As long as the lobby groups can pay unlimited funds to politicians nothing will change.

Right now a big argument is afoot over the main Bridge between Detroit and Windsor. It was bought by a Detroit family around the time of the depression, and they are now billionaires. Now the problem, the governments want to make a 2nd bridge away from the other for security reasons. But on the American side, the billionaires can basically buy the votes, make as big a donation to them as they want.

In Canada no politician can take ANY money, except about 1k from an actual person. So according to the articles in the paper, the process south of the border is mired in money politics. Fix that end and you at least can have fair discussions.
Right now the elected official can just sit and decide what way to vote based on who's got the deepest pockets. And they can make TV commercials, well you get the idea. No system is perfect, and heaven knows some of our politicians end up golfing at exclusive resorts eating filet mignon and drinking cognac, but that's very much the exception.

John Conley
Musica est vita