RE: Wrapping up

[Rod Cameron <rodcm@aol.com>]

Cindy makes a point about having read so many well-articulated ideas.  I came into this discussion very much in favor of reform, probably limits of some sort because it's clear that money does influence legislation.  But that was way back ten days ago when I thought I was the only one in the world who believed that.  I still believe that money has too much influence, but the passionate and informed messages I've been reading in this forum seem to indicate that there are a number of people out there to whom this issue is quite important.  So now I'm wondering . . . if money doesn't influence legislation, what will?  We'd like to think that our elected officials would be able to work through the piles of bills they're faced with in machine-like efficiency.  In Iowa, a small state, about 2500 bills are introduced in the House of Representatives in just a 100 day session!  The bottom line is they must rely upon someone or something outside of themselves in order to decide how to cast that ultimate vote.  What will influence them?  Friends?  Spouses?  Their minister?  A newscast?  A flip of a coin?  Or will they simply take a strictly party-line position on every issue?  How good and smart and hardworking can we really expect these people to be?  The past ten days have gotten me to think about the flipside-- a lot.