Over 50 years ago I heard that our great country was divided by “Us” versus “Them.” At that time Us was 90 percent and Them was 10 percent. About 20 years ago it shifted to where Us was 95 percent and Them was 5 percent. In the past year or two it has become Us are the 99 percent and Them are the 1 percent.
Even though Us keeps increasing in numbers, we have never gained in power. That is the way it was and the way it will always be unless the 99 percent remove the ability of the 1 percent to buy the politicians.
Public financing of national elections is the only pathway to level the playing field between Us and Them. Eventually that will result in lower taxes for everyone because the special considerations given to the 1 percent cost us many times over what tax dollars spent on guaranteeing true representative government will deliver.
My message to the Occupy Wall Street people and similar movements is to spend your efforts campaigning for public financing of elections and you may find yourselves on the winning side for a change.
Peter Daniels
Polson