking, then it will be drawn down over a period of time until it is gone.
Big Change number eight: The rules and codes of ethical conduct shall be removed from the control of congress and vested with the people. Immediately a national debate over what constitutes "ethics" within the body of the .gov will convene. The citizens will vote upon a "Code of Conduct" and it will be ratified by the states using the process in place for ratification of Constitutional Amendments. Further all cases of ethical questions will be decided by a panel of citizens drafted by lottery for that purpose. They will serve a four year term and hold exclusive authority to take action with respect to questions of ethics in regard to Congress.
Big Change number nine: No member of Congress shall depart from the United States, or its' territories without the advice and consent of the President of the United States.
Big Change number ten: Congress shall no longer be authorised to craft legislation which exempts itself as a body from being subject to the same.
So let it be written, so let it be done.
