Seventeen Silences State Sovereignty

Prompted by State Legislators that failed to meet their obligation, it was done in the name of democracy. They had lost sight of the significance associated with their part in the balance of power. Now we witness the raging madness of an oligarchy. Now we see why the balance of power, the separation, and our Republican form of government are so essential, and the times are not unique to Obama's reign.

I'm speaking of the Seventeenth Amendment. The Seventeenth Amendment silenced the voices that defended State Constitutions. The Seventeenth Amendment sliced State Sovereignty right out of the Upper Chamber. Today, the Upper and Lower Chambers are beset by near identical lobbying and campaign forces. Aside from the length of term and civil service tenor, what distinguishes the two chambers? What exists to prevent the two chamber of the U.S. Congress from trampling State Rights or State Constitutions? Who in D.C. is accountable to State Law Makers?

The founders understood something that we have forgotten. The corruption of man has no end. Therefore, we must separate powers to the fullest extent possible. The separation of the Executive from the Judicial from the Legislative is not enough. Can you not see this? The power of the masses has to be separate from the power of the States!! General lobbying influences of special interests, unions, corporation, cities, etc.. have destroyed the system. The voices of State Legislators and the State Constitutions are no longer represented and defended in the Federal City!!

It's time to get loud. It's time to tell Washington that the State Legislators have their voice in the U.S. Senate. The power and accountability of State Representation in the Senate must be returned!! It is time to Repeal 17!!

Texas House members Creighton, Hughes, Berman, Gattis and Guillen have filed HCR-50 declaring the Sovereignty of the State of Texas in light of the Tenth Amendment. Their effort is worthy of your support. Tea Parties are flaring up all across the land. These symbolic acts are also worthy of your support. But what has teeth? What will take a bite out of the corruption in the Federal City? What can really bring change to D.C.? What will restore the balance of power in the land?

Repeal 17!! Repeal 17!!

God Save the U.S.A.

Lining up for Change

Surely you agree with something in the Obama agenda. Tell me it is not possible that you reject everything the President-Elect is proposing. There is at least one area that gets me excited and gives me hope. That is government accountability / eliminating wasteful spending.

The Dems and GOP both purport to carry this mantle. Neither has been effective. The problem is corruption. The problem is malfeasance. The issue is as old as civilization. The corruption of man's sole, and our tendency to sin against our brother, is as old as mankind.

The best solution was in play at the founding of our Great Republic. Unfortunately, it was undermined in 1911. The best solution is separation of power; spread out the power and double the accountability. We practice this in most institutions of our great society. Look most school boards, city management systems, and non-profits. You may think we have separation of power at the federal level with the Executive, Judicial and Executive Branches being distinct. However, an important aspect of separating power is now forgotten and overlooked, and it has turned our government on its head.

I am speaking of the Upper and Lower Chambers. The House and the Senate of the U.S. Legislature were much more distinct than we find them today. When the Constitution was written, the federal government was established in such a way as to respect the existing State Constitutions that were already extant. The feds had to respect the sovereignty of the individual states.

The Upper Chamber, the Senate, was responsible for protecting the States, as they were appointed by the State Legislatures (Article 1 Section 3, U.S. Constitution). The popular election of U.S Senators, established by the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, removed a key element of the separation of power found in the U.S. Constitution. The Senators were directly accountable to their State Congressmen, and therefore had a vested interest in protecting State Rights. This mitigated undue influence from general lobbying. Furthermore, the U.S. Senators were not subject to the popular election campaign funding temptations associated with the U.S. House seats.

My friends, the Seventeenth Amendment has enabled corrupting forces to cease power at the federal level. Certainly, there are other factors, but this is major. The Seventeenth Amendment has enabled the Federal Government to expand at its greatest rate in all of U.S. history. The Seventeenth Amendment has subjected Senators to the same campaign and lobbying influences as the Congressmen of the Lower Chamber. This makes it easier for laws that undermine States Rights to pass both chambers. This makes it easier for the expansion of the federal government. Repeal Seventeen!

God Save the U.S.A.

A House Divided Will Not Expand

So knew the Founders, the separation of powers was central to establishing responsible and accountable federal government...

So knew the Founders, all men are corruptible ... The individual man, a potential tyrant; The masses as a whole and groups of all sizes may be lured into corrupt schemes; The church; The body politic. All are subject to the temptation of abuse, the lure of money, access to absolute power.

So acted the Founders ... They separated; They divided. They separated the power of the church from the power of the state. They separated the judicial from the executive, and from the legislative. They separated our legislative bodies. They divided the legislature into two houses or chambers.

Yes, they separated the House from the Senate. They separated the representation of the people from the representation of the States. There were thirteen State Constitutions to protect. There were thirteen State Governments that were already operating. The States had to be represented and protected at the new federal level of government.

So knew the Founders, there was great risk of the new federal government usurping the power of the States. They created a house divided ... Divided by length of terms; Divided in numbers; Divided in accountability; Divided by means of achieving office. U.S. Senators were originally appointed by the State Legislatures.

... A House divided will not expand.

With differing interests and accountability, the House and the Senate had to work hard to achieve common agendas. They had to work hard at coming together for the common good of the people and the existing State governments. They had to unite their divided interests to establish new law or new federal agencies.

With the adoption of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1914, we the people, have destroyed a key separation of powers, the central genius of our constitution. With the Seventeenth Amendment we have removed federal accountability to state government. With the Seventeenth Amendment, we have subjected the Senate to the same multi-million dollar campaign cycles as the house. We have made them both chambers near identical targets vulnerable to corporate lobbyists and special interests. The vast distinctions between the two legislative bodies are gone... for now.

With the Senate and the House now united in power, the size of federal government as exploded. How many federal agencies existing prior to 1914? How many have been created since? There are currently over one hundred thirty listed on the White House web-site. Adding the Seventeenth Amendment paved the wave for FDRs New Deal, and its expansive growth of federal government.

My friends, the federal government is now out of control. Election of Senators by popular vote, election by the masses, is not working. We are now witnessing perhaps the most expansive and corrupt era of federal government in the history of the United States of America.

It is time to again divide the body politic. It is time to again vastly separate the powers of the legislative houses. It is time to again make the federal government accountable to the State governments.

A house divided will not expand...