Corruption and Reform – Washington Style
Voters are hearing a lot of talk from politicians these days in Washington about lobbying reform. Both parties have presented packages to ‘clean up the mess’ and though the Democrats say they’re going a little further than Republicans, basically, both parties are saying the same thing, they want to curtail gifts and travel paid for by lobbyists – and other perks.
But all this is lip-service. Neither party has proposed to do the one thing that would make the most difference: prohibit lobbyists from raising money for politicians and giving money to politicians.
Why not? It’s hard to believe there’s any reason but that the politicians want to go on getting the money. Banning trips and lobbyist paid junkets and fine dining is fine but the real money – and the real corruption – is in the contributions lobbyists give to and raise for campaigns. If the politicians – in both parties – really want to drive a stake through corruption, that’s the place to start.
The problem is giving up a few dinners and junkets are one thing, giving up a hundred thousand or a million dollars for your reelection campaign is something else.
Corruption and Reform – Washington Style
Voters are hearing a lot of talk from politicians these days in Washington about lobbying reform. Both parties have presented packages to ‘clean up the mess’ and though the Democrats say they’re going a little further than Republicans, basically, both parties are saying the same thing, they want to curtail gifts and travel paid for by lobbyists – and other perks.
But all this is lip-service. Neither party has proposed to do the one thing that would make the most difference: prohibit lobbyists from raising money for politicians and giving money to politicians.
Why not? It’s hard to believe there’s any reason but that the politicians want to go on getting the money. Banning trips and lobbyist paid junkets and fine dining is fine but the real money – and the real corruption – is in the contributions lobbyists give to and raise for campaigns. If the politicians – in both parties – really want to drive a stake through corruption, that’s the place to start.
The problem is giving up a few dinners and junkets are one thing, giving up a hundred thousand or a million dollars for your reelection campaign is something else.