Letters: Representation shouldn't be sold to the highest bidder in government

The recent editorial about young lobbyists in Florida was enlightening. What the author failed to mention is that, while everyone has the right to have their voice heard in the halls of government, we don’t all have equal access.

Large corporations and the wealthy have virtually unlimited resources to devote to lobbying; the vast majority of individuals do not. What happens is what has happened in America — the gradual takeover of every facet of government by what President Eisenhower called the military-industrial complex.

How much did the pharmaceutical industry pay to lobbyists while OxyContin was flooding the streets? How much did the tobacco industry pay during the last half of the twentieth century, when tens of thousands were dying of lung cancer?

Contrast that with how many lobbyists there have been for the victims of the two industrial juggernauts. 

These are only two examples. Here in Florida, how much money does the sugar industry pay lobbyists to be able to keep polluting the Everglades? 

Lobbyists are like lawyers. Most have no moral compass, but argue for the person that pays them. Governmental representation should not be sold to the highest bidder. It should be equally available for everyone. 

Mike Lawrence, Avondale