Save The Republic

Paul Greenberg's fine article on saving the Electoral College makes a fine
point regarding the unintended result being a French-like Presidential
election that neither "represents" the nation nor preserves our
Constitutional rights.  There are two further points that must be made
though about this very dangerous movement afoot in the land.

First, Mr. Greenberg rightly decries the sophomoric appeal of "One Person,
One Vote" to replace state's voting for what state voters want with a
national popular vote.  Almost 100 years ago the election of US Senators was
changed (by a Constitutional Amendment) from "chosen by the Legislature
thereof" to "elected by the people thereof".  This too was heralded by the
"One Person, One Vote" cry.  The result has been US Senators that represent
national causes and international agendas at the expense of their state.
Like the British and the Canadians we might ask ourselves why we need such a
"House of Lords" if, in our case they do not represent state interests while
pontificating like Lords of old in their lifetime roles of aristocratic
self-interests.  Are we surprised that we find ourselves with an
ever-growing giant of Federal laws, bureaucracy and unchecked (by states)
power?

Second, Mr. Greenberg asks, "why would the state's own legislature take away
Arkansas ' right to vote for a president, and just go with the rest of the
country willy-nilly?"  "Why sacrifice what little influence a small state
has? It's a mystery."

Not true; it is not a "mystery", it is clear as a proverbial bell.  There is
no state advocacy at the Federal level.  Federal politicians and Federal
bureaucrats are ruling more and more of our daily lives and they see no
reason to pause in this march to absolute central rule of the nation.  State
agencies like Highway Departments and Fish and Wildlife Agencies get more and
more of their funding (and direction) from Washington .  State bureaucrats
are graded on their success and speed in getting Federal dollars.  State
bureaucrats have bought into the illusion that Federal dollars make them
look good without having to raise taxes themselves for all the things some
faction or another are always clamoring for.  And the Federal establishment
plays them like a piano as it assumes more and more of each State's
Constitutional authority and jurisdiction.  In this environment, any state
bureaucrat or state politician who does not "play ball" or "stay on the good
side of" Federal power centers is taking their career in their hands as we
all expect the Federal government to provide everything for us.

So thank you, Mr. Greenberg for a fine article and my only hope is to
further cause readers to think about what is happening all around us.
Government from the local (state) level is as integral to the nation we
know, as is a circumscribed (by the Constitution) Federal government.  Just
as the popular vote changed the US Senate from a voice for our individual
state to the sort of snuff-sniffing aristocrats we left behind in Europe;
this suicidal movement by state governments for the political and
bureaucratic careers of "public servants" must either be exposed and stopped
or we may as well just start shipping all those Middle East suicide bombers
over here and turn over the place to one of those dictator-for-life despots
so in vogue elsewhere.

Jim Beers
7 April 2007

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- Jim Beers is a retired US Fish & Wildlife Service Wildlife Biologist,
Special Agent, Refuge Manager, Wetlands Biologist, and Congressional Fellow.
He was stationed in North Dakota , Minnesota , Nebraska , New York City , and
Washington DC .  He also served as a US Navy Line Officer in the western
Pacific and on Adak , Alaska in the Aleutian Islands .  He has worked for the
Utah Fish & Game, Minneapolis Police Department, and as a Security
Supervisor in Washington , DC .  He testified three times before Congress;
twice regarding the theft by the US Fish & Wildlife Service of $45 to 60
Million from State fish and wildlife funds and once in opposition to
expanding Federal Invasive Species authority.  He resides in Centreville ,
Virginia with his wife of many decades.