Peyton Cook called for a Second Constitutional Convention (The Pilot, Aug. 21) at which the federal income tax would be repealed and term limits imposed on Representatives and Senators.

The former ensures that America will continue its inexorable march toward being a third world country, lacking funds to defend itself, to repair and build infrastructure and to educate its citizens and protect them from fraudulent and hazardous business practices. The latter ensures that honest, dedicated and wise public servants will be lumped together with those who are dishonest, cynical and foolish.

Instead, let's take a more radical approach. Here are some additional modifications and amendments to the Constitution that have been offered for consideration by scholars to redress these problems:

Federal elections will be publicly financed.

Neither the Senate nor the House of Representatives may institute rules that require more than 50 percent of the members voting, plus one, to bring a piece of legislation to a final vote (eliminating the filibuster).

In order to reduce the number of "safe" congressional districts, all congressional district boundaries will be drawn by non-partisan panels of experts and said districts may not vary from perfect squares or rectangles by more than 15 percent.

To be eligible to vote, native-born citizens of the United States must pass the multiple-choice portion of the naturalized citizenship test administrated by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (eliminating about 60 percent of the current electorate, according to some studies).

Minors must attend school full-time until they reach 18 years of age or until they graduate high school.

Medicare benefits will be extended to all U.S. citizens upon birth.

The "designated hitter" rule, being a travesty perpetuated on our national pastime, is hereby eliminated.

And be assured, there will be hundreds of other changes proposed. Still want a second convention?

James Tomashoff

Pinehurst