Letter: Fixing our democracy

Do you believe newspaper or broadcasters would promote election reforms that restrict freedom of speech and the press if they had not first met in smoke filled rooms with lawmakers and worked out the details of legislation exempting them from those restrictions? If this appears to be the kind of special interest corruption that election laws were suppose to prevent, IT IS! The Press Exemption: 2 USC 431 (9) (B) The term "expenditure" does not include - (i) any news story, commentary, or editorial distributed through the facilities of any broadcasting station, newspaper, magazine, or other periodical publication, unless such facilities are owned or controlled by any political party, political committee, or candidate; The press exemption divides use of the printing press into two categories: The regulated majority, every living U.S. Citizen, political party and political organization and the unregulated commercial media including foreign owned newspapers operating in the United States.

Put a cap on donations from any large group, be it unions or corps. Individual donations should be capped also, which I think they already are. I am for each candidate only being allowed to raise say 300,000 total from all sources. When they reach that amount they stop accepting donations. Maye then we will get candidates that are not wealthy, and do not owe their big donors favors. All candidates are now beholding to their special intrest groups and biggest donors. That has to stop. No different than how the Mafia operates in my opnion.

People are up in arms against the Citizens United ruling but in essence, it levels the playing field with unions and other organizations whose dues are funneled to the Democrat party as well as press which is so biased that any opposition to progressive principles are ignored, not covered or minimized.