To the Editor:
Re “Torrent of Money Transforms a Slice of Wyoming” (front page, March 8):
When both Jackson Hole and my skier’s knees were quite young, my wife and I spent a marvelous ski week there, doing very nicely on a pair of annual salaries in the $20,000 range. The recent story about Jackson, Wyo., caught my eye.
After I read it, serious disillusionment set in as it hit home that the American democracy of the 1970s has morphed into today’s oligarchy of the 0.1 percent, with the rest of us its serfs living under the superficial trappings of democracy. Even worse, there is no way back to the more egalitarian world of 50 years ago.
President Ronald Reagan was a deft illusionist, often evoking the mythology of American exceptionalism — “the shining city upon a hill” that he referred to in his farewell address — while his administration worked overtime to grant greater tax benefits and advantages for the wealthy. This began the trend that federal lawmakers carried forward and that has been reinforced by Supreme Court decisions.
I want to cry about the plight of our United States. Our democracy has lost its way.
Ben Myers Harvard, Mass.
To the Editor:
Re “Billionaires Flood Campaigns With Cash, Steering Elections” (front page, March 12):
I hope The New York Times continues to cover the growing bipartisan support for setting reasonable limits on election spending.
On March 3, Oklahoma became one of 24 states that have passed resolutions calling for an amendment to the Constitution to restore authority to Congress and the states to regulate election spending. This would counteract the Supreme Court rulings in the Citizens United case and Buckley v. Valeo, which established the principle that spending money to influence elections is protected free speech.
There is no way that the authors of the Constitution would approve of a system that allows special interests and dark money to influence our elections. In addition to the big spenders outlined in the article, foreign interests can circumvent bans on foreign spending in American elections.
People from across the political spectrum are fed up with the “money is speech” concept and are taking action to defend our Republic.
Daniel Escobar Oakland, Calif.
Calling All Teens: Are you a teenager with something to say? The New York Times’s Learning Network invites you to write a public-facing letter about an issue that matters to you. The Open Letters Contest runs until April 8.
Why America Should Drive Electric
To the Editor:
Re “If Trump Sees Problem, He Often Turns to ICE to Provide the Solution” (news article, March 25):
Put another way, President Trump views ICE as his personal enforcement agency, subject to his orders whether they are lawful or not. This is not surprising, given his aspirations for authoritarian control.
Frighteningly, Republicans in Congress are happy to accept this, as they have been unwilling to put any limits on ICE operations. Americans are now living with a law enforcement agency that answers only to one man.
ICE agents might as well replace “Police” on their uniforms with “Trump.”
Pamela J. Griffith Brooklyn
Trump’s Personal ICE
To the Editor:
Re “If Trump Sees Problem, He Often Turns to ICE to Provide the Solution” (news article, March 25):
Put another way, President Trump views ICE as his personal enforcement agency, subject to his orders whether they are lawful or not. This is not surprising, given his aspirations for authoritarian control.
Frighteningly, Republicans in Congress are happy to accept this, as they have been unwilling to put any limits on ICE operations. Americans are now living with a law enforcement agency that answers only to one man.
ICE agents might as well replace “Police” on their uniforms with “Trump.”
Pamela J. Griffith Brooklyn
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