Wasted effort

A few days ago, I was going to do a post about the U.S. Electoral College. Indiana Senator Evan Bayh had said that he would want to abolish the college in favor of direct elections. Anyone who knows me, know that I am a republican (small “R” for those who didn’t notice). So I resist any effort to take away from the states’ role in the union.

A report out of Lansing showed some state legislators urging Congress to pass a constitutional amendment that would change the apportionment process of the House. Rep. Candice Miller of Michigan is sponsoring the amendment. The amendment calls for apportionment to be made on the basis of citizens residing. Legal residents and illegals immigrants would be excluded.

Michigan lost a seat in the house in 2000. Therefore, our electoral votes in the Electoral College got reduced by one as well. Rep. Miller anticipates another loss in 2010. So you can see Michigan’s interest in preserving her representative clout in the Houses of Congress almost at an absurd level of desperation.

The amendment is well meant. And from a certain stand point, I’d support it. I’d support it even more if legal residents were included rather than excluded. While I believe that legal residents don’t have the right to vote, I do believe that they deserve representation. But this amendment is dead—even before arrival. Even in the unlikely event that you get both houses to pass the amendment, it is still going to die with the ratification of the states. If you think that California, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, and quite a few others are going to pass up the opportunity to gain more seats in the House of Representatives, you would be dead wrong. No. I can not even begin to imagine 3/4 of the states to ratify. It just won’t happen.

Save your energy Rep. Miller. In fact, be useful and go find some alternative fuels. My pocketbook is feeling the sting of these gas prices.