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Letter: We won’t get true democracy until there are strict limits on election spending

The Capitol in Washington is seen early Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Listen, learn, improve and cooperate.

The combination of these words is a recipe for success when public buy-in is essential. Particularly politics. Sadly, “cooperate” lately appears to be a dirty word in American politics where it seems money trumps all. How many political solicitations did you receive this week?

Trump didn’t recognize any of those four words. He lives by a creed of “me first.” After his early disastrous “rich boy” ventures in airlines, football teams, colleges and casinos, he leveraged his skills at bullying, lying and playing the successful businessman to the presidency. He was not appreciated by foreign governments. As a result, our trade deficit increased every year of his tenure, and his European rating fell from Obama’s 80% to a miserable 14%. In any test I have ever seen that would be “flunk.”

Biden, in contrast, gets excellent ratings here and overseas for his people oriented proposals and willingness to listen, negotiate and cooperate. Except, of course, in the world’s two biggest dictatorships — China and Russia. And, of course, with Republican politicians.

The biggest problem with American politics is money. We are no longer a democracy (a government by the people for the people) but a plutocracy (government for the rich). The rich don’t care about health care or education, where we lag far behind Europe — they can afford the best privately. Or that our automotive industry has dropped from first to sixth in new car production, or that Airbus has outsold Boeing seven of the last eight years — because the net worth of American billionaires increased by $1.4 trillion or 50% under Trump, while the national debt increased by $7.1 trillion, or 36%.

Sadly, many in Congress value reelection above all else. Between 80% and 90% of the biggest spenders get reelected — regardless of their performance and popularity which last year was about 20%. Reportedly, they spend more than a third of their time on the telephone soliciting donors. Naturally, they then push and favor legislation that favors those donors — not their constituents. We won’t get true democracy until there are strict limits on election spending — with public funding. If the Brits can do it, why not America? Don’t we claim to be the world’s leading democracy?

The fault lies squarely on the shoulders of “we the people.” And only we have the power to change things. Let’s all write to our senators and congressmen and tell them.”I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this any more!” Then let’s stop funding and voting for any that don’t respond. Feel free to include a copy of this letter. Alternatively, learn Chinese.

Frank Fish, Taylorsville

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