BRATTLEBORO — Our government won't seriously address gun control or climate control, or ever reliably serve the common good, so long as it's accepted that Congress is for sale.
And it will continue to be for sale until campaigns are publicly funded and acceptance of any private money or benefit outlawed, with violation costing the legislator their job.
Election would then be possible for a wider range of people. More time would be devoted to their legislative work. And, with a better chance that the public interest would be served, more people would see reason to vote.
Pie in the sky? Perhaps. Members of Congress, on their own, would be unlikely to make such a change. It would require overwhelming public pressure.
And that would take an awful lot of work.
But, otherwise, there is little hope. And corruption will increase.