Seems to me that lobbying is a legal version of bribery.... I work for an IT consulting company and our clients are frequently gov agents. We have very strict rules to the point that I can't even buy lunch or a candy bar for a gov employee...

These lobbyists can 'buy' themselves political power that they desire/need to benefit their business - seems dirty to me.

James

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1987 Mercedes 300SDL; SOLD
1985 Mercedes 300D; SOLD
2006 Honda Pilot - wife's ride; 122K;
1995 Toyota Land Cruiser - 3X locked; 182K

Yep. Sarbanes-Oxley makes sure you don't get a free donut for breakfast, yet the lobbying goes on. And guess what - Michael Oxley is now a lawyer-lobbyist.

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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles
2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed
2005 Toyota Sienna
2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible
1999 Toyota Tacoma

Well, there is this pesky little thing called the constitution that includes the first amendment; at least that's what the Supreme Court has said on several occations.

Every former politicitian mentioned in the above mentiond article that became a lobbyist was a REPUBLICAN.

What a surprise !

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Lobbying is the seamy underbelly of the american political system.

The finincing methods of our electorial process makes our system inherently corrupt.

Surprisingly it still has worked pretty well.....though the last few decades make it seem less and less healthy.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Well I don't understand exactly where the constitution comes in.

Personally I think they should change the campaign finance laws.

If you can vote you can contribute, if you can't vote you can't contribute.


Although I ( I ) also think they should tax all these political warchests, funny the politicians figure out how to tax everything and exempt themselves. (like the do not call list)
It's gotten to the point where politics is really just a business.

As a side note, although similiar. They are talking about regulating salt in our foods to lower bloodpressure etc. Think of the drop in the national bloodpressure, alcoholism etc if the politicians actually ran things like they are supposed to !!!
(and the drop in high end prostitution )

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KLK, MCSE

1990 500SL

I was always taught to respect my elders.
I don't have to respect too many people anymore.

The problem is that the Supreme Court has ruled that donating money is a form of expression (i.e., free speech) and is protected by the first amendment. This makes any meaningful reform very difficult because you can't prevent individuals or groups from expressing their preferences by giving money. About all you can do is force them to disclose the sources of their money.

I always wondered the same thing. If I had the chance I would close the capital to lobbyists. Orat the very least open it up so ANYBODY can go in and lobby for what they want.

The government has been inherently corrupt since the last of the founding fathers died off.
Senators, congressmen, and even presidents saw no problem with cashing in on their power and prestige. It wasn't until Chester Arthur as president started reform. He actually wanted standardized tests for civil service jobs where it was all by appointment.
Guess who got the appointments?

The system now will only get better when all the corrupt politicians, pretty much all of them, are voted out of ofice.

Danny

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You should read a little more about the founding fathers, quite a few of them would have ended up in prison under today's laws; start with Hamilton.

Your right about Hamilton. I was thinking presidents, not politicians in general.

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The early presidents were better, but they were also making it up as they went along. I wouldn't call it "corruption," but the politics were pretty nasty; paying off newspapers, spreading untrue stories, lots of political patronage, etc.

I guess if the gov didn't have much for sale, then the lobbying would be useless, but seeing that they control the businesses and the economy the 'business' of politics attracts lots of 'customers'.

__________________
1987 Mercedes 300SDL; SOLD
1985 Mercedes 300D; SOLD
2006 Honda Pilot - wife's ride; 122K;
1995 Toyota Land Cruiser - 3X locked; 182K

Lobbying is not the problem, the problem is the system of legalized bribery called "campaign financing". Our system allows the lobbyists to give politicians vast sums of money for their "campaigns". We need to change to a British style of public financing of campaigns with campaigning restricted to some sort of CSPAN outlet and stop this madness.

Do you think the required constitutional amendment would be ratified?

It would take a revolution. Electoral or violent, who knows. How long can it continue as it is? We have lost democracy in this country, the corporations can pretty much say who is going to be a candidate, and who isn't, what views they can represent, and can't, with only a slight chance that we the voters might throw their current clown out, and if we do, that clown is just replaced by the next corporate clown. America is rapidly becoming Mussolini's Corporate State. Sooner or later, this thing is going to pop.