Honorable {name]

Following the recent Supreme Court ruling that allows corporations more influence in Congress than those citizens who actually vote, it is time for drastic and swift action to protect the voters voice in Washington.

As elusive as campaign finance reform has been, this must become a new, aggressive non-partisan goal of every member of Congress to address.

Allowing corporations unfettered access to our elected public officials not only taints the very reputation of every official who accepts their money, it also degrades the trust those representatives constituents place in them.

The very notion that a corporation has spent millions of dollars to support any candidate immediately raises the question, “What are they getting in return for their money?” As a business man myself I know very well they are not going to spend millions if they are not assured a return on their investment. The citizens of this great nation should not have elected officials being perceived as the “private investment” of some corporation.

The Supreme Court was dead wrong when it said that corporate donations don't influence elections. Any person of reasonable intelligence knows that is an ignorant conclusion to make if for no other reason than the fact that corporations continue to poor millions into campaigns. Were there no intent to influence there would be no reason to donate! For them it is an investment in influence.

NO MEMBER OF CONGRESS can accept these donations as an ethical means to obtain office. Doing so is a public admission that they are in debt to these corporations and that the continued donations are tacit confirmation that those donations are resulting is some special privilege or consideration. Taking their money is taking a bribe, legal or not. You should not do it...no one who values their ethical and moral obligation to the voters who place them in office should take that money. Doing so soils them forever in the eyes of the voter as a sell-out to special interests. This is one reason politicians rate so low on every scale of being trustworthy persons.

Solution: Only Public finance of federal elections. No donations from anyone for campaigns. You pay your own way to get on the ballot as a qualified candidate. Each candidate for each district receives equal funding based on criteria based upon the nature, size and population of their districts. Not until each candidate must compete on his or her own merit, using their own skills, education and abilities rather than the wealth of rich backers, can citizens know their candidates and trust they will respond to their needs over the needs of a corporate lobby.

Only a weak politician would need a wealthy backer to overcome their short comings.

I call upon you to work across the aisle to co-sponsor and support meaningful campaign finance reform that takes special interest money out of the equation. After all...it will reduce the cost of campaigns for everyone.

Can I count on you to work to remove corporate money as a source of influence over our election process?

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