To fix the federal government and put it back to where it should be

To fix the federal government and put it back to where it should be we need:

First a Convention of States. A Convention of States bypasses all the existing corruption, elitist establishment, and all who resist the change to fix anything that benefits the American people.

Second: repeal the 16^th amendment and eliminate the IRS. The government can find more honest and fair ways to collect money. The Fair Tax is one.

Third: repeal the seventeenth amendment. The founding fathers understood that by each state appointing their senators then the senators would be beholden to the state’s best interest, not their individual parties as they are today. Parties will raise monies to give to individuals to get reelected. Favorite senators get more money. less favorite senators get less or none. This makes the candidates beholden to the party's wishes. What we have now is a corrupt system of using tax dollars to buy people's votes in both houses of Congress and it is impossible to break that power hold on the people.

Fourth: and most important: define the “General Welfare” clause to its original meaning. Originally it meant that government could only act for the general welfare of the people within the confines of its defined responsibilities and powers listed in the Constitution. So, the government was restricted in what it could do, per design. In 1933 the Supreme Court said that the “General Welfare” could mean whatever Congress decided it meant. This gave Congress the wildcard it needed to take over anything it wanted as long as it could say it was for the General Welfare of the people. Thus, we have all these different agencies and departments regulating the people and businesses with very few limits. If based on the original constitutional concept these agencies would have never existed in the first place. Remember, Obamacare’s constitutionality was based solely on the General Welfare Clause and even then it had to be called a tax. A 22,000-page tax? Right!

Fifth: Put limits on the spending and commerce clause. The government has no business being in business, picking winners and losers, and funding any business unless, of course, it has to do with national defense. Defense spending would and should be the only exception. And that should only be under strict supervision.

We could add term limits, limitations on salaries, and retirement. Remember, originally being in Congress was a part-time responsibility. They still had to earn their own living and retirement was just as we have now. Every man for himself. In fact, a number of the founders died broke. Congress was not meant to be a full-time job. If retirement is provided then it should be available only after they turn 65 and prorated on years of service with a maximum limit just like the rest of us. If term limits are set at twelve years and they serve six, they should only get half of the max retirement value. My social security has a limit, and so should their retirement.

Finally: every, and I mean every, regulation, tax, or bureaucrat proposal should come back to Congress and be voted on by elected officials. This way they cannot pass the responsibility by saying "I didn't vote for that". Or the teenage response: "Not my fault" or "I didn't do it".

When it comes to fixing the government we should look for the simplest and most straightforward ideas that wipe out most of the damage that the progressives have done over the last one hundred years. I think the five points listed above will do just that.