States’ power

The deterioration of the power of the states and the rights of individuals in our society began in 1913 during the presidency of Woodrow Wilson, the first progressive president. First came the ratification of the 16th Amendment, introducing the federal graduated income tax by removing the constitutional prohibition of any tax by Congress on an individual’s income other than a flat tax. Second came with the ratification of the 17th Amendment, repealing the right of the states to appoint their

U.S. senators by mandating their popular election.

These two changes to our Constitution marked a radical shift of power away from the states to Washington. The final step to eliminating the role of the states and their citizens in the affairs of our republic will be the repeal of the Electoral College. This is now a target of the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris campaign and the Democratic Party. By eliminating the voice of the voters of each state in the election of the president, the repeal of the last constitutional safeguard against the concentration of absolute power in the federal government will be complete. The voters of the most populous states will dominate the political landscape in perpetuity. The result will be a one-party government for the United States like that of California, New York or Illinois, concentrated in Washington, D.C.

Joseph T. “Chip” Buxton III, Urbanna