Not much can change when money steers politics

Western Springs, Ill.: The good idea of a revenue-neutral carbon tax has been presented for the umpteenth time. It would discourage the use of fossil fuels and reflect their costs for causing health problems and damage from global warming. The tax proceeds would be rebated back equally to consumers. But it is not a good idea to fossil fuel interests, which pour millions of dollars into political contributions — mostly to Republicans — and the idea goes nowhere. Likewise, a ban on automatic weapons which is not good for gun sellers; prescription drug prices similar to what Canadians pay, which is not good for pharmaceuticals; national health insurance, such as every other advanced country has, which insurance companies do not like; and higher taxes on hedge funds and the billionaires who run them, which they do not like.

These interests overwhelm the system with so much money that they usually get their way, no matter how good ideas are for ordinary people. The Supreme Court’s 5-4, precedent-overturning 2010 Citizens United decision permitted unlimited contributions and unlimited ability for wealthy interests to get their way.

The system is rigged when one or a few billionaires (like Harlan Crow (near r.), friend of Justice Clarence Thomas (far r.)) can buy more political speech than tens of millions of ordinary people combined. This is democracy overridden and subverted by dollars. Public funding of election campaigns has worked well at the state, county and city level. The top priority of anyone who wants to see good ideas prevail should be to get big money out of politics so good ideas that hurt wealthy interests are not dead on arrival. Richard Barsanti