Turnout at polls termed vital to avoid cut in benefits

Early this year, the Supreme Court with its McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission decision further freed donors with massive wealth, such as the politically ambitious Koch Brothers to pour dramatically more money into the accounts of favored candidates, parties and political action committees.

That decision made it clear that the high court’s activist majority will relentlessly promote the principle that those with wealth ought to decide the direction of federal, state and local government.

And so it is that our wealthiest citizens with these golden opportunities are making every effort to strengthen the oligarchy of corporate controlled government to further weaken the already limited influence of the vast majority of citizens.

The polls show a great many extremely close races. If you decide to sit out this election or succumb to those campaign ads condemning all who oppose the corporate takeover of our government, won’t that result in the wealthiest of our citizens becoming even richer and the vast majority to suffer further economically?

Without a successful turnout at the polls, we may anticipate erosion of many of the  benefits we take for granted, such as Medicare, Social Security and guarantees that medical catastrophes will not throw us into poverty.

LEW PATRIE

Asheville