LETTERS TO THE EDITOR • OCT. 3 INTER-COUNTY LEADER

Bipartisan evil
 
 This past Tuesday, Sept. 25, my wife and I were visiting friends in the Siren/Webster area and while purchasing gas and other things had a quick moment to scan the weekly papers of the prior week.
 
 One of the letters to the editor caught my attention as to the author’s rant as to the money in politics, which we all ought to agree needs to be dealt with.  Our democracy is being purchased by those with the power of the purse.
 
 However, the writer also seems to feel it is simplistically a one-sided special interest process.  Why not include the Koch brothers or Karl Rove or the United States Chamber of Commerce, or the many others who are providing millions of dollars for her candidate and political party?
 
 Perhaps the words of a former radio personality are appropriate here – “and now for the rest of the story!”
 
 Do we not remember the recent history of money in politics when our sitting governor flew around the country pandering to those with money – creating and spending at a record level?  Should reasonable citizens assume those giving huge sums of money expect a “return on their investment”?
 
 Have we forgotten the political gerrymandering by one party to create “safe” districts for their candidates while doing so in a secretive manner, signing oaths of secrecy not to let their peer legislators or the press know what was being proposed?
 
 Indeed, to protect the candidate she obviously supports, his competitor found himself with only his home and lot still left in the district he had stated he wished to represent.
 
 Two things, therefore, come to my mind.
 
 Money is flowing at record levels all over the country – that is the problem we all need to work to end by recognizing, with honesty, it is a “bipartisan” evil.
 
 And, a question to those responsible for the editorial pages – why not an “editorial comment” at the end of letters that obviously are in need of clarification of truth and/or details?
 
 Candidates themselves have lost control of their own campaigns, and legislators are choosing their voters  – the TV folks have no interest in providing fact checking and/or a reality check as the money flows freely – we need our free press professional journalists to help educate and encourage “truth in advertising” and in the letters we write – whether in your quality weekly or large urban daily paper.
 
Steve Anderson
Eau Claire

PS  I have no horse in the race, our present congressman was also provided a “safe” seat in order to provide one for the first-term Congressman Duffy.