To the Editor:

Change for the betterment of the people must embrace three principles that will actually make a change in the status quo.

Fair elections (ending gerry mandering, five single-member districts in the county democracy and campaign finance reform are the three legs of a stool that will allow the people to take back their government from the lobbyists who now buy the government with money for votes.

The Florida Legislature at present is working on a joint bill that will nullify SB 2288, the Fair Elections Amendments which are placed on the ballot by petitions.

Those in power are determined to keep that power at all costs.

Fair elections is a method of drawing political boundaries for districts in a geographical grid – in contiguous manner.

Now our legislators draw boundaries of their choosing that encompass enough of their party’s votes to keep them in office.

To summarize, the legislators choose the voters, instead of the voters choosing who they want to represent them.

Please use the people’s voice to ask Gov. Charlie Crist to veto SB 2288.

Email or phone the governer at 850-488-7146. If that fails, I would urge an anti-incumbent vote in the primary and in the general elections.

Politicians need to now that they must govern for the people’s interest, not thee special interest groups.

Joan Paterson

Lehigh Acres