NPR readers would ratify four new amendments

[Ms Tree]

I don't think a change in the EC or elimination of it would do one single thing to help third parties rise up. Explain as i'm curious as to your thinking.

Here is another way of looking at it. I live in TX. My views tend to be more liberal. TX is a republican state for the most part. Whether I vote in the presidential election or not really does not matter. My Congressional votes do not really matter either. With a Electoral College system in place my vote does not count in TX for the presidential election.

Given the apathy of the voters, there would be little incentive for people not in the majority to vote.

 

[SparrowHawk]

Here is another way of looking at it. I live in TX. My views tend to be more liberal. TX is a republican state for the most part. Whether I vote in the presidential election or not really does not matter. My Congressional votes do not really matter either. With a Electoral College system in place my vote does not count in TX for the presidential election.

Given the apathy of the voters, there would be little incentive for people not in the majority to vote.

I've often pondered adding one Amendment to the COTUS that would spur people to vote. The single biggest thing this country could do to promote more citizen involvement is this.

Eliminate Federal Withholding - You have to save up and pay your taxes quarterly, this way you know what you pay as you have to write the check yourself.

Elimination of Employer paid Healthcare - When someone else picks up the tab there is no incentive to shop based on price or quality. Let the market do it's job

Move Election Day to April 16th

Do those three things and in under five years you'll have the best most affordable Healthcare on the planet, a balanced budget and much more turnover in Congress. The budget and deficit are abstract concepts to most and by forcing them to have a little more skin in the game they'll be more involved and in larger numbers.

 

[Ms Tree]

Why do you support the EC?

 

[SparrowHawk]

Why do you support the EC?

Honestly I think it's a good safeguard to have around just in case.

 

[Ms Tree]

Safe guard of what? In case of what?

 

[SparrowHawk]

Safe guard of what? In case of what?

I don't know, partly because I never thought about it and partly because electors even though pledged to a specific candidate are NOT required to vote for that candidate.

This would be helpful if we had a three way race that was deadlocked in the EC and Popular vote. The EC could decide prior to the vote being thrown into the chaos that the House would become.

For example, let's say we get Obama, Romney & Ron Paul and Obama gets the popular vote but only 230 Electoral votes, Romney weighs in at 170 electoral votes and Ron Paul has the 140 remaining votes. Guess who gets to play King Maker with his votes? Either that or we let the House debate it ad nausea and we go without a POTUS for months throwing the country and the world into chaos.

 

[tech2101]

Elimination of Employer paid Healthcare - [/b]When someone else picks up the tab there is no incentive to shop based on price or quality. Let the market do it's job

A Libertarian/Republican saying you want a constitutional amendment to add a federal regulation to regulate a business' ability to attract employees in the free market?

 

[SparrowHawk]

A Libertarian/Republican saying you want a constitutional amendment to add a federal regulation to regulate a business' ability to attract employees in the free market?

Not a perfect solution I agree.

In Health Care the free market has been so perverted by *Federal Government intervention that it may be necessary to legislate some ground rules that force the industry towards a more free market approach. The alternative is more of the same which is not working. You have to find a way to force the government out of the Health Care business in order for the free market forces to work. This starts with the tax code itself and how employer paid health care came to be in the first place. The answer lies in forcing the average Joe/Jane into a more activist role in deciding their future. The Federal Government and their one size fits all approach has crippled our economy and damaged our ability to compete on a global level. If it takes a Constitutional Amendment to force the citizens into taking an active roll in their future, then it is the lesser of two evils. The law could also be phased out over time.

*The Government pays about 50% of the total benefits now

 

[Ms Tree]

I don't know, partly because I never thought about it and partly because electors even though pledged to a specific candidate are NOT required to vote for that candidate.

This would be helpful if we had a three way race that was deadlocked in the EC and Popular vote. The EC could decide prior to the vote being thrown into the chaos that the House would become.

For example, let's say we get Obama, Romney & Ron Paul and Obama gets the popular vote but only 230 Electoral votes, Romney weighs in at 170 electoral votes and Ron Paul has the 140 remaining votes. Guess who gets to play King Maker with his votes? Either that or we let the House debate it ad nausea and we go without a POTUS for months throwing the country and the world into chaos.

Why shouldn't the popular vote in your example win? What is wrong with the peoples voice being heard? I do not understand why the person with the most votes should not be declared the winner.

 

[delldude]

Here is another way of looking at it. I live in TX. My views tend to be more liberal. TX is a republican state for the most part. Whether I vote in the presidential election or not really does not matter. My Congressional votes do not really matter either. With a Electoral College system in place my vote does not count in TX for the presidential election.

Given the apathy of the voters, there would be little incentive for people not in the majority to vote.

Most of the larger population areas are heavy dem/unionized city/states.....one needs only campaign in the high population areas to carry the popular vote and leaves the lessor populated areas very slim on representation.

North East- Fla- Mid West- Left Coast

That simple......