K-Street is where so many out-of-work Congressmen go to maintain that standard-of-living which they've grown so accustom to.
K-Street helps out the current Congress, in several ways, including even helping Congress to WRITE all those "messy Laws" that they just might be too busy to do!
(Afterall if Congressmen are "too busy" to even READ most Legislation, how can we expect them to find to the time to research and WRITE those pesky Laws they pass? Silly Citizens!)
July 26, 2007
Demand change from our lobbyist-run government
Archie H. King, Madison
In 1968, there were 63 registered lobbyists in Washington. Today, there are 34,700 and counting. The number has doubled the past five years.
Well-connected former congressmen and government leaders are employed as lobbyists at the going rate of $300,000 a year ...
Since 1998, 43 percent of the 198 members of Congress who have left government have become lobbyists.
An estimated $6 million a day is spent to influence legislation, a 610 percent increase from 1998 until 2006. K Street, the address of the larger lobbying firms, is considered to be the fourth branch of our government. Legislation and regulations are not only promoted by, but are often written by lobbyists.
A major tax break for oil companies was recently "tucked" into a homeland security bill.
This is not a Republican and Democratic issue. Both are dependent upon the money from these groups to stay in office.
http://www.clarionledger.com/...
----
No wonder they call K-Street a "revolving door" to Capitol Hill! What other ways can well-intentioned Lobbyists "Help Out" our poor overworked Congressmen and women?
Lobbying FAQ: What is Permissible? Out of Bounds? Punishable?
Can lobbyists write legislation?
Lobbyists can and at times do write legislation, sometimes at the behest of a member of Congress or their staff. Often, lobbyists will submit language to a member who has a working relationship with the industry which the lobbyist represents.
Can lobbyists pay for travel for members of Congress?
According to House and Senate Ethics Rules:
* Lawmakers and their employees cannot accept payment for travel from lobbyists or lobbying firms, even if a non-lobbyist client promises later reimbursement.
Can lobbyists arrange travel for members of Congress?
Lobbyists may set up, book, and travel with members of Congress on vacations, as long as they do not use personal or lobbying firm funds to pay for the trip.
Can lobbyists give gifts to members of Congress?
Lobbyists can give gifts (from meals to clothing to rounds of golf) to members of Congress that are less than $50 in value. The total value of gifts given to one member cannot exceed $100 in a year.
* Lobbyists may not contribute to the legal expense funds of members of Congress or the charities controlled by a member of Congress.
Can lobbyists make political donations?
Lobbyists may make political donations under the same guidelines as other Americans. Lobbyists cannot give more than $5,000 to any political action committee per calendar year. They can, however, work on campaigns and serve as the treasurers of political action committees.
* According to a Center for Public Integrity report, federally registered lobbyists served as the treasurers of at least 800 political action committees since 1998.
* These lobbyist led committees have spent more than $525 million to influence the political process since 1998.
* At least 79 members of Congress have appointed lobbyists to head their campaign committees or leadership PACs since 1998.
http://www.publicintegrity.org/...
----
Well Lobbyists don't work for for Free! Indeed they get paid quite well, with salaries up to $300K. So who pays their salaries? That would be those organization with more money than sense -- the often maligned "Special Interests":
Lobby Watch
Top 100 Companies and Organizations
Companies and Organizations -- Reported Lobbying
Chamber of Commerce for the U.S.A. $204,614,680
Altria Group Inc $101,220,000
General Electric Co. $94,130,000
American Medical Association $92,560,000
Northrop Grumman Corp. $83,405,691
Edison Electric Institute $82,866,628
Verizon Communications Inc. $81,870,000
Business Roundtable $80,380,000
American Hospital Association & State Affiliates $79,205,772
Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America $72,720,000
National Association of Realtors $68,810,000
ExxonMobil Corp. $59,672,742
SBC Communications Inc. $58,035,037
Freddie Mac - Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation $57,740,000
Boeing Co. $57,258,310
Lockheed Martin $55,373,840
AT&T Corp. $53,349,499
Fannie Mae (Federal National Mortgage Association) $50,777,000
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and state affiliates $48,790,000
General Motors Corp. $48,260,000
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) $47,790,000
Sprint Corp. $47,276,585
Microsoft Corp. $46,020,000
American Council of Life Insurance $44,062,720
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare $43,760,000
Pfizer Inc. $43,522,720
Association of American Railroads $43,113,867
National Association of Broadcasters $42,920,000
Citigroup $42,410,000
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. $42,220,223
Securities Industry Association $42,085,059
The Seniors Coalition $41,955,087
Ford Motor Co. $41,350,808
Merck & Co. $40,710,294
American Farm Bureau Federation, state affiliates and related companies $38,135,034
IBM Corp. $37,912,000
National Cable and Telecommunications Association and state affiliates $36,790,000
Eli Lilly and Co. $36,510,000
Brown & Williamson Tobacco $35,270,000
American International Group Inc. $35,182,300
General Dynamics Corp. $35,083,253
Motorola Inc. $35,072,214
Southern Co. $34,924,694
BellSouth Corp. $33,732,827
ChevronTexaco $32,803,755
Investment Company Institute $32,757,000
Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Inc. $32,544,033
GlaxoSmithKline $32,427,000
DaimlerChrysler Corp. $32,413,997
Textron Inc. $32,390,000
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. $31,760,579
United States Telecom Association $31,028,000
Intel Corp. $30,280,000
American Bankers Association $29,980,405
United Services Automobile Association Group $29,629,318
National Association of Manufacturers $29,562,805
Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA) $29,510,000
Advanced Medical Technology Association $29,510,000
American Insurance Association $29,291,861
Time Warner $29,215,000
Marathon Oil Corp. $29,190,000
American Association of Health Plans $27,935,342
Abbott Laboratories $27,566,000
Union Pacific Corp. $27,391,470
American Chemistry Council $27,008,760
BP p.l.c. (BP Amoco) $26,793,984
Shell Oil Co. $26,608,088
United Technologies Corp. $26,592,633
AFL-CIO $26,444,810
Mortgage Insurance Companies of America $26,000,000
Honeywell, Inc. $25,730,000
EDS Global Government Afairs $25,448,996
Qwest Communications International Inc. $24,523,480
Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) $24,492,760
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association $24,080,602
Wyeth $24,061,926
HSBC Americas Inc. $23,817,000
Walt Disney Co. $23,626,800
Biotechnology Industry Organization $23,605,796
Prudential Financial Cos. $23,535,440
Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. $23,180,000
Amgen Inc. $22,827,500
Monsanto Co. $22,504,610
CTIA-The Wireless Association™ (formerly the Cellular Telecom Industry Association) $22,260,000
The Bond Market Association $22,235,850
Association of Trial Lawyers of America $22,200,000
Asbestos Study Group $21,940,000
Johnson & Johnson, Inc. $21,760,000
Schering-Plough Corp. $21,098,000
Procter & Gamble Co. $21,048,798
FDX Corp. $20,740,000
American Forest & Paper Association $20,553,940
National Federation of Independent Business $19,979,773
American Institute of CPAs $19,747,563
Raytheon Co. $19,730,000
Visa USA Inc. $19,602,738
60 Plus Association $19,564,500
American Airlines $19,559,353
Sanofi-Aventis $19,156,712
International Paper Co. $18,969,538
http://www.publicintegrity.org/...
----
Those are some serious investments! I suppose it is worth it to your run-of-the-mill MegaCorp to actually have the opportunity to "slip in" their favorite "Tax Loophole" in the Laws about to be passed.
Hmmm! What are the Top 10 Issues that ExxonMobil Corp was only all to happy to "invest" its $60 Million in?
- Environment & Superfund 47
- Oil, Gas & Fuel 45
- Natural Resources 37
- Energy & Nuclear 35
- Clean Air and Water (Quality) 34
- Federal Budget & Appropriations 22
- Labor, Workplace, & Antitrust Issues 20
- Taxation & Internal Revenue Code 20
- Foreign Relations 19
- Trade (Domestic/Foreign) 19
...
http://www.publicintegrity.org/...
----
Let me guess which side of the argument they were taking on Clean Air and Clean Water? On the Superfund? On Antitrust Issues? On Trade Policy? ... I bet they got their Money's worth! Don't you think?
Now for a few envelope calculations:
100 Senators + 435 Congressmen = 535 reps x $100 allowable gifts per year = $53,500
Multiply that by 6 years of the Reporting: $321,000
AND Exxon spent $60 Million on Lobbying in those 6 years ???
that sure leaves a LOT of Money unaccounted for, or somehow going into PACs?
Outrageous! There ought to be a law ... Oh wait there is -- it was written by some Lobbyist, no doubt!
------
What can People do? Well, believe it or not Congress will actually listen to the "Lobbying" efforts of ordinary Citizens, too. Afterall Citizens actually Vote! The "Special Interests" that K-Street represent ONLY help to underwrite campaigns, and come up with those cheesy "Issues Ads".
THEY DON'T VOTE!
If you want your Citizen's Voice heard too, Here are the ...
ABCs of Lobbying
Who are lobbyists? Have you ever called, written, e-mailed, or visited your congressman or woman? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you are a lobbyist.
The focus of this article, however, is not on the professional lobbyist but on you, the private citizen. In fact, the most effective lobbyists are regular citizens who come to Washington simply to tell their stories
When e-mailing, the same general guidelines apply as with writing a letter.
Tips on Lobbying Congress
- Keep it short and to the point.
- Don't forget to say "Thank you."
- Get to know the legislator's staff. It is frequently more productive to speak to a staff member than the lawmakers themselves.
- Tell the whole story by acknowledging when something is difficult and when there is opposition.
- Timing is everything. It is important to know Congress' procedures, so mention proper deadlines and don't ask for requests at the last minute.
- Have a 1-page written draft of what you want available to leave or send to the legislator.
- Be professional even when the answer is "No." Regroup and wait for another chance. (www.yourcongress.com, 2003).
http://findarticles.com/...
----
Here's a slightly humorous parting thought (only because it rings true):
Money should haven't never been "considered a form of Free Speech" by the Supreme Court!
Corporate Interests should NOT be allowed to trump Human Interests, any longer! Learn about "Campaign Finance Reform" and demand Action on it. Take the influence of BIG Money out of Politics now!