‘Big money’ in politics silences average Joe Thank you, mayors, for advancing parks

I am in awe of the “arguments” advanced in Dan Backer’s piece — “Don’t be a Grinch about ‘money in politics.’ ” — in the Dec. 18 Sun Sentinel. It was a most impressive display of distraction, obfuscation, and misdirection. In other words, political spin. Clearly, Backer sees politics as an amoral arena where democracy and the public interest are totally irrelevant.

The problem with “big money” in politics is that big money’s voice is infinitely louder than any other, so the citizenry is inevitably exposed to a deeply biased view of the issues of the day. Furthermore, our corrupted representatives feel that they must do money’s bidding if they want to be reelected. Ask your representative how many hours he or she spends raising money every week. You’ll be shocked.

Both major parties are complicit in this deeply cynical, but technically legal system. There are very few heroes in Washington, D.C.

We applaud Mayors Frank Ortis, Susan Haynie, and Paulette Burdick Williams for endorsing the 10-minute walk to a park campaign led by The Trust for Public Land, National Recreation and Park Association, and Urban Land Institute. The campaign is working with mayors across the country to advance park access and quality, with the bold goal of putting a highquality park or open space within a 10-minute walk of every American.

The value of parks and green spaces is well known. But in the United States, one in three Americans do not have a park within a 10-minute walk of home. This is why we have a launched this ambitious campaign. We believe that parks are anchors of healthy, livable communities, and should be available to everyone — no matter where they live.