Over the last 30 years, organized business lobbies have become so entrenched and powerful they are moving our country toward corporate totalitarianism — with the aid of a hypocritically complicit Congress.

The corporate-owned media have made running for office so outrageously costly that no candidate can hope to win without huge handouts from the corporate till.  They’ve effectively ransomed our electoral process. Corporations can outspend all other organizations, including labor unions, by hundreds to one. Now that our U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that corporations are people and money is free speech, global corporations can easily drown out the voice of the American people.

Like the “Godfather” in the movie, corporate lobbyists can hold a “gun” to the heads of political candidates and make them offers they can’t refuse. Every politician knows that corporate hired guns can and will make good on their threats; whereas, voters pay little attention to the detailed workings of government and are easily schmoozed and put off with empty promises.

As a result, we have an economic system rigged to redistribute the nation’s wealth to the already wealthiest of the wealthy, while working families can look forward to a steadily shrinking share of the American dream.

Gene Bullock
Poulsbo