Robert Fowler
July 30, 2007
What can change the US to become the nation that was conceived by our
forefathers? We have gone from a representative form of government to a two
party corporate elitist dictatorship. It does not matter what Party is in
power, the government, I.E., president, Congress, and the Supreme Court, is
owned and marches to the orders of the crooked corporate elitist crowed.
Anyone who
thinks we have a democracy in the US is either insane or has one's head in the
sand.
What can be
done about it? Read the following proposals, then become an activist in your
state and demand that your state legislators get Congress to call an Article V
convention. If Congress won't call the convention, then insist that your state
legislature sue the Congress to have the federal courts to compel them to
follow the requirements of Article V in the Constitution.
Article V
The
Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall
propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the
Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for
proposing Amendments,
which, in
either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this
Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several
States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other
Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no
Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and
eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth
Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be
deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.
Hold An
Article V Constitutional Convention. (For the people, by the people, and of the
people.)
1. Clean
Elections paid for by public funds. (Max of $1000 from a citizen, or an
organization in primary and in general election.)
2. Control
lobbyists. Lobbyists must be volunteers with only expenses paid to support
issues only; not laws, companies, organizations, or individuals.
3. Term
limits. A candidate may serve two terms only. Change term of office to four
years in House and Senate. Phase in House members so that only half will be
replaced each election.
4. Elect
president by popular vote. Eliminate Electoral College. President and Vice
President will run individual campaigns by political party. A simple majority
of votes selects top Candidate for that party for general election. This also
applies to Independents and minority parties. All parties will have parity on
ballet. Any candidate getting 25,000 signatures or 3% of registered voters
signatures in his/her state is eligible to run in the national Primary and will
be placed on the ballot in the home state. All states will place them on their
primary ballot.
5. Provide
for Citizen's Initiatives. This is direct democracy. 27 states currently have
it. Citizens will make laws, remove laws. Recall any elected official,
including President, Vice President, Congresspersons, or Senators. They can be
removed for treason, felonies, (federal or state), bribery, certain misdemeanor
crimes, failure to duties defined by their office. Failure to enforce the law
or failure to uphold the Constitution, Citizens will also have the authority to
remove appointed officials for malfeasance of office or failure to enforce the
law. This applies to all judges, cabinet members of the president, vice
president, or governors. Citizens Initiatives may also propose Constitutional
Amendments. It would be placed on the National Primary ballot, it would take
67% of voters approving the inclusion of the amendment to have it put on the
ballot for the general election. It would take 75% of voter to approve the amendment
to make it part of the Constitution.
6. Elect
Supreme Court Judges. Their term would be for 10 years. They can run for two
terms. They may be impeached by Congress, or recalled by citizens through a
recall petition.
7. Provide
for electronic voting. Votes can be done from home computer, business computer,
voting machine, or a mailed ballot. Every computer used in voting must be
registered with the person's precinct by serial number, operating system and
the voter must have a password, a voter registration number. The voter
registration number will be computer generated and will be changed for each
election. The same number can be used for national primary and national general
election. All city, county and state political office terms will also be changed
to 4 years and hold their elections every four years. This cuts down on the
cost of elections and campaigns. If a person dies or is removed for cause a
replacement can be appointed by the party the person belongs to, or by
Governor, or legislative body the person belongs to. If appointed, they must be
in same party. Once a person is elected to office through affiliation with a
political party, they must remain in that party for the full term. That means
no switching parties while in office. Anyone, or any organization, hacking into
voting computers will face a $25,000 fine and five years in prison. Anyone
altering voting records will face a $100,000 fine and 15 years in prison. No
judge can alter these sentences. All votes will have at least three paper trails:
a printed record at the precinct and printed records at the City, County, and
State levels. Also, the individual must print out a copy of the ballet and for
whom s/he voted. This ballot must correspond with the other two records. These
records will be maintained for at least 8 years by voting officials, and 4
years by voter.
8.
Eliminate income tax and the IRS. Enact Fair Tax that would consist of a
national sales tax of 15% on domestic produced in the USA or its territories,
30% on imports, and 45% on re-imported products, (products made by American
companies that have their manufacturing in other countries. Also, all American
companies must be incorporated in the United States. Tax money will not be used
to subsidize any company, farm, ranch, or any other organization. The
Government may be a participating partner in research and pay for the majority
of the cost of the research. The Government will hold the majority of the
patent and may license the patent to private business, but will be paid royalties
on the patent as if the government were a private party.
9. No
company, organization, university, college, PAC, foreign power, foreign person,
or any person, may write a bill for a law that affects his/her/it's self or
similar entity. Only legislators or their staff may write a bill. Once a Bill
is before the body of legislature, congress, or Senate, people may support the
bill by mailing, telephoning, emailing, faxing, or telegraming their
legislators, supporting, or opposing the Bill. PAC's, organizations,
individuals may send out Advertisements, news releases, meetings, etc in favor
or in opposition of the bill. These same entities may also personally visit the
legislator’s office, but can not offer or give any favor to influence the
legislator's vote. Taking him/her to lunch is ok, price of the lunch should not
exceed $25.00 to $30.00.
10. Any
claim by a political opponent must be documented and must be true, otherwise if
one's campaign consists of slander, lies, innuendo, planted evidence, quotes taken
out of context, misquotes, false information, etc. The person making such
claims will be dropped from the ballot and will be subject to civil, as well as
criminal prosecution.
11.
Reestablish the “Fairness Doctrine. It was an attempt by the FCC to ensure that
all coverage of a controversial issue by a broadcast station be balanced and
fair. Station licensees are “public trusts”. The holder is bound to afford a
reasonable opportunity for discussion of contrasting points of view on
controversial issues affecting or impressing the public.
12. All
foreign trade agreements or treaties must be submitted to the citizens through
a Citizen's Initiative, or on the general election ballot. It will take 75% of
registered voters to pass a trade agreement or treaty. . Also, citizens will be
empowered by the Constitution to negate or cancel any previous trade agreement
or treaty.
Well, there
you have twelve steps to a better America. There are probably more, but these
will come about through intelligent discussions with other citizens and
politicians. But once the Citizen begins direct democracy, “we the people” will
be the government, as our forefathers intended. We should never give
politicians exclusive control of our country again. They have had total control
for over two hundred years, and have sold out to the elite. The elite have been
able to buy any law they want. We must fix our Constitution so that they will
never again be able to “buy” a legislator with campaign financing.
You will
hear all kinds of “bovine fertilizer” about the dangers of changing our
Constitution or about runaway convention. This is nothing but lies and scare
tactics. It takes 2/3 of the states to call on congress to call an Article V
convention to PROPOSE amendments. Then it takes ¾ of the States to ratify the
amendments. This process is difficult but it provides protection for the
Constitution. Besides, all a convention can do is propose Amendments, not pass
them. This is the same procedure that must be used when Congress PROPOSES an
amendment.
Bob Fowler