Our political system breeds corruption

Michael K. Casler, Las Vegas

Friday, April 1, 2011 | 2:03 a.m.

Contrary to anything else you might hear, this is the reality in America today:

1) The federal government controls trillions of dollars and thousands of departments that can make or break businesses, groups and individuals.

2) Entities and groups (unions, special interests, businesses), which can afford to, lobby members of Congress to get legislation passed that favors them or provides protection for them.

3) Elected members of Congress and their respective parties understand the power the federal government now has and want to control that power at any cost.

4) Almost all members of Congress want careers serving in Congress.

5) Special interests and unions that lobby members of Congress do so with a quid pro quo that simply says if you create, support and pass legislation we favor, we will support your party and your bid to stay in office and make a career of serving in Congress.

6) This system (regardless of party) ensures that legislation that does pass into law either favors or protects one powerful interest or another, and it ensures that legislation that is sorely needed, but would be controversial, is never passed.

Electing a George W. Bush, a Ronald Reagan, a Bill Clinton or a Barack Obama is never going to change any of the above. Neither will giving control of Congress to Democrats or Republicans. The only way to change it is to impose term limits on members of Congress.

Americans must wake up and understand that the system we have corrupts every single person they send to Congress, whether that person has an R or a D next to his or her name. That is the unvarnished truth of our time.