Title: Samples of COS Approved LTTE
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Attached File: Samples_of_COS_Approved_LTTE.pdf
Created: 2018-11-14 15:05:14
Updated: 2019-11-14 19:00:00
Published: 2018-11-21 05:43:37
Converted: 2025-04-14T19:32:44.453263559
2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES
UNPUBLISHED LTTE SAMPLES (DRAFTED BY TX-ML, Alana Oldenberg)
LTTE #1
Dear Editor,
The federal government has grown too large; they have flooded local governments with regulations and
mandates. They’ve left us and our posterity with a crippling federal debt. With all this overregulation
we’ve given up our choices– we’ve give up our liberty! Let’s stand up and say, “We’ve had enough!”
The Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by
Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the
people.” Federal funding and most court interpretations of the Tenth Amendment have served to keep
state power in check.
If thirty-four (34) states call for a Convention of States, as outlined in Article V of the Constitution, the
states can propose amendments to the Constitution. Think of the possibilities which will never take
place today in Washington, DC. 1) State and federal powers could be more clearly enumerated. 2) Term
limits could be set for Congress. 3) A balanced budget amendment could be proposed. Any proposed
amendment would require the approval of three-quarters of the states. The Convention of States is the
final safeguard left to us by our Founding Fathers who knew that one day we may need to impose fiscal
restraints or limit the powers of the federal government. Ten states have already passed legislation
asking for a Convention of States. We need Texas and twenty-three more.
Use it … or lose it! Will we continue to lose more liberty? Check out www.cosaction.com
LTTE #2
Dear Editor,
It is time to reign in the federal government. We need fiscal restraints to deal with the exploding
national debt of almost $20 trillion. This debt equates to almost $61.2K per person today. The federal
government needs to balance their budget like families across this nation. We also need to rebalance
the power between states and the federal government. Washington, DC is a bureaucratic maze. In
addition to Congressional legislation we have federal agencies publishing so many regulations that it’s
like having another branch of the government. All of this is imposed upon the states and WE the people.
Although we have some well-meaning representatives in Washington, they have to deal with the federal
leviathan, the partisan politics and a system where seniority shows favoritism. Imposing term limits on
the servants who come to Washington and never seem to leave may be the only way to deal with this
broken system.
How do we do it? Fortunately for us the Founding Fathers anticipated a day when citizens would need to
address issues like this. Article V of the US Constitution allows states to call for a Convention of States
where amendments can be proposed. It takes thirty-four states to call the convention and thirty-eight
states to approve an amendment to the Constitution. Through their state legislatures, ten states already
have submitted their application. Many more are discussing it. Texas passed SJR2 in the State Senate.
House Committee debate is expected in April. For more information check out //www.cosaction.com //
2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES
LTTE #3
Dear Editor,
We have a new administration in Washington, but its politics as usual! We were promised repeal of the
UNnaffordable Care Act, Obamacare, but that hasn’t happened. What is the government doing in
healthcare? That should be between me and my doctor. What is the government doing in so many other
areas in my life?
Maybe the new administration, the GOP House and GOP Senate can’t do anything, but we can do
something at the grassroots level within each of our states. In fact, it’s already happening. Sadly not
many people know about Article V of the US Constitution where each state legislature can apply for a
Convention of States. So far ten states have passed legislation to apply for a Convention of States where
amendments to the Constitution can be proposed. It takes thirty-four states to authorize a convention
and thirty-eight states to approve an amendment to the US Constitution. This is the only way we will
ever get term limits set on Congress members or a balanced budget. It may also be they only way we
ever get Obamacare repealed. I encourage you find out more about this option as the state of Texas is
pursuing this remedy. SJR2 calling for a Convention of States has passed in the State Senate. It is
expected to go to a House Committee for debate in late April. For more information check out
//www.cosaction.com //
LTTE#4 (written by Shellie, VA ML)
Today we have a federal government that continues to over step its bounds. We can’t vote our way out
of the mess Washington D.C. has made. We have a runaway bureaucracy, bloated government, massive
deficits and well over $100 trillion in unfunded liabilities.
When the framers wrote the U.S. Constitution in 1787, they knew the people would need to be involved
if this republic were to last. The framers knew it was natural for a government to grow and become
oppressive. So, a few days before the Constitution was finalized, the delegates unanimously decided to
put a tool in place to bring the government back under control of the states. That tool is the amendment
process detailed in Article V. The first method is congress and the second method is our states.
Since congress won’t correct itself by bringing the federal government under control, it is time we used
the second part of Article V to make the corrections needed. Go to conventionofstates.com and learn
about the solution as big as the problem: an Article V Convention of States. It’s time to restore these
great United States of America to what our founders intended them to be.
2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES
LTTE #5 (COS volunteer WI)
April 3, 2017
Dear Editor,
In 1789, the People of the United States, in Congress, in order to secure the blessings of liberty for
themselves and posterity, established and ordained the Constitution of the United States. This
Constitution was established as the law of the land, and it remains in full force and effect to this day.
Amendments to this Constitution had to be approved by two-thirds of Congress and three-fourths of the
state legislatures to be approved as part of this Constitution. The first ten amendments are the Bill of
Rights approved on September 25, 1789. The twenty-seventh was approved on May 7, 1992.
The Constitution in Article V established a pathway for the states to secure amendments on their own
initiative as a Convention of States. If two thirds of the commissioners at a Convention of States
approve a valid amendment which is then ratified by three fourths of the state legislatures; that
amendment becomes a part of the Constitution. There is no need for Congressional approval.
On Sept. 21-23, 2016, the Convention of States conducted a simulation in Williamsburg, VA. They voted
and approved strict fiscal budget control, particularly sharp commerce laws, federal term limits of 6
years? in the House of Representatives and 2 years(terms?…need to confirm) in the Senate. States
could have authority to abrogate laws issued by the federal government.
The power of the Convention of States is well known in Congress. State Legislatures conceive it as a way
to bypass Congress to gain their own state initiatives. President Trump and the new Congress may,
themselves, evoke some of the recommendations from the Convention of States. Meanwhile he needs
our help. You can learn more, sign the petition and volunteer at conventionofstates.com.
God has blessed America in many ways.
LTTE #6 (NC COS volunteer)
I think about the future because I have grandchildren. I wonder if the United States of America will even
exist for them. The federal debt is more than $20 trillion dollars with no end to spending in sight. Every
man, woman, and child living in the United States today owes $58,000 towards this debt. This is
madness!
Today we have a federal government that continues to over step its bounds. Washington, DC will not fix
itself. The rule of law is not enforced. The Supreme Court is making laws from rulings. And Congress
stands silent. Who represents we the People?
When the framers gave us the U.S. Constitution in 1787, they knew the people would need to be the
ones to protect liberty for America to last. The framers knew it was natural for those in power to want
more of it. So, a few days before the Constitution was finalized, the delegates unanimously decided to
put a tool in place for proposing amendments to bring the government back under control. The
amendment process is detailed in Article V. The two ways to propose amendments are through either
the Congress or through State Legislatures by calling a Convention of States.
2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES
Article V of the Constitution has been described as a safety valve put in place by our Founding Fathers.
They wisely anticipated that a day would come when the federal government would become too
dominant and usurp power that belongs to the states. Article V is the mechanism built into the
Constitution to allow the people to take back their power and their rights.
We the people can rein in an out of control government. Check out www.conventionofstates.com and
read about the Article V Convention of States project. It’s “a solution as big as the problem”.
OPINION EDITORIAL #1 (SD Legislator Lynne DiSanto)
Washington, D.C. is broken. The ruling elite have forgotten whom they serve. Thankfully, America’s
Founders included a provision in Article V that empowers the States to stand up against a broken federal
structure. I believe the time is now for the States to use this power to stand together against federal
overreach–regardless of who is president.
Sadly, some legislators and citizens have given up on restoring our Republic, because they see that every
day that the swamp isn’t drained, DC gets stronger. The States have become less relevant than ever—
just look at how much of the South Dakota state budget comes from the Feds. Washington, DC has no
intention of limiting its power, so if we as citizens want to restore our power, we are going to have to
fight for it, using the tools provided for us in our great Constitution. The easy way, of course, is to do
nothing. But I believe the People are ready to fight for their liberty—they want smaller, less intrusive,
less expensive government. This was the message of election night last November. Now it is time for the
South Dakota legislature to heed the will of the People and use its Article V power on their behalf.
I am ready to do this. Article V is the tool that empowers us to do it, by allowing the states to convene to
propose amendments to the Constitution on a specified topic. In the case of the Convention of States
Project resolution I have championed in South Dakota (HJR 1002), that topic is the limitation of federal
spending, power and jurisdiction.
Sadly, fear-mongering has suppressed the facts and overpowered the will of the People. It has precluded
your state legislature from using its power to defend the Constitution as written and to reject the
perversions of it contained in the 3,000-page annotated version used by the Feds today.
For instance, fear-mongers say that a convention for proposing amendments opens the entire
Constitution for changes. This is completely false. We only need to look at our nation’s history to
understand how conventions work. My colleagues who say we don’t know what to expect should read
some of the research by Professor Rob Natelson, the world’s foremost authority on Article V and the
convention process. He examines the records of inter-governmental conventions before Independence,
after the Constitution was ratified and even in the 20th Century, including the uniform one state, one
vote rule, and the fact that the narrowly prescribed role of Congress to name the convention time and
place and select between two ratification procedures.
The statist dream is concentrated power in Washington. But any South Dakota legislator who rejects this
vision should embrace the peaceful, Constitutional way to resist federal overreach through Article V.
2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES
My oath to South Dakota includes defending and upholding the U.S. Constitution, and I will do so with
every fiber of my being. America was built on an ideal: that government should serve the people, and
not the other way around. The Constitution was written to stand sentinel over free Americans, just like
Mt. Rushmore stands tall over South Dakota’s rich history. If we want to enjoy the liberty our
Constitution provides, we must not shrink from using the processes it offers for preserving it.
YANKTON Daily Press & Dakotan, SD (2-22-17)
William L. Heubaum, Yankton
Monday, Feb. 13, was a sad day for South Dakotans interested in federal constitutional reform,
for that was the day our state House of Representatives voted down House Joint Resolution
1002. Its purpose was to apply for a convention of states under Article V of the Constitution of
the United States to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government and limit the power and
jurisdiction of the federal government.
Promoted, among others, by the Convention of States, a project of Citizens for Self-
Government, headquartered in Virginia, two of the principal objectives of such a convention
would be to propose constitutional amendments requiring term limits on members of Congress
and a balanced budget. These concepts have served South Dakota well, and would do likewise
for all the states.
However, proponents of the status quo managed to defeat it by a vote of 40 to 28. Among the
“nay” voters were our own District 18 Reps. Mike Stevens and Jean Hunhoff. (On Feb. 6, HJR
1002 was passed by the State Affairs Committee by a vote of 10 to 3.)
The rejection by the whole House was especially galling, coming as it did in the wake of the
Legislature’s overruling of IM 22, the voter-approved initiative to require ethics reform. (To his
credit, District 18 Sen. Craig Kennedy voted against overturning IM 22.)
There appears to be a large number of state legislators who have scant regard for the will of the
people. Even now, several of them are at work trying to make it harder for citizens to get
initiated measures on the ballot in the future.
That may be their definition of democracy at work. It is not mine.
2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES
BOISE, ID LTTE (2-21-17)
This is in response to Rep. Judy Boyle (R) and Rep. Ilana Rubel (D)
As these representatives stated, there are two ways to amend the U.S. Constitution. Respectfully,
in my opinion, they misrepresented some issues. Yes, the only way we have previously amended
the U.S. Constitution has been for the amendment to begin in the U.S. Congress; however, our
wonderful and smart framers provided us with another way, which is NOT a Constitutional
Convention, but a Convention of States. The State Legislators in each state must vote to agree to
send attendees to the convention. At the convention, any “proposed amendment” to the U.S.
Constitution must be agreed upon by 34 states and once any amendments are agreed upon, the
amendment(s) are formally submitted by the U.S. Congress and 38 states must vote to affirm the
amendment(s). There cannot be a “runaway” convention.
Looking only at the Federal Government, consider the following: (1) Many people I know would
love to see term limits – do you think Congress will propose an amendment to limit their terms?
(2) Do you think Congress (who just loves to spend our money) will propose an amendment to
balance the budget? (3) How about an amendment to stop the alphabet soup of agencies (DOE,
OSHA, EPA, BLM, etc.) from passing regulations (not laws) that we must all live by but we
don’t even know what they are until we get a notice and are fined. (4) How about the runaway
courts, where too many judges who are sworn to uphold the U.S. Constitution make decisions
based on their personnel beliefs or even look at laws from other countries when making
decisions.
If you love this Constitutional Republic and want to make sure it survives for you, your children,
and your grandchildren, please do the research for yourself. It is only a few clicks away on the
internet. Don’t believe me, or the two state representatives, check it out for yourself and make an
informed decision.
A Constitutional Conservative
SALINA, TEXAS OP-ED
It really doesn’t matter who is in the White House or which party controls Congress; it is the
tendency of each of the three branches of the federal government to take more and more authority
upon itself and exert more and more control over the states and their citizens.
The founders of our republic realized that and wrote the Constitution so as to limit the powers “we
the people” thereby grant to the federal government, to set up checks and balances between the
legislative, executive, and judicial branches and to reserve all other powers to the people.
A key element of the Constitution is Article V, which provides that a Convention of States be held
upon application of at least two-thirds of the states, to propose amendments to the Constitution.
Such amendments then become law if ratified by at least three-fourths of the states.
The federal government has grown ever larger and more powerful over the years, and it has long
been evident that there is a need to amend the Constitution to limit the federal government, restore
checks and balances and return usurped powers to the states.
2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES
In 1971, Professor Antonin Scalia (later a Supreme Court justice who served many years with
distinction before his death last year) advocated Article V be utilized for the above purpose. Now, at
last, that effort is underway. Eight states are already on board and most others have it in process.
A resolution, HCR 5005, has been introduced into the Kansas Legislature and referred to the House
Federal and State Affairs Committee. A hearing on that resolution was scheduled at 9 a. m. on Feb.
13, at the Capitol in Topeka. It is important that resolution not die in committee.
Please contact the state representative and state senator for your district and urge them to support
this important resolution providing for the participation of Kansas in the Convention of States. For
more information, see //conventionofstates.com// and //kslegislature.org//.
— LAWRENCE WETTER, Salina
CASPER, WY LTTE
Editor:
I wish President-elect Trump and the Republican Congress luck in unraveling the mess left by the
unconstitutionally unilateral actions of the Obama administration, in undoing the disaster known as
Obamacare, and in defanging the ever-growing list of overreaching federal regulations.
One thing they can’t do is reverse the activism of federal judges, 40 percent of whom are now Obama
appointees. Senate Democrat Leader Schumer has stated that Democrats will filibuster judges they believe “out
of the mainstream.” He’ll likely succeed, given Republicans’ polite deference to the minority as embodied in
the filibuster rule. Democrat Harry Reid previously invoked a “nuclear option” to exclude from this rule all
judicial nominees below the Supreme Court level. The Republicans probably won’t follow suit even though
they should.
In Article V of the Constitution, the Framers provided an antidote to federal overreach using an alternate
manner of constitutional amendment – a Convention of States (COS). Such a convention can be called if a
majority of state legislatures so vote. A bill is being prepared in the Wyoming legislature to join a growing
number of states in calling for such a convention.
Although many objections have been forthcoming as to the COS, many are unfounded. Now all Wyoming
legislators will have a chance to learn directly about this project from its founders and key proponents –
constitutional attorney and scholar Mark Meckler and former U.S. Senator Tom Coburn – both of whom will
be available for a meet-and-greet in Cheyenne on Jan. 23. Let’s hope our legislators will avail themselves of
this opportunity to discuss the COS with those who know most about it. Valid factual information should
always trump uninformed innuendo and lack of knowledge.
Meanwhile, we can all read “The Liberty Amendments” by constitutional attorney and conservative
commentator Mark Levin, and consult the COS website: conventionofstates.com.
This is an idea whose time has come, as the Framers suspected it one day would.
CHARLES COLE, Sheridan
The LIMA NEWS, OH LTTE
January is for resolutions. The start of a new spin around the sun by Mother Earth seems to require some
sort of new spin in our lives. Lose weight. Be on time. Stop biting fingernails. Save money.
Steve Stechschulte’s resolution is pointed and specific. He wants Ohio to become the ninth state in the
nation to pass a resolution calling for a Convention of States for the purpose of proposing amendments to
the Constitution.
2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES
“That’s what we’re pushing for,” said Stechschulte, who is Ohio’s director for the Convention of
States, a project of Citizens for Self-Governance, a group created by Tea Party Patriots co-founder Mark
Meckler and constitutional lawyer Michael Farris. “We are hoping to do it before they get their heads
buried in the budget.”
Stechschulte isn’t a constitutional lawyer; he’s a software guy for an accounting reconciliation
company, a kid from Kalida who grew up with an appreciation for self-initiative.
“It’s a farming community, a lot of self-reliant folks, a place with a sense of community,” he said by
phone from his office in Columbus. “There’s Pioneer Days, sports — good basketball when we were
there — a community where everybody knew everybody’s name, which provided a sense of looking out
for each other.”
It’s how he sees a Convention of States: a democratic process, provided by the Framers of the
Constitution, that gives the people the opportunity to look out for each other and help one another avoid
abuses of power while promoting self-reliance.
“For a long time, we’ve said, ‘Someone else will take care of it.’ Then you say, ‘Why didn’t you
do it the way I wanted you to?’” he said of the average citizen. He said he chose to get involved
volunteering for the Constitution of States project because it’s something he believes in, and believes will
help the nation.
“The Convention of States allows people to have an emergency brake role, if needed,” he said.
Under Article V of the U.S. Constitution, Congress must call a Convention of States to propose
amendments to the Constitution if 34 state legislative bodies pass resolutions, or “applications” for a
convention. The applications must all seek a Convention of States to deal with the same issue. For
Stechschulte and the Convention of States project, it’s curbing the power and jurisdiction of the federal
government, and, most important to this accountant, imposing fiscal restraint.
“This debt is becoming at a high enough level that it’s becoming dangerous,” Stechschulte said.
“That’s my personal feeling.”
While a Convention of States resolution died on the vine in Ohio’s legislature last year,
Stechschulte told a recent meeting of Top of Ohio Patriots in Bellefontaine that he has higher hopes for
2017.
“We thought we had only nine people we could count on,” he said then, of politicians in
Columbus who are supportive of a Convention of States resolution. “Turns out we have 21, 24 people.”
And, given Donald Trump’s status quo-upending election to the White House, he believes there will be
more.
“The level of awareness and civic understanding has been growing and growing, and it’s
maturing,” he said. “If we really get people back in mindset of, we have to be engaged citizens,
understand what the government is and what our redress capabilities are, and soberly look at the solutions
and use the tools that the Framers gave us, we can impart the will of the people.”
And that is Steve Stechschulte’s resolution for 2017, encouraging people to become engaged
citizens and see to it that Ohio’s lawmakers, at least, operate on their behalf on an issue he believes most
Ohioans can get behind: amending the Constitution so that it limits federal overreach.
“There’s a solid constitutional basis for what we want to do,” he said of a Convention of States.
“It’s not, ‘Let’s grab the pitchforks.’ It was set up by the Framers.”
Reach Amy Eddings at 567-242-0379 or on Twitter, @lima_eddings.
USA TODAY NETWORK – PRESS CONNECTS LTTE, Jan 4, 2017
Partisan politics aside, 72 percent of Americans feel America is headed in the wrong direction
and that our future prospects are deeply troubling. Also, that the monstrous federal debt, power
grabs of the federal courts, and escalating power and overreach of the federal government is
encroaching on our rights and freedoms.
2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES
That said, there’s a solution bigger than the problem — the Convention of States Project.
Article V of the U. S. Constitution says that upon successful “application” by 34 states, the states
can convene a Convention of States to propose constitutional amendments, limited to imposing
fiscal restraints on the federal government, limiting the power of the federal government, and
mandating term limits.
These amendments only become part of the Constitution after being ratified by 38 states,
rendering the “runaway convention” objection virtually unthinkable.
Those concerned about where America is heading can do something to help the Convention of
States Project turn it around, and it can be something as simple as signing the petition urging
your state legislators to support the project’s resolution; or getting involved as a volunteer. To
sign the petition and for more information about this exciting movement, please go to
COSAction.com
RICHARD GERMOND
BAINBRIDGE
Convention of States Project presentation set
SALINA JOURNAL,( SALINA, KS), Jan 25, 2017
A short presentation with a question and answer session on the Convention of States Project will be
presented by Art Howell, Carol Ann Bachofer and Bob Strawder at 6:30 p.m. Monday in Learning
Center Room 2 at the Salina Public Library.
The Convention of States Project proposes calling for a convention of states, as outlined in Article V
of the Constitution, to propose amendments to the Constitution that would curb what the
organization sees as overreach by the federal government in a variety of ways.
Go to //conventionofstates.com// for additional information or call Bachofer at 826-7855 or Howell at
577-7810.
It’s HIGH Time for a Convention of States (TheDailyStar.com)
There is a movement spreading across the nation, which should receive more attention: The
Convention of States Project.
The proponents, of which I am one, believe that We-the-People have lost our correct position as
masters of government. Instead government, specifically the federal government, tramples willy-nilly
on the will of the people of the individual states.
Our constitutional republic was founded to allow the states the freedom to be the laboratories of
societal experimentation. The role of the federal government, which was created by the states, was
to be limited to 1) provide for national defense, and 2) facilitate commerce among the states.
Article V, of the Constitution, allows for the states to propose a convention to agree on potential
amendments to the Constitution. Thirty-four states must submit applications for a convention, using
similar language, before the Congress must decide on a place and time. That concludes Congress’s
involvement.
2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES
Thirty-eight states are required for ratification.
If you must restrict yourself to operating under a balanced budget, why not the federal government?
Should politicians stay in “public service” long enough to get rich off insider deals? Should you be
able to make decisions about how to live your life, or should some faceless, unaccountable
bureaucrat in Washington, D.C.?
If you love liberty, check out the Convention of States Project at http:%%//%%www.conventionofstates.com/
Clayton Bink