Can You Believe This?

Hi Everyone: When I learned about today's topic, I became upset and angry. I'm not sure about the state in which you may live, but New York state has hit another low in a series of low blows. According to data compiled by the New York Public Interest Research Group from the state Commission on Public Integrity; statewide, local governments and affiliated organizations paid more than $7 million for lobbying in 2010. What? I can't believe that towns, cities and counties etc. in New York state pay for lobbyists. In essence that means that taxpayers are paying for lobbyists, or insiders, to argue for one level of government against another. You've got to be kidding. This makes no sense to me, but is the norm. One lobbyist group, Albany-based Patricia Lynch Associates is now caught up in a series of corruption scandals. One had to know that was coming. Anyway, Lynch paid a $500,000 fine and admitted arranging campaign contributions, gifts and other favors to gain access to the state's comptroller office for clients selling investments. "Gifts, favors and campaign contributions are not a legitimate basis for government contracts or special treatment," then Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo said last December. "Lobbyists whose stock in trade is pay to play have no business appearing before government agencies that safeguard taxpayer dollars," he added. Then Cuomo said that, "Lynch's lobbying group is a major broker in Albany's corrupt pay to play political culture." What a tangled web. It is unimaginable that taxpayers are paying for a questionable service just to find out how corrupt the service and lobbying in general is. Lobbyists are a big business, not only in local and state governments, but also in our federal government. Our founding fathers never imagined that governments would work in such a manner. Common sense tells one that this isn't right and should be stopped, but I feel that lobbyists are so entrenched that they are not going away any time soon. Someone needs to protect the interests of taxpayers and if lobbyists aren't able to do it, who will? Politicians? Yea right!!! Til next week. Peter