leff@smu.UUCP (11/23/83)
#N:smu:16500005:000:869 smu!leff Nov 22 18:01:00 1983 More comments on the subject of earmarking elections. Perhaps another way of handling the situation where everybody decided to not fund some unpopular but necessary item like 'debt service.' would be to give Congress the power to hold a special earmarking election to give people a chance to change their minds on one item. This could be for everyone or for some people, those who didn't earmark anything for debt service for example. It would be expensive but it would provide a way out for weird problems. This would also the way a sudden need would be handled, say a popular war. We have seen situations where electorates closed down school systems or made major changes in referendums, e. g. the Proposition 13 syndrome. It is a powerful way for the people to stop money burning bureacrats. Earmarking elections would just bring more power to the people.