Should The Senate Go Back To Being Elected By The State Legislatures?

[JakeStarkey]

Not since 1912. The people and the states spoke. You don't believe in the amendment process.

It's better than the Obama process that simply ignores the Constitution. The people were duped when they passed the 17th Amendment.

Your opinion only. In the meantime, organize an amendent drive to overturn the 17th. Good luck.

 

[jillian]

Put me down as "pondering the question".

Great arguments BTW.. I TEND to favor repealing the Amendment because of the increasing need for states to defend themselves against unfunded mandates and 10th Amendment erosion.

Problem is accountibility is far too removed -- having to punish state legislators for chit that happens in D.C.

yeah, terrible that state legislators have to be accountable for violating the u.s. constitution.

the nerve....

 

[paperview]

There's a reason for the 17th Amendment.

It wasn't working the old way.

 

[paperview]

Put me down as "pondering the question".

Great arguments BTW.. I TEND to favor repealing the Amendment because of the increasing need for states to defend themselves against unfunded mandates and 10th Amendment erosion.

Problem is accountibility is far too removed -- having to punish state legislators for chit that happens in D.C.

yeah, terrible that state legislators have to be accountable for violating the u.s. constitution.

the nerve....

Some people pin an awful lot of faith and trust in state legislatures to not be corrupt; a little look back through the history books might help some understand...

The biggest reason there was enough popular support at the time to pass a constitutional amendment for direct election of senators had a lot to do with industrialists and robber barons who were, quite simply, buying up whole state legislatures to get the people they wanted appointed.

State politicians are much cheaper than federal ones.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Corporatism, indeed, the corruption of government by business, was one of the great reasons for the 17th Amendment.

 

[J.E.D]

No problem. I respect your POV as well. Maybe I don't fully understand your reasoning. I understand that money leads to corruption. The current system that the SC has allowed is definitely one that by it's nature will lead to corruption. I just don't see how having elected officials electing elected officials will lead to less corruption.

There is no guarantee it won't.

The issue here is a structural one.

This is about local control, or in this case states powers. The idea is to preserve the right of Michigan to spend it's money on roads while Colorado may want to spend more on education. It is their business. And Washington D.C. has nothing to say about it.

If the people of Michigan want to change things (to spending more on schools...) then they can take care of that internally. And if I live in Michigan and don't like what they are doing there, I can move to a state that is better suited to me (I left CA to move to Kansas in large part because of schools).

It was never intended that the country be homogonized on every issue.

But with the loss of appointed senators, state legislatures are much less powerful than they would otherwise be.

That there can be corruption at the state level is true, but it seems like there would be a better chance of less of it when they are closer to home (both my state rep and my state senator know me by name.....my federal rep knows my face and my two federal senators don't know I exist). They (the local ones) know I am watching.

I get what you're saying. In an ideal world, it may work. I just don't see how it could work in today's world. Corruption and cronyism is rampant within the current system; in my limited view, I think it would be just as bad, if not worse, in the system that you are describing. Just my opinion.

 

[JakeStarkey]

The $$$ available for corruption at the state and local level must be at all time levels, and when we see the incredibly lax ethics laws in Utah or Texas, why should any of us be surprised that the public servants swill at private troughs as well as public ones.