To the editor:

“Follow the money” is a phrase from the movie “All The President’s Men,” which detailed the Watergate break-in that destroyed Richard Nixon’s presidency. The point was that if the money trail was revealed, it could be determined who was involved in the break-in and the motive(s) behind it.

With that in mind, much can be revealed about a politician’s motives based upon where he receives his campaign contributions. When individuals support candidates, they want good government. When businesses and special interests support candidates, they want something in return … votes that favor the businesses and special interests, quite often at taxpayer expense.

Also, keep in mind that the primary goal of the political establishment is to maintain the status quo, which benefits those who control the establishment – big business and special interests. That control preserves the ability of establishment backed politicians to cast votes favoring the establishment in order to pad big business and special interest bank accounts.

Voters finally became dissatisfied with the political establishment and said enough is enough. Therefore, they voted for either Donald Trump, definitely not the candidate favored by the political establishment, since it cannot control him, or Bernie Sanders, the anti-establishment, anti-Wall Street, anti-big business candidate.

Now follow the money received by Larry Kiker for his re-election campaign, which is available on the Lee County Elections website. Take note of how much was contributed by developers, real estate professionals, special interests and the lawyers and others who work for all of the above. Based upon his campaign contributions, it is easy to see that Kiker is establishment, Wall Street and big business rolled into one. In other words, he represents everything that most Lee County voters rejected in the Presidential primary.

Fortunately, Lee County voters now have a choice in the District 3 County Commission race. They can either vote for Kiker, the political establishment, big business candidate with questionable ethics, or his opponent, Dick Anderson, who not only has the education and professional experience to make sound judgments that will benefit Lee County taxpayers, but also the ethics to ensure that taxpayers are treated with the respect they deserve.

Mr. Anderson has professional planning experience in both the public and private sectors. Therefore, he is well qualified to balance the interests of both individual taxpayers and businesses. He is especially well versed on the issues of water quality and the environment, and what must be done to maintain the quality of life that makes Lee County so attractive to residents and visitors alike.

“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me,” is a saying that resonates in the District 3 race involving establishment, big business interests and questionable ethics, versus the interests of Lee County taxpayers.

Kiker fooled us once. Shame on him. Re-electing him would re-focus that shame on us, the voters, since we now know what his votes reveal … that he is looking out for those who pad his campaign account. Follow the money, and you will follow his votes.

Paul D. Asfour

former Cape Coral council member