LETTER: There is a dire need for Convention of States

Term limits, federal government overreach and a balanced budget are in dire need of a Convention of States. Is history repeating itself?

In 1912 , Woodrow Wilson's "executive agent" Edward House set the tone for the income tax, the employers' liability act, the old age pension measure, and the budget patterned after British Liberal welfare reforms. By the next year, the Federal Reserve Act passed, and the Federal Income Tax Act was staged for implementation. Every state got on board when they implemented the income tax. But two days before Christmas, when most senators had gone home for the holiday, Edward House walked into an empty Senate chamber announcing that the 16th amendment had passed. And in a game of words a great hoax was playing out for all of history to record. An amendment was never ratified by majority of the states because they didn't vote on it. When it came up for issue, the states said it was unconstitutional, therefore we PASS, meaning we don't want to vote on it. But it went forward as if they had.

Woodrow Wilson eventually broke with House, who had now taken his place on the Council of Ten, negotiating compromises unacceptable to Wilson and ushering in the roaring twenties. From 1920 to 1929, a 62% increase to the money supply drew people in to invest in a stock market controlled by the bankers. Does this sound familiar?

Ronda Orchard

Rio Rancho