Grassroots Network of the Republican Party of Virginia

Constitutional Amendments

I've been thinking about a few Constitutional Amendments to improve government:

1. No person having more than two years of higher education in the law or who has ever practiced law shall be permitted to run for public office

2. No person who has never served in the armed forces or been continuiously employed in a private sector, profit making enterprise for less than ten years shall be permitted to run for public office.

3. No candidate for public office may accept contributions from any entity unless said contributions are from the private funds of an individual who is registered to vote in the election for the office the candidate seeks. An individual may contribute unlimited funds, time, or other resources provided all contributions or any kind are immediately disclosed. No bundling of contributions is permitted. Any unused campaign funds must be refunded to contributors in proportion to their contribution.

4. No representation without taxation. No citizen shall be permitted to vote without first providing a receipt for state and federal income tax paid.

5. Any legislator submitting a bill for consideration by the federal or state legislature must pay a submittal fee equal to 20% of the legialators annual income from all sources.

Feel free to add your own suggestions.

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Comment by Lewis Hawthorne on February 19, 2009 at 5:18pm: I couldnt agree with you more. to add to that......

I say that no one can serve in the house or the senate for no more than 2 terms of a 4 year election just like the president or the govenior is doing now.
this is what is wrong with WASHINGTON now.

Comment by Chris on February 13, 2009 at 11:13pm: I have some ideas under the general themes of federalism and minimizing the power of incumbency:

1) Tax Farming. Sorry about your #4, but Amendment XVI has got to go. The Fed no longer should have a Cosmic Credit Card to beggar us all. The Fed crafts the budget, but the bill is divided amongst the States and paid in full, or there is a sales tax applied to that state to make up the shortfall by the end of the next year. This "gazinta==gazoutta" concept has the effect of balancing the budget.
I would allow Federal deficit spending for DECLARED wars, such as we have not had since WWII.

2. Kill Switch. At the 18 month mark, 2/3 of the State legislatures have to certify that the Congress is suitable, not infamous. If Congress fails this confidence vote, none of the clowns in the clown car are eligible to run for their seat in the next election. This is not an individual term-limit rule: a bumped Representative could run for a Senate seat. The purpose is to provide a "ballot box bidder bunch" in an efficient way.

3. All committee seats are divided randomly among the majority party. The committee staffs have all the technical knowledge anyway. The point here is to make sure that incumbency does not breed moral hazard. None of the committees are explicitely Constitutional anyway. Shag them.