Court’s ruling gives undue influence to corporations

Court’s ruling gives undue influence to corporations

EDITOR:

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn the ban on campaign financing should be appalling and rejected by most Americans. This will have an adverse effect on a fair and equal playing field. Surely this will benefit the Republicans more than the Democrats since most of the corporations are owned by Republicans. But in any case, corporations should not be allowed to throw millions of dollars at candidates in a effort to slant election results.

Remember this was the reason campaign financing reform was created and was voted by both parties. The Democrats could always rely on getting the mass support of people, like President Barack Obama did with his presidential bid. The use of e-mail messages, local neighborhood canvassing and appealing to the common folk was a real winner, but I am afraid this will not be nearly enough to combat the Republicans and their support from corporate America. A Republican controlled government is not in the interest of most of the average American people.

Elections in the future will be controlled and financed by corporations, and the more money you have to spend on TV, print, radio and campaigning the better chance you have of winning an election. This means the ordinarily Mike or Sally will not have a slim chance of winning an honest election if not financed by the fat cats. This not only opens the doors to big businesses but also to foreign entities who will now have the bucks to influence the American election process and outcome.

Did the Supreme Court justices realize that this law was created to prevent the fat cats from winning elections by simply buying a election? I think they failed to realize that a lot of these companies are owned and fueled by foreign interests. This decision was decided by a 5-4 vote in a more conservative right-wing Republican controlled Supreme Court. This court is determined to overturn a lot of the rights and privileges that liberal and moderate Americans have fought so hard for in the last 50 years with respect to minorities and women alike.

We need to write to our congressmen and senators to stop the madness. A bill is needed that will have an overriding effect to get us back to a level playing field.

LANCE SMITH

Youngstown

A great group of students

EDITOR:

I have been a docent at the Butler Art for the past 10 years. “Docent” is the Latin word for “teacher,” but used at the Butler for the volunteer tour guides.

Recently, a large group of art students from East High School arrived for their tour. They were all outstanding in their behavior, interest, preparation — I could go on and on. It was a pleasure for all of us to go on tour.

If all other departments of Youngstown city schools were as great as this East High School group, there would be no academic emergency.

BARBARA BANKS

Poland