Governments Lobbying Governments
There is a fine article over at the Kansas City Post about something that has long bothered me greatly — governments hiring lobbyists to lobby other governments for more money. I don’t need to add anything more, because the article itself says it all perfectly, but the practice needs to stop.
For some reason this makes me think of the phrase “No representation without taxation.”
Comment by Josh Smith — October 28, 2008 @ 2:02 p.m.
Thanks for the kind words David. I don’t have as much of a moral opposition to institutional lobbying as I do a practical one. A commenter on my post calling himself “Jim” is arguing that he feels it’s the lobbyist’s job to shepherd legislation through to its fruition. I always thought that was my elected representatives’ job. If Jim is correct, then I think lobbyist needs to become an elected office too!
Comment by Mark Forsythe — October 28, 2008 @ 2:27 p.m.
Is the show-me institute suggesting a law banning municipalities from hiring lobbyists (assuming for a moment such a law would be constitutional)? Presumably, if a lobbyist did not deliver return on his fees, a municipal organization – just like any other organization – would stop paying him or her. Further, if a government keeps spending money for no purpose, wouldn’t its elected leaders, or eventually the voters by electing new leaders, put an end to that practice?
Comment by Tom — October 29, 2008 @ 2:17 p.m.
I am not suggesting a law banning it, precisly because that would not work. Either it’s unconstitutional, or a government would simply have to hire a loobyist to be a full-time government employee and simply call them by another name. Tiebout’s economics would seem to agree with your comments, but my main concern is not that that the lobbying fails, but that it succeeds. There is far more harm caused by successful lobbying to loosen maximum tax levels, allow new local sales tax options, increase aid from higher governements to lower government, etc., than the risk of unwisely spending a hundred grand.
Comment by David Stokes — October 29, 2008 @ 2:53 p.m.