We elect and pay our Congress, then Congress accepts money from lobbyists. This gives them the advantage to become very wealthy while the voter, the common person, comes in second place.
Is this what we call democracy? Lobbyists are paid by corporations and special interest groups that control Congress with the power of money. Lobbyists in the U.S. take home, on average, $105,000 annually. Big companies that spent hundreds of millions lobbying successfully for a tax break enacted in 2004 got a 22,000 percent return on that investment. One study focused on 93 firms that spent as much as $282.7 million lobbying the issue; they ultimately saved a total of $62.5 billion through tax changes.
Members of Congress have excellent medical coverage, benefits and retirement programs, plus they are rewarded through their contacts with good employment when they leave. The common person has wanted a good medical plan, but affordable coverage is opposed by Congress, lobbyists and the pharmaceutical industry.
Our armed forces fight for the democratic way of life in many countries, and their pay and medical benefits are low compared with overpaid sports figures and Congress. The standard for equality is way off reality. People should be more concerned about current conditions and use their power to vote. Congress operates a poor class of democracy, and only a small percent of the people vote to change these conditions.
