Is the 17th amendment a good or bad thing?

[Super_Lantern]

I recently read that Liberty Amendments book, and in it the author calls for an amendment that would repeal the 17th amendment. What do you guys think? What are the pros and cons to they way we elect senators now due to the 17th amendment?

 

[HenryBHough]

No.

Something more basic and now easily attainable needs to be done.

Do away with The Senate entirely.

In fact, do away with Congress entirely.

But NO dictatorship.

Make every issue subject to direct vote of the people.

Algore's internet (to his delight) makes that possible.

True that some people don't have computers - or even access to the internet.

But that's their problem.

We could vote, however, on making computers and internet access free just like Obamaphones. Maybe we could toss in Chevy Dolts (intentional) just to keep them from clogging the distribution channels.

 

[Erand7899]

I recently read that Liberty Amendments book, and in it the author calls for an amendment that would repeal the 17th amendment. What do you guys think? What are the pros and cons to they way we elect senators now due to the 17th amendment?

The seventeenth amendment was the first step in the dismantling of the political power dispersion system that our framers put in place to protect us from the federal government. Senators were no longer dependent upon state legislatures for their senate seats, and could join the representatives in buying their seats with taxpayer money. It also allowed congress to begin the usurptation of political power assigned to the states, and the people, by the tenth amendment.

 

[The2ndAmendment]

The 17th Amendment removed the only explicit bulwark against federal tyranny.

There's a reason it was passed in the same year as the IRS, Federal Reserve and the 16th Amendment (by Marxists).

 

[dcraelin]

I dont think the 17th amendment had the effect of lessening corruption as its designers intended, but getting rid of it wouldn't improve things much either. Restricting campaign donations to only in state residents might bring closer to original intent.

As I posted elsewhere Ireland almost did do away with its Senate, and likely would have if the unpopular Prime minister asking for it wasn't also asking for other powers. I think it would have saved a substantial amount of money to do so.

A National Initiative option such as Switzerland has, would also be beneficial, tho I wouldnt trust computer technology for voting.

One of the the original proposed bill of rights amendments, tho poorly worded, intended to guarantee at least one representative for every 30,000 residents. While it probably wouldnt be practical to raise it that much, we could increase the number of representatives.

 

[Contumacious]

I recently read that Liberty Amendments book, and in it the author calls for an amendment that would repeal the 17th amendment. What do you guys think? What are the pros and cons to they way we elect senators now due to the 17th amendment?

Without the 17th "amendment" the UNaffordable Care Act, aka, Obama Hellcare, would have never been "enacted".

.

 

[OKTexas]

The way the founders set up the congress was well reasoned. The House was to represent the people and the Senate was to represent the interest of the States. I agree the 17th amendment should be repealed and the appointment of senators returned to the states, with the ability of the state legislatures to recall and replace a senator who is not representing the state to the legislatures satisfaction. This would make it much tougher for lobbyist or anyone else to own a senator.

 

[The2ndAmendment]

The way the founders set up the congress was well reasoned. The House was to represent the people and the Senate was to represent the interest of the States. I agree the 17th amendment should be repealed and the appointment of senators returned to the states, with the ability of the state legislatures to recall and replace a senator who is not representing the state to the legislatures satisfaction. This would make it much tougher for lobbyist or anyone else to own a senator.

On the bright side, all the legitimate arguments against 10th Amendment nullification Pre-17th Amendment, became obsolete with the passage of the 17th Amendment.

They used to argue that the States had recourse through the Senate.

The 17th Amendment changed that.

Nullification is the only way now.