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"More Than Just Musing" #12 IMPROVING WORKING CONDITIONS FOR REPRESENATIVES AND SENATORS Draining the swamp is the wrong metaphor. We like and need wetlands. They encourage and protect a variety of life. Besides, what would occupy the space - another mall, a landfill, dense and problematic housing, or maybe a weed-filled, trash-collecting lot. A better metaphor would be a reconstruction of a family home with honest, unselfish, adult guidance. This environment would hearten openness, acceptance, cooperation, and civility with the goals in the Preamble to the Constitution - "to form a more perfect union," "to establish Justice," "to ensure domestic Tranquility," "to provide for the common defense," "to promote the general welfare," and "to secure the Blessings of Liberty for ourselves and our Posterity." 1. What if we screened our candidates by requiring them to submit income tax returns. Wouldn't that discourage shady characters and encourage citizen patriots? 2. What if we replaced the Electoral College with the popular vote --one citizen, one vote. Our Founding Fathers fearing a sovereign executive anguished over elevating someone to the presidency settling on the Electoral College with Hamilton saying, it is "not perfect," but "it is at least excellent." He believed "that the office of the President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications." Even Hamilton can miss the mark. Unfortunately for him, the second time was fatal. 3. What if we made clear and enforced voter requirements and rights for federal elections and required photo ID? Wouldn't we eliminate the nonsense some districts use to discourage voting? Wouldn't that virtually eliminate law suits relating to voter suppression and voter fraud. The Washington Post on 12/12/16, published a study that showed of the 135,000,000 ballots cast in the 2016 election the fraud was 0.000002%. We should not be suppressing voter registration and efforts to purge the voter rolls must not be arbitrary and capricious. Any and all efforts should be transparent and constitutional with the purgee immediately notified. 4. What if lifetime appointments required a sixty-vote majority. Would such a law encourage nominations of candidates more attuned to the will of the people and discourage nomination of those with political and ideological baggage? Would such a law depoliticize the Courts? Would we have ever heard of Brett Kavanaugh? 5. What if we selected our Representative instead of our Representatives selecting us. An independent body overseen by the judiciary to draw the lines for congressional district would eliminate gerrymandering. The absence of gerrymandering would take power out of the hands of the tribal leaders. It would prevent these leaders from exercising control of their own party's elected representative with threats of supporting an opponent in the primary in the next election cycle. 6. What if we took the money out of politics. Too much for this "More Than Just Musings," but if you go to the web site THEYCANTWECAN.COM, you will find a draft that includes RICO penalties for violations. When we send our elected representatives to Washington, we have an obligation to provide a work place that gives them a chance to heed their "inward monitor," their "ethical self"; thereby, placing their country first, their constituents second, and their tribes never. The 28th Amendment will go a long way to doing just that. Support the 28th Amendment. Contact: Jim Hamm at... 1776 yourunclesam@gmail.com Contact your Representative-- House.gov-- Senate.Gov ......Proposed 28 Ademendent Google THEYCANTWECAN.COM
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