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Letter: Bad part of democracy in action

By Jim Crawford, WASHOUGAL 
Published: July 5, 2017, 6:00am

We are witness to one of the fundamental problems in our so-called democracy. It is about power — not governance.

With big money in politics, the influence that lobbyists wield has grown to a point beyond reason. They will support any candidate who is willing to help them achieve their special interests — no matter the party or quality of the person.

While we clamor for higher ethics in politics and common-sense governance that is not partisan, the lobbyists are busy getting people elected in gerrymandered districts that can be manipulated with platitudes instead of public policy discussions and programs for the common good.

It is why some problems don’t get fixed, like the cost of health care as a recent letter from Peter Harrison pointed out (“The $1,200 screw,” July 2, Our Readers’ Views). It is all summed up by something taught to me very long ago by a professional lobbyist. He said, “I know that legislator X’s elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top. But it stops on my floor every time!”

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