purpose to Repeal the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

The Purpose of this national non-partisan volunteer movement is mandating a single issue within a limited Constitutional Convention: Repealing the Seventeenth Amendment. Leaders in America's original thirteen states were skeptical. Both Virginia and New York did not ratify until guaranteed rights were added. Returning to the Founding Father's original purpose returns rightful power to state legislatures, and restoring the original intent is known as Dual Sovereignty: all politics is local. Amendment XXVIII is a United States Constitutional restoration movement: an all American cause, to repeal Amendment Seventeen of the United States Constitution.

There are benefits for repealing the Seventeenth Amendment through special events. Every event held in at an important site will:

Generate a national awareness through media, which will demonstrate a viable solution to rein in an out-of-touch Congress,
Leverage energy and great support from paid attendees.
Bring pressure on state legislatures and officials to call for a Constitutional Convention.
Aim for a focused Constitutional Convention to add this 28th Amendment, repealing the Seventeenth Amendment.
Restore each State's Sovereignty and local voter power.

Originally, the United States Constitution mandated individual states appoint its own U.S. Senators. Election of senators by state legislatures was a cornerstone of two of the most important “auxiliary precautions”: federalism and the separation of powers. One of the worst fears of the Founding Fathers became reality. States controlled which individual went to Washington D.C, as well who could be “recalled”: U.S. Constitution, Article I, sect3.

The XVII amendment, ratified in April of 1913, purposely weakened state powers, and that specific amendment increased the role of federal government. The federal power grab has geometrically risen to an abusive level.

Voters can regain the 1776 spirit by overturning this strangling 17th amendment. These United States could, again, claim fiscal responsibility, restoring state legislatures their rightful powers, and reigning in the federal government. Voters can displace isolated Senators with Senators directly responsible to their state constituents. Local voters enjoy a greater control over their U.S. Senator.

Our entire U.S. Congress gets elected by registered voters in their state. The problem rests with lack of accountability, not in the ballot. A candidate campaigns within a state, makes “campaign promises” to those voters, wins a congressional seat, then proceeds to Washington, D.C. Once away from the electorate, the Congressional legislator usually casts votes according to a national political party politics, which is detached from local voters.

After the Seventeenth Amendment was ratified by the states in April of 1913, there was a massive shift of power from the states to the national governmental bodies. It caused states to abort their Constitutional right to appoint their special representative to the U.S. Senate. Locales and geographic areas lost control of fiscal accountability. Any U.S. senator can move into a six year term without being bridled

II.

2. In order to reach the whole country, The Smarter America, LLC will host an official web site and blog: www.repealxvii.com . A web master will consult for its dynamics. The web site becomes an inexpensive tool as an information and contact center; it is vital in reaching voters to register and contribute.

Importantly, special targeted events will happen in cities across the nation. Messages and information on highway billboards will have daily impact on drivers. Bold messages such as “Repeal Amendment XVII; Return Power to our State”, “Stop the Run-away Congress”, etc. will broadcast a focused message. Each will cycle through exceptional events and fund raisers, adding depth to our action plan.

Events and media require money. Personal levels of commitment are listed on our call for action web page.

III.

The bigger our federal bureaucracy grows, the greater the corruption.
Compelling Benefits for undoing five decades of federal power are:

Restore the original intent of U.S. Senators: an advisory board
Cut federal bureaucracy in the Senate and reduce committees, spilling into the Executive Branch.
Restore States guaranteed powers under Amendment Ten.
Give the voters a more direct and powerful voice in who their Senators shall be. ( At present, Senators disappear for six years, until next election cycle.)
Make Senators accountable to their State Legislators, who have the ability to recall them.
The people's disenchantment with their Senator would be aired locally! The distance for affirmative action is as close as the state capitol and its legislature. Senators would represent their state and the people's need within that state.
All politics is local! Prior to ratifying the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, citizens saw more of their Senators. Each state's citizens' voted for their choice, then state legislatures appointed the voters' choice.. The best know example is the famous Lincoln and Douglas debates. Since Lincoln lost to Douglas, Stephen A. Douglas was appointed as U.S. Senator from the Illinois State legislature.
More Money to the States: An important component that will prove beneficial to the several states is taxes! Each State needs money; better to keep monies at home than to send to the federal government in far away D.C. Allow the voters with in each state to elect officials who can best allocate tax revenues for their individual state
Money is the key factor in growth and it is the key motivator for the several states. Each State needs money, and they need it yesterday. The repeal of the 17^th, as a stand-alone Constitutional Amendment, gets them no money. But a combination where the states control tax money as well as their U.S. Senator necessitates the power and the programs returning to the states. Each States would become a capitalistic entity, competing with one another for business and people’s purchasing power. From a completive, capitalistic perspective, State would reduce their size and scope of their governments

Call for a Constitutional Convention to repeal the Seventeenth Amendment through state legislatures.

Site Map