To the editor:
The myth of the election cycle circus is that we get to choose a president, senator or congressman with our vote. That is simply not true.
The Washington power brokers — party Democrats and party Republicans — offer to us as candidates selections from within their own ranks, controlled by the vested power interests, for us to choose from. We must choose a party man — a Democrat or a Republican — and it is precisely that control over the selection pool that perpetuates the power of the vested interests.
The parties groom professional politicians — men whose political ambition drives them to go along to get along as they ascend the ladder of political power. Their allegiance lies with the party bosses who can make or break their careers and to the perpetuation of the party's power, which informs the strategy of their progress and future — not with the voters of Ward 4, Precinct 2 in Gloucester.
It pays.
Al Gore reportedly declared assets of less than $2 million prior to his run for the presidency; I read that recently he invested $35 million dollars in an investment firm that specializes in investing in makers of environmentally friendly products. He is reputed to have made more than $100 million since his defeat in that presidential bid — that's a lot of green, even for an environmentalist.
Global warming has been good to Al. He would no doubt like to see his investments flourish. The Financial Times just reported that the Climate Solutions Fund, the investment vehicle headed by Al Gore, has closed a new $683 million fund which invests in early-stage environmental companies. It is one of the biggest such funds.
The Clintons reported assets of $109 million this past year, after reporting assets of only $2 million in 2003. That's an amazing amount of change to have amassed in the span of a few years. Politics pays.
The Obamas, who suffered the burden of college loans incurred for educations at Princeton and Harvard law school. struggled mightily, in near deprivation we are told by the underprivileged Michelle, until Barack made his first couple of million. But they are just getting started, and may be excused for not being filthy rich — yet. They made $3.6 million last year. It will take a few more Rezco deals before they achieve financial parity with their peers — fortunes that would make even the most depraved corporate CEO blush. Men of the people — all.
Washington is Hollywood on steroids.
The vested interests include not only the deal-making politicians, but the money men and power bosses as well. Many gulp without reserve at the well of our tax dollars. Special interest lobbyists spend lavishly with the expectation of far greater returns. A support cast of pollsters, publicists, consultants, lawyers, media, hair stylists and hookers make more in an hour than most of us make in a week.
The party rolls on. And it's only getting worse with each election. As the exercise of political authority over our community becomes increasingly remote — Beacon Hill and Washington — our unique circumstances and our unique problems do not factor into the exigencies of the deal-makers of that increasingly centralized authority. We are being mandated, regulated and managed from afar, by people who do not even know the name of our city, while we beg for relief from their bureaucratic bludgeoning.
The constituency is reluctantly remembered in election years, when a bone is tossed to the electorate to "purchase" their friendship and support. We have just seen that here in Gloucester with Kerry's earmark for the fishermen, in this, an election year for him. First the government forcibly takes away the fishermen's livelihood, burdening them with tortuous regulations that make income tax regulations seem like child's play, and then magnanimously tosses back a small fraction of what it has taken from them, with the expectation of fawning gratitude. Chump change. Crumbs.
We wonder at our frustration when with each successive election we perpetuate the myth with our vote, with the same result, and yet somehow expect that things will be different this time. Someone once said that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over, with the same result, but each time expecting a different outcome.
People say they want change, yet continue to do the same thing, without changing their own actions, and wonder why nothing has changed. In my next letter, I'll address how we can make that happen.
DOUG HILL
Lanesville
