Elizabeth Warren and How the Rich Have Taken Over Washington

Recent comments from Senator Elizabeth Warren succinctly explain why Washington is "broken".  Here are her comments from the recently held Re/code Conference which was held in Rancho Palos Verdes in California:

Here is the question:

"How am I or the fifty percent of people who can vote or don't supposed to actually believe any politician that says we are going to rebuild this country, energy infrastructure, internet infrastructure, education all these things matter. I believe that. And with interest rates this low, it makes sense for us to issue paper on 30 or 100 year notes to rebuild America. Why aren't we doing that?"

Here is Senator Warren's response (in part):

"It's exactly the right question. We are not doing it because the people in Washington, too many of the people in Washington, do not represent the folks who elected them. They represent the rich and the powerful who don't want their taxes raised, who don't want to see any change. Who are perfectly happy with things where they are, indeed they're doing great with things where they are. And they stay in the ear of enough of the folks in Washington that it has made it impossible to get any kind of change. The only way we get change is when enough people in this country say I'm mad as hell and I'm fed up and I'm not going to do this anymore. You are not going to go back and represent me in Washington, DC. if you are not willing to pass a meaningful infrastructure bill. If you are not willing to refinance student loan interest rates and stop dragging in billions of dollars in profits off the backs of kids who otherwise can't afford to go to college."

Given that a recent study by the Sunlight Foundation and the Center for Responsive Politics noted that 31,976 donors or one percent of one percent of the total population of the United States accounted for $1.18 billion or 29 percent of all disclosed political contributions during the 2014 election cycle and the fact that this group has grown in influence over the past three election cycles as shown here:

...it is no wonder that American voters are becoming increasingly angry, disconnected and apathetic toward politics and politicians in the United States.