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Letter: It is clear that our campaign system is a big mess

In Lee Davidson’s interview with Senate President Wayne Niederhauser, Niederhauser admitted that money influences how legislators vote. It was kind of like admitting the sky is blue, but it was nice to hear someone say it. Everyone knows you don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Legislators want to be re-elected perhaps more than they want to watch out for the needs of constituents.

In a way, legislators’ hands are tied. They may go into government employment with noble and honest intentions only to find out that they are forced to pander to the elite for their job. I wonder what could be done with all that time that our elected officials spend raising money? What problems could they be actually focusing on in our communities? In another article Davidson wrote last year, he explained that 92 percent of campaign funding for our 2017 legislators came from special interest groups.

I think it is clear that our campaign system is a big mess. Who benefits from it the way it is? I really hope Utahns will turn out in record numbers to vote in 2018. Special interest groups may have money, but we have votes.

Tonya Lundahl, Salt Lake City