By Jim Spencer
SpencerSpeaks.com
You’ve gotta pay
For your right
To lobby!
OK, so it ain’t exactly
But the beastie boys and girls who make their money lobbying to influence public policy in
The cost of preserving that right in the face of a state constitutional amendment that reforms ethics is steep.
An Aug. 30 solicitation from the First Amendment Council, which is fighting ethics reform in court, asks “that you please consider giving $1,000 - $10,000 or more to support this effort.â€
That’s a lot of corned beef sandwiches. It shows you who the real stakeholders are in trying to undermine Amendment 41.
Here’s a hint: It’s not the little guys that the lobbyist-backed First Amendment Council wants you to think.
Lobbyists want you to think Amendment 41, which limits money and gifts given to elected and appointed officials and civil servants, will keep cops’ kids from getting scholarships. They want you to think it will stop injured firefighters from benefiting from fundraisers.
Really, this is about the ability of lobbyists to buy their way into the hearts and minds of legislators with free lunches and free tickets to ball games and shows and free trips to seminars. Lobbyists can do that now with many fewer limits than Amendment 41 places on them. A
But the focus of the Aug. 30 fundraising letter is all about what actually drives the suit. The letter is all about lobbying.
“As lobbyists,†the letter states, “each of us is extraordinarily aware of the impact that this onerous amendment had on our ability to adequately represent our clients.â€
There is the un-spun truth about Amendment 41.
No one with an IQ greater than rhubarb thinks an ethics commission set up by Amendment 41 will keep scholarships from cops’ kids or fundraisers from injured firefighters.
This amendment may need some legislative clarification. But make no mistake: The law suit scheduled for a hearing Oct. 25 in the Colorado Supreme Court is not about protecting the little guy.
Little guys don’t have a grand to 10 grand “or more†to fork over to any cause, much less one whose main purpose is to preserve lobbyists’ ability to influence legislators in ways little guys could never dream of.
As for the self-proclaimed First Amendment Council, here’s how much they honor free speech.
Saying they need “to raise $500,000 to ensure we have resources necessary†to get the ethics amendment declared unconstitutional, the council then begs individual lobbyists for donations, “as well as your assistance in securing the support of your clients.â€
Don’t think cops and firefighters, ladies and gentlemen, think big pharma, insurance companies and car dealers.
Also think secrecy. Secrecy that hides the real beneficiaries of this law suit. Secrecy that makes hypocrites of the plaintiffs and pawns of regular people.
“As this not [sic] an issue committee but rather a private law suit,†the fundraising letter concludes, “contributions are not reported to the Secretary of State. Donor’s [sic] names will not be released without direct authorization from you and/or your clients.â€
So much for the First Amendment Council’s commitment to the First Amendment.
Copyright 2007 by Jim Spencer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
3 users commented in " Letter Reveals Real Foes of Ethics Reform "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackWell said Jim! The hypocrisy of the “First Amendment” crowd is stunning and most of the media klatch has bought into their line. Thanks for exposing them for what they are - paid shills who are scared of any reform that would change the status quo (and, heaven forbid, prevent them from schmoozing over client funded lunches, dinners, and ball games).
Jim, Amendment 41 is clear. It cannot be clarified. By its own language, neither the ethics commission nor the legislature can do anything to loosen the restrictions of 41. So, children of State employees of any sort cannot take a scholarship. The free lunches and sports tickets to legislators and other officials could have clearly been prohibited, but Jared Polis, who could have and should have hired some professional help to draft a reasonable and constitutional ethics law, was too arrogant to do so until after the fact. Now, he has hired the most epxensive lobbyists in Denver to help him and he isn’t telling anyone how much he is paying for that.
Hello Jim, I was wondering where you went! Wrote a note to one of your Post colleagues to get a forwarding email but did not hear back. Thanks much for speaking truth to power. I am really disappointed in the Democrats and their hostility to limiting lobbying dollars. It reminds me of 1993 when Clinton was in the White House, the Dems had both the House and Senate, and Sen. Lloyd Bentsen was Majority Leader (or Senate President, can’t remember). Sen. Bentsen had the $100,000 Breakfast Club. So much for Democrats and reform! And then the Dems wonder why Newt came along and kicked their butts. I hope the Dems don’t do the same thing. We can’t afford to keep selling out to industry and polluting the planet. Wish you the best Jim!
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