As Congress works on extending the authorization for transportation programs in the current session, thousands of lobbyists are investing millions in political donations and billable hours in the hopes of receiving a big payout in public dollars. The Center for Public Integrity, a left-wing watchdog group, last week released the results of an exhaustive examination of the financial ties between transportation lobbyists and lawmakers. In the first half of this year alone, 2100 lobbyists spent $45 million on influencing lawmakers who are busy dividing up an estimated $500 billion in funding (view lobbying map). “Over the past two decades, this is the way federal transportation policy has largely been made in America — by a quasi-private club of interest groups and local governments carving out something for everyone, creating a nationwide patchwork of funded bypasses, interchanges, bridges, and rail lines with no overarching philosophy behind it,” Center staff writer Matthew Lewis explained.
Among the government entities involved, the Center found 475 cities, 160 counties and 12 states have sent lobbyists to Capitol Hill using public funds. Another 55 local development authorities, 95 transit agencies, 25 metro and regional planning organizations invested heavily in lobbying.
From the private sector, a total of 130 real estate, construction and engineering groups sent representatives to Washington, DC. Another group of 75 highway builders, trucking groups and automobile manufacturers sought business opportunities in the corridors of the US Capitol. A total of 140 universities, 45 rail organizations and 45 bicycle coalitions and research groups also sought handouts.
A revolving door between those who seek funds and those who hand out taxpayer money helps to ensure the lobbying process proceeds smoothly. For example, Sante Esposito spent eleven years as the chief Democratic counsel on the House Transportation Committee. Now as a lobbyist for the firm Federal Advocates she boasts of having secured $850 million in public funding for paying clients, which include five California cities, an engineering firm and the Association of Railroads.
In total, three dozen current lobbyists once served as House or Senate Transportation Committee staffers. Another three dozen worked with the appropriations committees. Twenty former members of Congress are now high-paid transportation lobbyists.
The Center disclosed that the Rockefeller Foundation provided funding for the project. This foundation also donates money to one of the largest special interest transportation coalitions, Transportation for America, whose goal is to take gas tax money away from projects that improve roads and instead push federal officials to pour the funds into rail projects.
[courtesy thenewspaper.com]
>>The Center for Public Integrity, a left-wing watchdog group
Plenty of us right wing folks as well are mad about all the lobbying and influence peddling that send our tax dollars to special interests.
Paid lobbyists should be required to wear a 10 x 30 cm sign on top of their head whenever they leave their personal residence. The sign should spell out “Lobbyist” in flashing bright green LED bulbs and the word “Lobbyist” should be easily read from 10 meters.
Failure to wear the sign would result in being assigned to do KP duty for the US military for one year in Texas.
There is a place for lobbyists in this process, but it needs to be scaled back tremendously. Lobbying has taken the place of actual research and work by elected officials, so that now, those that lobby are the only ones being represented. Elections are nice and all, but the voter has been taken out of the equation.
Not to put too melodramatic a point on it (really), but the ability of corporations and foreign governments to give cash and other things of value to lawmakers is the seed of the undoing of our Republic, and has already begun heralding the eerie trumpet echoes of the Fall of Rome.
That the Supreme Court of the United States wrapped their ability to continue doing so in the full length and protection of our constitution (equating their right to give money and things of value to lawmakers with the right of U.S. citizens to petition their government for redress) under the 1st Amendment…well, good luck with all of this, America, and may Dwight Eisenhower not roll over in his grave (God love ya’, Ike!).
Entirely too much color saturation in the photo.
As long as a small group of sleazebags (aka members of Congress) have $500 billion to throw around, of course people are going to try to steer some of the loot their way. Why wouldn’t they?
As long as influence is bought for cash, it is at least allocated according to a relatively open process that anyone can take part in. It would be much less equitable if influencing the Congress Critters instead required coming at them the back way, via putting your kids in their kids’ schools, promising them airtime in national media etc.
Best of all would of course be if they simply had no $500 billion loot to hand out in the first place, but given our current sorry predicament, the more open and obvious the corruption is, the better.