Time: Sat Jun 28 05:45:52 1997 by primenet.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id FAA22939; Sat, 28 Jun 1997 05:38:26 -0700 (MST) by usr10.primenet.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id FAA08238; Sat, 28 Jun 1997 05:38:17 -0700 (MST) Date: Sat, 28 Jun 1997 05:36:38 -0700 To: (Recipient list suppressed) From: Paul Andrew Mitchell [address in tool bar] Subject: SLS: Grandmothers for Honest Government (fwd) <snip> > >GRANDMOTHERS FOR HONEST GOVERNMENT >P.O. Box 6934 >Tyler, Texas 75711 > >We are for: > >* Reforming Congress >* Repealing the 17th Amendment >* Retiring ALL WASHINGTON LOBBYISTS >* Saving the Country for our Children, Grandchildren and Posterity > >This is a desperate plea to you and everyone to join GRANDMOTHERS FOR HONEST GOVERNMENT in bring sanity back to our government in Washington. Our government is out of control. Lobbyists and special interests are calling the shots. When a U.S. Senator's race cost millions of dollars in a statewide race, a U.S. Senator is bought and sold to Special Interests and Lobbyists. > >By repealing the 17th Amendment, we could solve many of our problems in government. It would put a stop to the control of SPECIAL INTERESTS and the LOBBYISTS, end the need for limited terms, hold the line on spending and bring about a balanced budget, bring back RESPONSIBILITY and ACCOUNTABILITY, HONESTY and FAIRNESS at all levels of our government. Our Congressmen will be strong STATESMEN, mindful of the best for our nation today, tomorrow and for future generations. > >Lawmakers probably had good intentions when they ratified the 17th Constitutional Amendment, April 8, 1913, which changed the original intent of our Founding Fathers. Until 1913, there were no statewide elections for U.S. Senators. Each State Legislature elected two of its most honorable members to go to Washington to represent their State in the United States Sendate. The United States Senate was the strong branch of our government ... the safeguard to stop all bad legislation. This was the plan of the Framers of our Constitution. U. S. Senators were responsible and accountable to their State Legislatures ... answerable for their voting and their actions ... subject to recall and replacement -- if and when a Senator stepped out of line. > >In 1933, we repealed the 18th Constitutional Amendment which eliminated most of the "drunks" in the nation. Let's eliminate all those Washington Lobbyists in 1997 by repealing the 17th Constitutional Amendment -- and save the country for our children and our grandchildren. > >Join GRANDMOTHERS FOR HONEST GOVERNMENT -- only $5 a year to help cover expenses. All grandfathers, grandmothers, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, grandsons, and granddaughters are welcome. Send check to: GRANDMOTHERS FOR HONEST GOVERNMENT, P.O. BOX 6934, TYLER, TEXAS 75711. > >* * * > >A BETTER WAY > "Limited Terms" is the talk of the day ... supposed to fix government. > Don't count on it ... go back to the plan of our Founding Fathers ... they made the United States Senate the Strong Branch of our government. > It does not matter how many laws the United States House of Representatives passes ... nothing can become law unless it passes the United States Senate. > This is a simple plan - and it will work. In all the states ... the state House of Representatives (the lower house) would elect two of its most honorable and capable members to go to Washington to represent their respective state in the United States Senate. > Now, every U.S. Senator would have to report to his or her state legislature ... always subject to recall at any time they were out of line in their voting or action. > State legislators are usually close to their voters ... many times they live in the same town or city. One would not have to be writing or calling Washington ... the state legislature would be the one to contact ... and your state lawmaker would get your U.S. Senate [sic] in line. The excellence of state government will improve because every state legislator would like to be a U.S. Senator. > At this time, U.S. Senators are elected in costly statewide elections costing millions and millions of dollars ... tying the hands of our lawmakers to lobbyists before they reach Washington for their six year term. > How wonderful it would be for our U.S. Senators to be statesmen again ... going to Washington with absolutely no ties to lobbyists ... knowing they are fully accountable for every vote cast and always subject to recall. > This would send all lobbyists to the employment office. All present senators can retire on their $1,000,000 pensions." >-Myra Davis Dippel >Tyler > >* * * > >AMENDMENT XVII > >The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years, and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State Legislatures. > >When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies. Provided, That the Legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by elections as the Legislature may direct. > >This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution. > >* * * > >Tyler Morning Telegraph >Thursday, March 6, 1997 >Editorial > >Reforming Congress, retiring all Washington lobbyists and saving our country for our children, grandchildren and posterity sound like goals most Americans would endorse. > >Those objectives are listed as the sole purpose for establishment of a new group calling itself Grandmothers for Honest Government which is headquartered in Tyler. President of the organization is Myra Davis Dippel, a former member of the Texas Legislature. > >The key to attaining those objectives is seen as repeal of the 17the Constitutional Amendment, which reads in part: "The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State Legislatures." > >Lawmakers possibly had good intentions when they ratified the 17th Constitutional Amendment, April 8, 1913, Ms Dippel said. "However, they changed the original intent of our Founding Fathers." > >Under the original United States Constitution provision, the state legislature from each state elected two of its most honorable members to go to Washington to represent their respective state in the United States Senate. > >"The United States Senate was to be the strong branch of our government -- the safeguard to stop all bad laws," Ms. Dippel added. "U.S. senators were responsible and accountable to their state legislature, answerable for their voting and their actions, subject to recall and replacement at any time a senator stepped out of line." > >The problem today as identified by this new group is that Americans are unaware of the unique plan the nation's Founding Fathers had for their country when they drew up our form [of] government, "which gave no place for lobbyists in Washington." > >Lobbyists have been controlling statewide U.S. senatorial elections ever since ratification of the 17th Constitutional Amendment, the group contends. > >Having U.S. senators elected in statewide elections sounds good, Ms. Dippel said, "but it has not worked out that way. The statewide ... elections have opened the door for special interest groups and lobbyists." > >With repeal of the 17th Amendment, it is pointed out, any U.S. senator could be called home to stand before his state legislature and give a full account of his voting and his actions. > >"Any U.S. senator would almost rather face a den of lions than those critical lawmakers who sent him to Washington to represent their state in the U.S. Senate," she believes. "The office of U.S. senator is one of the most prestigious offices in the land. Every state legislator will be a better legislator, hoping and looking forward to the day when his state legislature will send him to Washington as their U.S. senator. Government will improve on every level when lawmakers are made accountable and replaceable." > >Statewide U.S. senate races are very costly, and someone holding the office has to raise $6,000 every day in the year to finance the next campaign, it is noted. Repeal of the 17th Amendment would save from $5 to $50 million each U.S. senatorial election and retire more than 9,000 lobbyists in Washington, the grandmothers' group figures. It also might ease the need for campaign reform, which obviously is another of those things Washington is unable to solve. > >Plans of the group are to work with governors, all members of the U.S. Congress and state legislatures and assemblies to try to get momentum behind its effort, which is being launched nationwide this week with mailing of letters to all of those. > >It is far too early to assess the kind of reception their plan will receive from those officials, but strong objection can be expected from any who might perceive it as a serious threat to the status quo in political elections and campaigning. > >One thing that most concerned citizens will readily endorse, however, is the list of objectives the grandmothers' group has embraced. > ># # # > > > > >-> Send "subscribe snetnews " to majordomo@world.std.com -> Posted by: Kepi > > ======================================================================== Paul Andrew Mitchell : Counselor at Law, federal witness B.A., Political Science, UCLA; M.S., Public Administration, U.C. Irvine tel: (520) 320-1514: machine; fax: (520) 320-1256: 24-hour/day-night email: [address in tool bar] : using Eudora Pro 3.0.2 on 586 CPU website: http://www.supremelaw.com : visit the Supreme Law Library now ship to: c/o 2509 N. Campbell, #1776 : this is free speech, at its best Tucson, Arizona state : state zone, not the federal zone Postal Zone 85719/tdc : USPS delays first class w/o this As agents of the Most High, we came here to establish justice. We shall not leave, until our mission is accomplished and justice reigns eternal. ======================================================================== [This text formatted on-screen in Courier 11, non-proportional spacing.]
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