[EM] 05/15/02 - The Senate expects its `Pound of Pork Flesh':

[Donald Davison]

05/15/02 - The Senate expects its `Pound of Pork Flesh':

Greetings list members,

Alex Small wrote: "Indeed, I'd like to see the Constitution amended to make
the Senate unable to initiate bills, only amend and/or reject them (but not
amendments llocating $, to limit pork-barrel spending).  Politicians like
to exercise their power as much as possible.  If empowered to initiate
bills they will do so with glee.  If empowered to scrutinize and reject the
ever-increasing heap of regulations and spending they will do so as much as
possible."

Sorry, Alex, but your Constitutional Amendment will not do what you intend
for it to do.

Firstly, the Senate would not pass your Amendment, but let's say it did
pass it.  The Senate would still be able to extract its `Pound of Pork
Flesh'.

The Senate would only need to send a memo to the House with the following
message:

     If the House expects the Senate to approve
     House Bill XXX then we request the following
     amendments be attached to it.
                     Thank you, The Senate


Do you have a Plan B ?  If not, I have a possible Plan B.

One possible solution to pork is to have a bit more Direct Democracy in our
political systems.  The corruption of a representative lies in the power of
the vote that he wields.  If this power is given to a committee in his home
district then there should be less corruption - Just a thought.



Regards,
   Donald Davison, host of New Democracy at http://www.mich.com/~donald
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