LETTER: Wealthy interests drown out the rest of us

With the more fortunate given a voice, where does that leave anyone who can’t afford to spend millions?

Have you ever been at a meeting where one person went on and on and made it impossible for other people to get a word in edgewise?

Didn’t you wish that the chair of that meeting would set up some guidelines so there was room for everyone to contribute?

That’s what we need now in our democracy.

Wealthy special interests are those people taking up the entire meetings.

They’re buying up endless amounts of advertisements, drowning out anyone who can’t afford to spend millions of dollars.

They give huge political contributions to ensure that their chosen candidate gets elected and that their issues are prioritized.

Where does that leave the interests of the rest of us (for example, lower pharmaceutical costs and no more free trade agreements)?

We need to get big money out of elections.

Corporations and other legal entities are not people, and money is not speech; there should be limits on political contributions and they should be disclosed.

Vote yes on Initiative 735 (www.yes735.org).

Make Washington the 18th state to tell Congress that we want to be able to hear voters voices in our elections.

Linda Brewster,

Port Townsend

More in Opinion

PAT NEAL: A short history of fishing

TOURISM IS A hazardous industry, just ask our Native American friends. When… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: A short history of history

SOMETIMES, I MISS the good old days. The really old good old… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: Birdwatching with a chainsaw

BIRD WATCHING IS my life. Most of my best bird watching has… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: Bringing back the dodo

THESE DAYS, SCIENTISTS are saying we are living through the sixth mass… Continue reading

Ellen Menshew
POINT OF VIEW: Gun laws effective as means to curb relentless violence

I WAS BORN and raised in Alaska. My family homesteaded there. It… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: My funny Valentine

HELLO YOUNG LOVERS, whoever you are. I hope your troubles are few.… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: The victory of ‘Our Land: Quileute Territory’

READ ANY GOOD books lately? There’s a new one out that should… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: ‘The Big Blowdown’

THERE’S A SAYING around here: If you don’t like the weather, wait… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: Celebrating Robbie Burns Day

a celebration of literature, music and… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: The tale of the 100-pound salmon

Who says there’s no good news? A new world-record Chinook salmon weighing… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: What happened to Dollie?

IN LAST WEEK’S episode, the Press Expedition of 1889-90, a motley collection… Continue reading