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Our nation's democratic processes have been high-jacked by big money.
The average citizen voter no longer has the power to select representatives that care about the issues of their constituents because too many elected officials have been swayed by gifts from big donors.
Forty other states have a ban on this, but Pennsylvania is one of 10 states that does not have a limitation on gifts that can be given to public officials.
Gov. Tom Wolf has placed a gift ban on the people working in his departments, but the PA Legislature has no such limit.
During my career, I have had the opportunity to work with public employees from several state departments, education and drug and alcohol programs to name two.
When you are working with them, you can't even buy them a lunch, but it is completely legal for paid lobbyists to gift anything to our state representatives.
Lobbyists routinely give luxury vacations, cars, concert tickets, Super Bowl tickets, and constant wining and dining in Harrisburg. Even cash gifts are legal.
This makes legislators not accountable to their true constituents -- only to their donors.
HB 39, which places common sense gift limitations on what legislators can accept, is sitting in the House.
Its counterpart in the Senate, SB 132, has been sitting in committee for more than a year and was introduced by Republican John H. Eichelberger Jr., who could help move this forward through his influence.
This legislation is not a total gift ban. Legislators could still accept items of nominal value -- things like pens, tote bags, or T-shirts, that are unlikely to sway their vote.
However, gifts likely to sway a legislator's vote like vacations, cars, tickets and endless dinners would be made illegal.
Urge your representatives to support these bills. The purpose of a democracy is a government by the people for the people, not "buy" the few for the few.
Kathrine Muller
Altoona