Government Bureaucrats Now Lobby with Your Tax Dollars
Friends,
The Michigan Campaign Finance Network, an organization that tracks campaign donations, has found a sector of the state economy growing almost as fast as the state budget: lobbying. The MCFN reports that money spent lobbying Lansing lawmakers increased by six percent last year to just over $32 million.
Nick, who blogs at www.RightMichigan.com, found something interesting on the list. It seems that state government agencies are now spending your tax dollars to lobby state government. For example, the Michigan Department of Treasury spent over $90,000 last year to lobby lawmakers. And Governor Granholm spent over $63,000 of taxpayer money on lobbying government.
Why does the Treasury Department use your money to wine and dine state lawmakers? I have no idea. When I was in the state legislature, if I wanted to talk to the state treasurer or any department head, I called them. If a department head wanted to talk to me, we met in the office and talked. No government bureaucrat actually spent part of their budget "lobbying" me with food, drinks or entertainment. I understand that the public universities and local governments lobby lawmakers with football tickets and dinners all the time while asking for more money, but the Treasury Department? The Governor? The Department of Environmental Quality?
At least when private companies like General Motors, Ford, insurance companies, etc. spend money lobbying, they spend their own money. Now, bureaucrats are using YOUR money to lobby politicians for MORE of your money! Can this be legal?
The Michigan Taxpayers Alliance intends to find out how Treasury, the DEQ and others spent your money lobbying and will be sending a Freedom of Information Act request to the departments to find out. We won't bother sending a FOIA request to find out how Governor Granholm spent your money lobbying. The governor's office is specifically exempt from the Freedom of Information Act and Granholm has refused to respond to previous requests.
We will keep you posted.
In other news, plans are underway to increase voter turnout in upcoming elections. In case you missed it, the Detroit Free Press ran this little tidbit on Wednesday:
Seeking a captive audience
East Lansing political consultant Mark Grebner has a new get-out-the-vote program for Michigan Democrats. Among his target groups: prisoners.
It's a group Grebner says is often eligible to vote but doesn't for reasons including "an utter lack of political interest and knowledge" and "low level of literacy and inability to follow directions."
Grebner writes that about 80% of inmates are Democratic.
Unbelievable. I mean, who would encourage illiterate people with no political interest or knowledge to vote for state policymakers. What kind of politicians would we end up with? Hmmm. Best stop asking these questions...
The Michigan Campaign Finance Network, an organization that tracks campaign donations, has found a sector of the state economy growing almost as fast as the state budget: lobbying. The MCFN reports that money spent lobbying Lansing lawmakers increased by six percent last year to just over $32 million.
Nick, who blogs at www.RightMichigan.com, found something interesting on the list. It seems that state government agencies are now spending your tax dollars to lobby state government. For example, the Michigan Department of Treasury spent over $90,000 last year to lobby lawmakers. And Governor Granholm spent over $63,000 of taxpayer money on lobbying government.
Why does the Treasury Department use your money to wine and dine state lawmakers? I have no idea. When I was in the state legislature, if I wanted to talk to the state treasurer or any department head, I called them. If a department head wanted to talk to me, we met in the office and talked. No government bureaucrat actually spent part of their budget "lobbying" me with food, drinks or entertainment. I understand that the public universities and local governments lobby lawmakers with football tickets and dinners all the time while asking for more money, but the Treasury Department? The Governor? The Department of Environmental Quality?
At least when private companies like General Motors, Ford, insurance companies, etc. spend money lobbying, they spend their own money. Now, bureaucrats are using YOUR money to lobby politicians for MORE of your money! Can this be legal?
The Michigan Taxpayers Alliance intends to find out how Treasury, the DEQ and others spent your money lobbying and will be sending a Freedom of Information Act request to the departments to find out. We won't bother sending a FOIA request to find out how Governor Granholm spent your money lobbying. The governor's office is specifically exempt from the Freedom of Information Act and Granholm has refused to respond to previous requests.
We will keep you posted.
In other news, plans are underway to increase voter turnout in upcoming elections. In case you missed it, the Detroit Free Press ran this little tidbit on Wednesday:
Seeking a captive audience
East Lansing political consultant Mark Grebner has a new get-out-the-vote program for Michigan Democrats. Among his target groups: prisoners.
It's a group Grebner says is often eligible to vote but doesn't for reasons including "an utter lack of political interest and knowledge" and "low level of literacy and inability to follow directions."
Grebner writes that about 80% of inmates are Democratic.
Unbelievable. I mean, who would encourage illiterate people with no political interest or knowledge to vote for state policymakers. What kind of politicians would we end up with? Hmmm. Best stop asking these questions...
posted by Leon Drolet at
7:45 PM
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