The professional schmoozers are in disarray at the moment. President Obama has dropped registered lobbyists from their government advisory committees, in an effort to have advisers that are more “reflective of America” not just Washington D.C. It’s started a strange letter-writing war that’s had lobbyists lobbying for their own lobbyist powers.
There aren’t just a few of these advisory panels; we’re talking almost 1,000 groups with more than 60,000 people influencing government policies. These panels advise Congress and the President on everything from banking, finance, and insurance rules to online gambling.
Yes, even poker players spent a few million dollars lobbying to overturn a ban on Internet gambling. You know it’s working when Sen. Robert Menendez from New Jersey introduced a bill to allow online poker, even though he voted for the ban on Internet gambling in the first place (former Sen. Alfonse D’Amato from New York heads the Poker Players Alliance).
The President’s special counsel for ethics and government reform said, “It’s an indisputable fact that in recent years, lobbyists for major special interests have wielded extraordinary power in this town.”
This problem exists even down here on our local government level. If you’ve ever been to a few city council meetings in Covington or Maple Valley, you’ll know what I mean. The people who show up are usually representing business interests or developers, and almost no one goes to represent the citizens as a whole.
For example, last week’s Covington council meeting featured two opposing sides of an upcoming city center project. On one side was the developer’s minions, extolling the virtues of even more fast food outlets and their contributions to the greater public good. The other side featured five residents whose properties would be directly impacted by the road changes. The councilors were the only ones representing the citizens’ voice that day, and they made it clear that their decisions would be based on the best interests of all 17,000-plus residents.
In Maple Valley, two of the candidates for spots on the City Council had ties to the local Chamber of Commerce, a business owners’ advocacy group. One candidate was a past president, and I’m told that the other one is next year’s incoming president. Now, I’m not questioning their motives for being there, but do we really need to put the lobbyists in charge? You apparently didn’t think so either, since neither one of them were elected.
The Chamber of Commerce is primarily an lobbying group for business interests, but their mission also includes “promoting a healthy economic base” which seems contradictory to their own personal financial interests. If you’re a Chamber member who owns a sandwich shop, and Subway comes into town to look for a possible location, is it really in your best interest to help them?
I don’t think it is, and I’m concerned that this may be part of the reason why Maple Valley’s storefronts have only increased by about 1 percent per year in the past 10 years, despite a doubling in population. Covington isn’t having that issue, and I’m personally grateful that I no longer have to drive to Southcenter to get a hot dog and a soda for $1.50.
Maybe what we need is a Chamber of Citizens; a lobbying group for the interests of the citizens. Of course, since we all have such wildly varying opinions on what to lobby for, it may turn out to be a chaotic farce, but it should be a fun ride while it lasts. Want a Target store in your town? Let’s push for it. Want to get a law passed outlawing the wearing of sweatpants and flip-flops together? I’m your lobbyist.
If you agree, go to www.ChamberOfCitizens.com and let me know. I’m also handing out free titles if you want one. Supreme Chancellor is taken, but if you’d like one such as “Chairperson of the Nail Salon Development Committee”, it’s yours.
