gnarlylove
Senior Member
I argue this is the first step to restoring our country. The major malfunction of our government and political system is as follows:
"While the official figure puts the annual spending on lobbying at $3.2 billion in 2013, Thurber estimates that the industry brings in more than $9 billion a year."
"Simply put, government policies can mean the difference of billions of dollars for major companies, and spending on politics offers a superb payoff. A study from the University of Kansas found that companies lobbying for a tax holiday received a 22,000 percent return on the money they spent to influence the legislation."
"Rather than using the L-word to describe what they do, many lobbyists prefer the more banal rubric of “government relations” or “government affairs.” Reflecting this trend, the American League of Lobbyists—a professional association for the industry—changed its name in November to the Association of Government Relations Professionals. And while lobbyists must report their payments from clients, those ducking the system quietly bring in the biggest paydays.
Apple’s former vice president of “worldwide government affairs,” Catherine Novelli, earned over $7.5 million last year while helping the company deal with congressional inquiries about its alleged tax-dodging strategies, without registering as a lobbyist."
"One of the biggest problems with lobbying registration is that the LDA 9Lobbying Disclosure Act) was never intended to cover so-called “outside lobbying.” Like previous iterations of the law, the current system does nothing to regulate the fake grassroots groups...or the surrogate think tanks and public relations gimmicks used to corral popular support for special-interest legislative campaigns. Many lobbying businesses offer a full range of capabilities that fall well outside the LDA’s definition of lobbying.
Take, for example, American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) [who] disclose[d] $2.2 million in lobbying spending as the House took up President Obama’s climate bill in 2009. Tax forms filed with the IRS, however, show that the group in fact spent $28,353,630 in advocacy that year. The work with Bonner & Associates never had to be disclosed as lobbying."
From Where Have All the Lobbyists Gone? | The Nation
Our system is so dysfunctional that we have no hope of creating conditions for genuine problem solving (like debt crisis, climate change, creating more fluid social mobility). Unless we rid big money in politics, we are at the behest of millionaires and corporations (aka 2%). What's good for them isn't good for society, the economy, or the earth.
Does anyone see big money in politics a problem? Or is this just more freedom resulting from speech (i.e. money)?
Does anyone see hope for overcoming this pattern of "bill becomes law, then law is gutted" by lobbyists? Now the industry is "disappearing" but we know it's gone underground to become unimaginably bulkier and more influential.
"While the official figure puts the annual spending on lobbying at $3.2 billion in 2013, Thurber estimates that the industry brings in more than $9 billion a year."
"Simply put, government policies can mean the difference of billions of dollars for major companies, and spending on politics offers a superb payoff. A study from the University of Kansas found that companies lobbying for a tax holiday received a 22,000 percent return on the money they spent to influence the legislation."
"Rather than using the L-word to describe what they do, many lobbyists prefer the more banal rubric of “government relations” or “government affairs.” Reflecting this trend, the American League of Lobbyists—a professional association for the industry—changed its name in November to the Association of Government Relations Professionals. And while lobbyists must report their payments from clients, those ducking the system quietly bring in the biggest paydays.
Apple’s former vice president of “worldwide government affairs,” Catherine Novelli, earned over $7.5 million last year while helping the company deal with congressional inquiries about its alleged tax-dodging strategies, without registering as a lobbyist."
"One of the biggest problems with lobbying registration is that the LDA 9Lobbying Disclosure Act) was never intended to cover so-called “outside lobbying.” Like previous iterations of the law, the current system does nothing to regulate the fake grassroots groups...or the surrogate think tanks and public relations gimmicks used to corral popular support for special-interest legislative campaigns. Many lobbying businesses offer a full range of capabilities that fall well outside the LDA’s definition of lobbying.
Take, for example, American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) [who] disclose[d] $2.2 million in lobbying spending as the House took up President Obama’s climate bill in 2009. Tax forms filed with the IRS, however, show that the group in fact spent $28,353,630 in advocacy that year. The work with Bonner & Associates never had to be disclosed as lobbying."
From Where Have All the Lobbyists Gone? | The Nation
Our system is so dysfunctional that we have no hope of creating conditions for genuine problem solving (like debt crisis, climate change, creating more fluid social mobility). Unless we rid big money in politics, we are at the behest of millionaires and corporations (aka 2%). What's good for them isn't good for society, the economy, or the earth.
Does anyone see big money in politics a problem? Or is this just more freedom resulting from speech (i.e. money)?
Does anyone see hope for overcoming this pattern of "bill becomes law, then law is gutted" by lobbyists? Now the industry is "disappearing" but we know it's gone underground to become unimaginably bulkier and more influential.
