A few days ago, the writer of an op-ed piece in the local paper said that we needed to get “corporate money” out of politics and suggested that the way to do that was through legislation. I disagree. We've got plenty of laws. We don't need any more of them. (Although I wouldn't oppose a law shortening the presidential election cycle, but that's another issue.)

That statement prompted me to write this letter, which was published in the Orlando Sentinel on Oct. 24:

Government should stay out of businesses' way

To get corporate money out of politics, we need to get politics and government out of corporations. As long as politicians are interfering with the way companies operate, companies will try to influence politicians.

Basic laws to protect worker and consumer safety and prevent fraud are one thing; that is a valid role of government. But complicated, conflicting rules that are time-consuming and expensive to implement and enforce are altogether different.

If the government would get out of the way, businesses could focus on growth, job creation and economic recovery, instead of trying to protect themselves from politicians who have never had to make a payroll.

Note added on Oct. 26:

In a recent Gallup Poll, 22 percent of respondents said that complying with government regulations is the biggest problem facing small businesses today. Businesses are forced to be involved in politics because what politicians do has such a tremendous impact on them. I'm sure every business owner who contributes corporate money to political campaigns would rather spend those dollars elsewhere — and imagine what the economy would do if they could!

Jacquelyn Lynn
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