In last year’s State of the Union address, President Barack Obama said: "Last week the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests … to spend without limit in our elections. I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests."

After the president said these words, while Democratic members of Congress applauded, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was caught on TV mouthing the words, "Not true."

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A year later, special interest money pours into independent political action committees that spend millions on negative, unfair smear campaigns, polluting our political discourse and buying, literally, elections and influence. Alito was wrong.

As a Democrat and non-Mormon, I don’t care who wins the Republican presidential primaries, but it is amazing that Newt Gingrich is able to stay in the race because one billionaire couple bankrolls his candidacy.

Because of the Supreme Court, we’re now becoming a government of, by and for the super rich. He who pays the piper calls the tune, and that is why we need the public to fund presidential elections, not the few rich.

Marc Moffit

Salt Lake City