Reformers of every ilk should all be deeply concerned about what may prove to be one of the most serious threats to democracy in the history of the United States; lobbyists. Lobbyists generate power approaching the level of making them a fourth branch of government. Lobbyists have extreme influence on the legislative and executive branches in Washington, D.C., in our state capitals, and with county and city levels of government.
PBS”s Bill Moyers reported, “When John F. Kennedy was president there were 500 registered lobbyists in Washington, D.C. By 1992 there were 50,000 lobbyists and their attorneys in our nation”s capitol.” From Robert Reich”s book “Supercapitalism,” 1. By 2005, the number of registered lobbyists alone was in excess of 32,000; 2. The number of lawyers registered with the D.C. Bar Association went from 16,000 in 1972 to 77,000 in 2004; 3. In the 1950s, fewer than 100 corporations maintained offices in D.C. and by the end of the ”90s, there were 500 corporate offices in our capitol employing 61,000 lobbyists and lawyers; 4. In 2005, the list of the top 100 lobbying spenders was dominated by corporate, industrial, and commerce interests; AFL-CIO (unions) ranked 75th; and groups advocating for the environment, child welfare, and human rights did not even make the top 100; 5. The amount of money spent on lobbying in real dollars went from less than $100 million in 1983 to over $2 billion in 2005.” CNN reported on Feb. 2, ” The health industry spent $540 million to employ 4,500 lobbyists attempting to defeat the recently passed health care legislation, that equals eight lobbyists for every member of Congress.” From ABC News on March 6, “In the State of New York, sugar industry lobbyists spent $37 million to defeat ?sugar tax” legislation that would have raised funds for health care. Excessive sugar in American diets now cause more health problems than tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs.”
Lobbying, alone, is not the problem. The problem is how the enormous amount of money connected to lobbying politicians influences our governing bodies at all branches and levels. Lobby money doled out to elected officials from these lobbyists is threatening the rights of individual citizens and our democracy and moving us to becoming a cashocracy. To curb this rapidly growing threat, we the people must demand reform that will take lobby money out of the equation on how we elect federal, state and local politicians.
Tom Harty
Kelseyville
