For the “good of the people” is not protected by politicians. The “good of big money” is. Why? It’s simple: The big money interests pay for the political campaigns, not the common worker. Whose interests do you serve, the good of the people or your boss? Usually it’s the person putting money in your bank account, or lose your job.

Promises are always made to entice people to vote for him but he knows that the big money is his only real chance of being heard and elected. As soon as he gets elected he has to begin paying the political favors promised to his “big money” benefactors while performing public grandstanding for votes. And the will and freedom of the people continue suffering. There are always exceptions to every rule but there are few exceptions to this political rule. Every politician knows that laws are rarely written by politicians (even though politicians always take credit for them). They are written by professional lobbyists. And who do you think pays the outrageous salaries of those lobbyists?

The only answer is for the people’s taxes to pay for all campaigns, no donations. Send fear through your wallet? The last presidential campaign costs topped $2 billion according to the final federal finance reports posted by the AP. That’s less than $7 per person in the USA. Small price to pay for the “good of the people” don’t you think? Imagine living in a country where the politicians only answered to “the good of the people.”

Most of that $2 billion was spent on incessant advertisements, and most of that was mudslinging and truth-bending of every sort. The campaign would cost a small fraction of that if all campaigning was done in a publicly paid forum based on providing the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, starting at the local level. Anyone could effectively run for office based on his character, not his pocketbook interests or fraternity party. Political donations should be as illegal as robbing a person at gun point because, in effect, that is what happens when we allow “big money” to dictate politics. Their financial interests come before the best interests of the people. Sometimes these two interests coincide, but not very often.

It usually takes a significant public effort to force politicians to do the right thing for the people. The big money interests will garner their hordes of brainwashing experts to instill various fears to convince us not to change the political system. Why wouldn’t they; their profits depend on it. We’ve all noticed that, regardless of who gets elected, the welfare of the people continues to be largely ignored. That’s because the big money interests do not change and they demand a heavy profitable return on their campaign investments.

Imagine a world where every person had an equal (and only equal) voice in government. When love for “good of the people” becomes the driving factor in our lives instead of “money fears,” life will change in the most wonderful ways. The cost of our “special interests” political system to the common worker is just too high and unsustainable. Let’s change the world by first changing our own little neck of the woods. What’s the worst that could happen?

MARK HALL

Post Falls