Monday, Sept. 15, 2008 | 2:06 a.m.
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Regarding the Las Vegas Sun’s Sept. 8 editorial headlined “A lobbyist’s end”:
If anyone thinks the prosecution and sentencing of Jack Abramoff will do anything to change things in Washington, D.C., think again. Let’s talk about how it really works. Both political parties need huge amounts of money to vie for power. I can offer one vote — my vote. A lobbyist can offer dollars, and many of them. Who is going to be listened to? It’s no contest! I have no chance.
Lobbyists get what their employers want not because their ideas are better than mine but because they have something desired by politicians and political parties that I cannot offer — money. You can prosecute 100 Jack Abramoffs and still not make a difference.
We cannot continue to allow lobbyists to make huge donations to the political parties, which give this money to candidates, and then expect elected officials not to do the bidding of the lobbyists. The money will continue to buy influence until we find a better way to fund campaigns.
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