Vote to regain democracy

Dear editor:

Not unlike frogs in a pot of water slowly coming to boil, we seem immobilized watching a disaster develop. Individuals holding the power to save us from disaster have been bought. So, who is going to save us from the imminent death of democracy?

Every Sunday morning, policymakers and politicians from both sides of the aisle appear as guests on cable network talk shows. Republican celebrities appearing on Fox News and other cable news channels do the best job expounding rehearsed political talking points. Sounding like parrots, echoing the most recent party line from conservative think tanks financed by the Koch brothers.

The Koch's dominate The Heritage Foundation, they generate far right ideology, calling the shots, pulling the strings, exerting firm control of the Republican Party. The disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision, handed the brothers the authority to spend unlimited amounts of money. David and Charles Koch have purchased the House of Representatives that produced the least effectual House of Representatives in America's history. They are spending multi-billions on the 2014 election to buy the Senate and plan to use their "Americans for Prosperity" (PAC) in 2016 electing the next president of the United States. Billionaires David and Charles Koch have the ability and desire to buy our democracy with giant checks to the House, Senate, candidates and soon, the presidency.

It is obvious the Koch brothers and other billionaires are calling all the shots in Washington, taking us nearer to an oligarch society. The brothers have provided the major source of funding for the tea party. Their goal is smaller government giving them total dominance over the political process. If the takeover is accomplished, witness "Obamacare" defunded, terminating health care for multi-millions of people. Next we will see the destruction of Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, as we have known them. Then their primary objective becomes reality with the total repeal of the minimum wage. The Koch brothers will not be satisfied until they have absolute power over the entire political process.

Charles and David Koch are billionaires with an unrestrained lust for power. They are the founders of "Americans for Prosperity." What the group actually does is support extreme right-wing candidates who actively vote the brothers interests and ideology. The Koch brothers were behind: A $45 million effort to buy control of Congress. That's the amount of money Forbes magazine says Americans for Prosperity spent in the 2010 elections. Their money gave Republicans control of the House with the most extremist group of conservatives in American history.

With this group in control, every effort by the Obama administration to move legislation to revive the economy has been thwarted and previous successes in health care and financial reform have come under unrelenting attack. The anti-regulation, anti-labor legislation passed by the tea party House is the Koch brother's legislative agenda. Our great nation must not be hijacked by right-wing billionaires like the Koch brothers. For the sake of our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, we have got to let democracy live. Know who you are voting for. Vote to regain democracy.

George Lindholm

Hot Springs

Editorial on 09/28/2014

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