Pleas for money distort politics

With each election cycle, we are bombarded by pleas to contribute to someone’s election campaign, whether by mail, phone or fliers. One time, I made a mistake and contributed to one specific candidate (he subsequently lost), but it seems that my intended one-time contribution has ushered my name into a database that circulates around. Since then, I dread each election cycle because of the sheer volume of junk mail, telephone calls and the flood of empty self-addressed envelopes that intend to shame me to relent and contribute.
I know what to do with these pleas. I also know that money has been propping up politicians to run and win elections, and at the same time influencing them once they are elected. I am not talking about the pitiful sum we as individuals might give, but the big money that lobbyists, big corporations and interest groups use to advance their agenda. This is the inescapable truth that taught me to look for the wastebasket every time I receive one of those envelops.
What prompted me write this letter, though, is recent solicitation by some organization calling for each one of us not to vote for any incumbent. This means that we’ll elect new faces. Then what? Let me assure you that these new faces that we happily put in office will, in their turn, fall prey to the same big money influence.
In a representative democracy like ours, our elected politicians are supposed to represent and work for us. It is a travesty for democracy that, practically, our politicians become accountable to and influenced by big money, not by those who elect them.
Let’s banish the lobbyists and put an end to the influence of big money. Make our representative accountable to us alone by availing them our airwaves, our Internet and our town halls. In this way, when they assume their role as our representatives, they will have only one master to serve: us.

Fouad B. Michael
Albemarle County