Lobbyists skirt Obama's earmark ban

[IDemo]

Source: Associated Press

Interest groups may still find ways to funnel money to pet projects

updated 9:57 a.m. MT, Sun., Jan. 25, 2009

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's ban on earmarks in the $825 billion economic stimulus bill doesn't mean interest groups, lobbyists and lawmakers won't be able to funnel money to pet projects.

They're just working around it — and perhaps inadvertently making the process more secretive.

The projects run the gamut: a Metrolink station that needs building in Placentia, Calif.; a stretch of beach in Sandy Hook, N.J., that could really use some more sand; a water park in Miami.

There are thousands of projects like those that once would have been gotten money upfront but now are left to scramble for dollars at the back end of the process as "ready to go" jobs eligible for the stimulus plan.


Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28840571/

[sandnsea]

1. Well that's a big "duh"

Earmarks were created so that metrolink station would get built if it was really necessary, and not go to the water park just because the water park had better lobbyists or a Congressman with no clout. Earmarks are not bad. The people who funnel them to shit projects are the ones who are bad.

[bluestateguy]

2. Visualize: A world without lobbyists and selfish "interest groups"

It's easy if you try.

[Ian David]

3. Earmarks were created so low-population states wouldn't get completely shafted in Congress.

They should be reformed, not eliminated.

[terisan]

8. Uh the low-pop states get 2 senators just like the high pop states. The earmarks= corrupt politics

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

10. Alaska's Senator-for-Life Ted Stevens brought in milions of dollars

and not just measured in federal dollars per capita flowing into the state (population of 700,000), but in terms of outright dollars. His "bridge to nowhere" is just the most egregious example of his ability to suck the government teat almost dry while decrying big government and high taxes. Alaska as a state doesn't add much to the federal coffers, just because of the small population and the low incomes. They also don't pay state tax; they get a check from the state each year for $1,500-$2,800 per person, which is great for the fundies in Delta who breed as many kids as possible. I used to work in the Fairbanks Food Bank and they'd show up regularly to get free food for their huge (10-12 kids) families.

Notwithstanding Sarah Palin, most Alaskans are an intelligent and generous people. They are also opinionated -- the Anchorage Daily News has an annual party for all the people who have written Letters to the Editor. People pay attention to what's happening in their state and take an active part in their communities. I lived there briefly and would still be there except for the Dark.

BTW, if any dog anywhere in the world does something heroic or exceptional it will always be reported in the Fairbanks Daily News Miner.

[Still Sensible]

4. Lobbyists and special interest groups

have become the whipping boy, but they are not the problem IMO. The problem is repeated bad judgment on the part of legislators. Look, lobbyists and special interest groups represent people... and many of them represent a lot of people.

We should be demanding accountability from our representatives instead of allowing them to pass the blame on to lobbyists and special interest groups.

Like any other entity that is organized to represent common goals, a lobby will take whatever it can get from the party it is approaching. It doesn't matter if its a union, such as UAW or NEA or AFL, or if it is an issues advocate like AARP or NRA. All of these represent a group of people with valid concerns and issues.

I like the lobbyist rules Obama has placed on his administration. But in my opinion, the lobbyists are not the problem--lawmakers that allow the successes of those special interests to exceed what is reasonable and defensible is the problem.

[stillcool]

5. exactly..I'm a lobbyist, and an interest group...

but I don't have the clout to buy an earmark. I'm hoping that I will have the clout to pressure my representatives to do the right thing, but I'll need a lot more me's.

[Cronopio]

9. The problem is that that isn't what the lobbyist game ends up being about.

It's about taking away the money from the projects that will benefit the most people and giving it to the people who can pay for the best representation. Yes, lobbyists represent people - themselves and the people rich enough to pay for their influence. Which leads to the second problem - the cost of influence continually goes up.

Maybe in the past there might have been a practical reason for lobbyists but with the Internet there are better and more inclusive possibilities. The Internet opens up another can of worms in the implementation, but either it's going to be a meritocracy of money and connections or it's going to be a meritocracy of the most demonstrably beneficial causes. The default is that the former will always crowd out the latter for influence.

[cascadiance]

6. Take away the motive for bribes... Institute real public campaign financing!

That's the only way. If you make it possible for those who truly want to be public servants, and not corporate servants to run successfully and win political positions, we need to take money bribes out of the system. As long as politicians need outside money sources to get elected, influence-wielding money will find its way to them.

That won't stop politicians from being corrupt, but it will isolate those that want to be corrupt from those that just want to be honest politicians and would rather not play the "money raising" games.

[terisan]

7. Massive Rezko style corruption and not transparent. Ray La Hood, Rahm Emmanuel and the Chicago Gang

and every other sleazy politician and lobbyist. So much for open government and no special interests.

Rezko-style government is going to rule for awhile until the stench becomes overpowering.

It will be amusing watching the administration cheerleaders covering themselves in mud defending the so-called stimulus package and insisting that we don't need to know where the money went.

[and-justice-for-all]

11. Then he should make it a federal offense..nt

[eleny]

12. No beach = no tourism = no jobs

I also have no problem with a metro station. More people would take public transportation.

I hope these aren't maligned in the news as on their face they seem very worthy projects that contribute to America's overall needs.