The sad fact is that the Democratic and Republican parties in our state have been bought by large corporate interests through campaign donations and lobbying. In his article “Two-Faced Democrats” (February 24), Lance Tapley describes how both parties in our state adhere to the concept of trickle-down economics, which states that “if we give money to the rich and their corporations, they will dribble down benefits to working people, for the well-off are the ‘job creators’, as the GOP cliché has it.” Worldwide, the concept of trickle-down and austerity for the 99 percent has led to further devastation in our current global economic depression (see Greece’s current crash into poverty and protests against further austerity measures).
With both parties voting for tax cuts for the rich and tax loopholes for corporations, while at the same time cutting social services for the poor, our economy will continue to slump and the people of Maine will only suffer. The campaigns of elected officials are often paid for by large and vastly wealthy private interests. When the goal of a politician is to be continually elected, the politician will support legislation which will ensure continued support from their largest donors. People in Maine and across the US need to elect representatives who do not accept large donations, who adhere to clean elections, who disclose all of their donors, and who reject superPACs, regardless of political party.
Holly Seeliger
Portland
Zoon Politikon: The Political Animal 