Government and lobbyists
Just read your editorial "Abramoff and Energy" (OGJ, Jan. 16, 2006, p. 17). You zero in on the many abuses that the lobbyist culture has heaped on individuals and businesses in America. Nothing is more glaring than the incredible prescription drug bill, which lavishes many billions of dollars in profits on the drug companies without demanding deep discounts or competitive bidding. Ethanol is another case, purely a political product that would disappear as a fuel without massive subsidies.
I long for the day when contact with lobbyists must be one-way. They would be permitted to enter the House and Senate office buildings and Capitol only upon specific, one-time invitation to answer questions that members of Congress have about specific issues.
When I moved away from the Washington area in 1955, the city was a rather compact region. Its mushrooming since that time reflects the incredible intrusion of, and interference by, the federal government in every area of our lives. The vast growth of the federal government has resulted in direct and indirect taxes and regulatory costs hidden in the price of everything we buy.
I wish that every American could read your editorial. Keep up the good work.
