Actually do something instead of complaining

If this New Constitution were ratified, it would have positive impact on you and your children and grandchildren - all generations to come. It is time to stop complaining and to do something that will actually change things for the better. Your input and support is needed!!

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

1.14 Taxation

The method of taxation in the New Constitution is a totally new way of looking at taxes.  It is not an income based tax and is not a consumer sales tax and it is not a value added tax.  It is a tax that is collected anytime something of value changes owners and it is measured in dollar value.  It is a transaction based tax.

We already have the vast majority of the infrastructure in place for this taxation system, and most of the infrastructure is automated.

Think of the savings to our nation:

      1.      Get rid of most of the cost of running the IRS
      2.      Get rid of hundreds of thousands of tax regulations that take tens of thousands of attorneys and accountants to interpret
      3.      Get rid of favoritism caused by Congress implementing tax loopholes and deductions
      4.      Get rid of the politics surrounding taxation because there are no exceptions
      5.      It does not set the poor against the rich and vice versa in the battle of taxes.

It will take people more knowledgeable then me to determine what the tax rate should be.  Because so many transactions will be taxed, I am guessing the rate per transaction would be around 2%.  Whatever the rate is, if the revenue is there to pay the bills, it will work.

As an aside, the statement drawn from the original Constitution dealing with not giving preference to any one State over another when regulating commerce and revenue has been updated to include all types of transportation including “aircraft or spacecraft”.  Cool, huh?  Opps, what about electronic communication!  I just realized I need to add some wording to cover things like the Internet.

Read the New Constitution at http://www.newconstitution.info/images/New_Constitution.pdf 

Next: 1.15 Other Powers

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

1.13 Monetary Policy

The original Constitution requires “a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and
Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.”  The New Constitution requires the President to publish an accounting of receipts and expenditures every April 1st.

In order to tighten up our budgeting system, something needs to be done to stop Congress from borrowing from other government funds, such as Social Security.  Congress borrows in order to spend but they don’t pay back which jeopardizes the funds.  The New Constitution continues to allow Congress to move money around like this but it requires the discipline of a set payback period to the fund that was raided.

The New Constitution also specifies that all debts incurred by the United States (with Congress’s authorization) must be paid back and paid back in a timely manner.  None of this was addressed in the original Constitution; I guess the writers just assumed just debts would be paid in a timely manner.

Read the New Constitution at http://www.newconstitution.info/images/New_Constitution.pdf 

Next: 1.14 Taxation

Monday, November 28, 2011

1.12 Balanced National Budget

A balanced national budget makes sense as long as there are provisions for The People to override it in an emergency.  Only The People should have the authority to let themselves go in debt.  The New Constitution has it covered. 

      1.      The government cannot spend more than it takes in except in a declared National Emergency (which must be declared by a vote of The People)
      2.      Government expenditures cannot exceed 20% of the GDP
      3.      The President must submit a balanced budget each year
      4.      Only The People can increase taxes

This Section could use some refinement in wording, but it basically says it all:

YOU CAN’T SPEND MORE THAN YOU RECEIVE!

Next: Monetary Policy

Sunday, November 27, 2011

1.11 Enforcement Of Laws

Although one of the duties of the President is to enforce the Laws of the land, it has become the practice of Presidents to fully enforce only those Laws they agree with and almost ignore those Laws they don’t agree with.  This Section is designed to specifically point out that the President is to enforce all Laws, and to provide the penalty of impeachment if the President, in the view of Congress, has not enforced all the Laws.  This Section does give Congress an “out” by allowing Congress to repeal the Laws not being enforced by the President.


Next: Balanced National Budget

Saturday, November 26, 2011

1.10 Passage of Bills

This Section makes a lot of changes to help pass reasonable Laws.  Here is a list of changes:

      1.      Every Law passed must include and expiration date not to be more than 20 years.  This is commonly referred to as a Sunset Provision.  If the Law is to be continued past its expiration date, it will require a new Law be debated and passed to replace the expiring Law.  Hopefully this will remove obsolete laws from the books.
      2.      Every Law passed must include an estimated annual cost to the government and to The People.  The estimates must be for every year until the Law expires.
      3.      All amendments to a proposed Law must relate to the purpose or topic of the proposed Law.  No more sneaking spending through that has nothing to do with the proposed Law.
      4.      The President will have line item veto in proposed Laws, ie he can strike specific items in a proposed Law and send it back to Congress.  Again, this will help stop sneaking spending through that has nothing to do with the proposed Law.
      5.      Congress cannot pass a proposed Law that does not pertain equally to themselves and to The People.  No more Laws which members of Congress do not have to obey.  No more Laws giving Congress special privileges.
      

      Read the New Constitution at www.NewConstitution.info/images/New_Constitution.pdf
Next: 1.11 Enforcement Of Laws

Friday, November 25, 2011

1.9 Conflicts Of Interest


Section 6 of the original Constitution says:

No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected,
be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which
shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased
during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States,
shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.”

The New Constitution says:

No Member of Congress may be appointed to any civil office under the authority of the United States which will have been created, or the compensation has increased during the Members time in office. No Person holding any Office under the United States will be a Member of Congress during the Members continuance in office.

Updated wording and grammar; same intent.

Next:  1.10 Passage Of Bills

Thursday, November 24, 2011

1.8 Legal Liabilities


One of the concerns when writing the original Constitution was having members of Congress threatened with legal action for any charges their opponents could trump up. In the New Constitution, this provision, except for some updated wording, remains the same as in the original Constitution.

Next:  1.9 Conflict of Interest

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

New website

As of today, I have established a website to focus on the New Constitution.  It is intended to begin making people aware of  the insurmountable problems we are facing and the solutions to these problems:
www.NewConstitution.info

The site is still in its basic form.  I will be adding to it over a period of months.  I hope you will take a look and it and send me your suggestions at Bob.Heinonen@gmail.com

1.7 Compensation


Currently, Congress sets its own income and benefits.  Who ever heard of someone deciding how much they make?  Absurd!  In the rest of society, it is the supervisor or managers of the worker that determine salary and benefits.  Congress has decided it is omnipotent and will determine how much they should receive.

The New Constitution corrects this problem.  First, in the definition of terms in the Preamble, there is a definition of compensation:

“Compensation” includes current and future monies accrued or paid to a Person by the United States, plus items of value accrued or paid for by the United States including, but not limited to, living expenses, health care and retirement benefits.
 
In Section 1.7, the President recommends to The People any changes in compensation for Congressional members and The People vote “yes” or “no” on the recommendation.  In a binding referendum, the “owners” now approve the compensation of its representatives.

Section 1.7 also approves ten days of vacation a year for each member of Congress.

Nothing else makes sense!

Next:  1.8 Legal Liabilities