What the heck, I’m on a roll. I believe the Constitution needs some new amendments and also some removals or, at least, modifications. Off we go:
Amendment XIV
We need to cut out that bit about “All persons born in the United States …” to something on the order of “The children of all persons who are either U.S. citizens or are becoming U.S. citizens …” I am right sure I know the original reasoning for the current wording and I agree with it, but that time is long past.
Amendment XVI
This one needs to be, if not eliminated, toned way down. There needs to be limits on the maximum allowable taxation, and a clause about treating all citizens the same. In other words, “That’s all you get” and “Successful Tom pays the same rate as not-so-successful Dick and Harry.”
Eliminate the “Single” and “Married” categories and make it all “Individual.” I cannot justify a man making $100,000 a year paying a higher tax rate than a couple making $150,000. Quite a while back, North Carolina had “Individual” and “Head of Household” categories and it seemed to work right well.
Note here that I see no problem with an up-front personal deduction, as long as everybody gets it.
A while back, I read an article which was written when T. Roosevelt was trying to pass a 2% income tax. The author of the article claimed this this was dangerous and he could envision the tax going as high as 10% . Now, I wish I could envision the tax going as low as 10%.
Amendment XVII
This one says that Senators are to be elected by popular vote rather than by state legislatures. At first, that sounds really swell, but that is without any thought on the subject. If I am not mistaken, our Founders conceived the House to represent the People and the Senate to represent the several States. I believe that to be a rather valid and well-thought-out concept.
Think about the implications of this amendment:
Senatorial races have become national races, with the cost of most races running through the roof. And that’s because they don’t have to convince X number of legislators; all they have to do is flood the airwaves, usually with out-of-state money.
The power of state legislatures is tremendously reduced. This reduction results in large numbers of voters ignoring many state positions. That’s something to think about . That is to say, the states become weaker and the Feds become stronger. I don’t like that and, I am right certain, that many of our Founders didn’t, either.
New HDI Amendment I
Any tax decrease requires a simple majority in both Houses to pass. Any tax increase requires a super majority (60%) in both Houses to pass.
New HDI Amendment II
Senators and Congressmen, not being Federal employs in the strictest sense, shall receive no retirement benefits.
New HDI Amendment III
No Senator or Congressman may run to be re-elected in his seat while, at the same time, run for the office of President.
