Who's Your Lobbyist?

Forums: Politics, Lobbyists, Lobbyist, Your Stake In A Democracy, Raw Rare Steak In Democracy
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I don't have one, but I feel like I should get one, maybe two, because everybody else, the Banks, Wall Street, Oilmen, Cattlemen, Big Farmers, Big Fruit Growers, Big Sugar, Big Cotton and Big Big-Box Stores all seem to have a lot of them. Military Contractors, Drug Manufacturers, Healthcare Providers, Gun-Owners and even the pathetically small remnant of the US Labor force that used to be called Unionist have lobbyists.
Do you?
Even if you can call your Representative or Senators (and I can and do), how can you be sure that he or she will listen to your position if you are being out-shouted (and out-contributed) by all the lobbyists around them.

So, who represents you to your Representative?

Joe(who?)Nation

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Type: Question • Score: 8 • Views: 2,457 • Replies: 22

[+3] - rosborne979 - 04/11/2012Maybe we can create a single lobby called "The People" and everyone can donate a dollar to them. Then they can go to congress and lobby for The People. But who's going to decide what...

@Joe Nation,

Come on Joe. You know you have to donate at least 50 grand to your local crooked politician to get him to listen to you. By the way I make less than 50 grand a year so I dont have a lobbyist either.

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@Joe Nation,

I'm grateful for the most part:
Rep. Carolyn Maloney; and to some extent Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are politically aligned with my own views. So when I do contact them via phone (to leave a message), letter, or email, I tend to find out that they already are on the supporting side of the issue I am writing about.

Though I'd be interested to find out who are the largest veterans affairs lobby groups out there. The VFW and that other nation wide (local based community group thingy) one that alludes me right now tend to be too conservative to really represent me in their agenda.

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@Joe Nation,

Maybe we can create a single lobby called "The People" and everyone can donate a dollar to them. Then they can go to congress and lobby for The People.

But who's going to decide what "The People" want? That seems to be the problem. Without having a specific issue to lobby for, it'll become diluted and nobody will support it.

If you have a particular goal in mind, like putting guns in the hands of every person in the country, then you can donate to the NRA and they will lobby for that cause.

We need to pick a singular cause or idea that all (or most of) "The People" want and then fund a lobby for it.

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@rosborne979,

rosborne979 wrote:

Maybe we can create a single lobby called "The People" and everyone can donate a dollar to them. Then they can go to congress and lobby for The People.

But who's going to decide what "The People" want? That seems to be the problem. Without having a specific issue to lobby for, it'll become diluted and nobody will support it.

If you have a particular goal in mind, like putting guns in the hands of every person in the country, then you can donate to the NRA and they will lobby for that cause.

We need to pick a singular cause or idea that all (or most of) "The People" want and then fund a lobby for it.

I call DIBS!! But who's going to decide what "The People" want? I'll make those decisions if you don't mind. Razz

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@rosborne979,

A dollar?? Hell, a buck a piece would only be $311,591,917 .00 . That's about half of what Tobacco and the Gun Nuts shelled out (no pun intended) last year.

Joe(piker)Nation

1 Reply

@Joe Nation,

I just picked a number. How about $10, do you think that would work?

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@Joe Nation,

I got a friend, Jonathan. He's the guy I want lobbying for me. That sumbitch can talk the label off a can of tomatoes. If I want to get something done...and I need a lobbyist, he is the guy I am gonna call on.

Did I mention that sumbitch can talk the label off a can of anchovies?

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@Frank Apisa,

You mean your friend can pull tabs off of tins? That's power, man.

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@Frank Apisa,

It's nice to hear you've made a friend, Frank. I'll bet if we got to read your report cards from grammar school the comments would read:
"Frank is a bright boy but he does not fit in easily with the other students."
"I enjoy having Franklin in my class because he makes me consider the validity of everything I say."
"Frank will go a long way in life and we hope to see him get going soon."
~~
So, anyway, do you feel personally represented in this democracy or not?

Wait, before you answer that, I want to tell you about this guy I knew who everybody expected would be found floating down the Hudson..... .

"Yes, officer, I saw the white haired gentleman fall or jump from the Frying Pan into the water."
Joe(Hardly any splash)Nation

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@Joe Nation,

I felt represented in both the Los Angeles area and Humboldt County area, knew my reps to talk with over several years. Here in New Mexico I've phased out of all that, just watching, though I do vote.

Now that corporations have standing as people, and even before that, I am seeing money talking jabberwocky.

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@Joe Nation,

Quote:

Wait, before you answer that, I want to tell you about this guy I knew who everybody expected would be found floating down the Hudson..... .

"Yes, officer, I saw the white haired gentleman fall or jump from the Frying Pan into the water."
Joe(Hardly any splash)Nation

And I suppose the officer the officer would do a Zimmerman and not check to see if you had anything to do with two and one half gainer from the (I hope) upper deck structure.

May the kayaks be with you.

f.

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@Frank Apisa,

Frank Apisa wrote:

I got a friend, Jonathan. He's the guy I want lobbying for me. That sumbitch can talk the label off a can of tomatoes. If I want to get something done...and I need a lobbyist, he is the guy I am gonna call on....

I got a friend, Jonathan, too. And you're right. He'd be perfect. Whaddaya say, Joe?

E(I'm in for $10)va

1 Reply

@Eva,

Quote:

I got a friend, Jonathan, too. And you're right. He'd be perfect. Whaddaya say, Joe?

E(I'm in for $10)va

We gotta work on sending him to Washington, Eva. Things would improve for certain, even if only because there would be a lot more laughing!

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@Frank Apisa,

Joe (My life IS a filibuster)Nation

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@Joe Nation,

Who are you kidding Joe? Of course you have lobbyists. Everyone has lobbyists.

Did you support the anti-internet censorship cause?
Do you support a woman's right to choose? (or the states right to stop choice)
Are you grateful for the work of the ACLU (or the NRA).
Do you like having clean water and a safe food supply or safe toys for your kids?

I think the contention that you don't have any lobbyists is highly suspect. Or is it that we use the term lobbyist for awful people we disagree with. The good people who are representing our interests shouldn't be called "lobbyists" should they.

1 Reply

@Frank Apisa,

I'd like to send him to Washington just to bug Inhofe.

E(Make it $100)va

1 Reply

@Eva,

Eva,
let's take the bus out again. I think it's still in dagmar's garage.....

We should call ourselves "The Pirate Party".....with Jo as our running horse,
we could bypass Mitt in no time. Heck we'll leave Obama in the dust as well...

1 Reply

@CalamityJane,

Oh, I don't know, CJ. Of course Joe would make a great candidate, but...Joe as president? I wouldn't do that to a friend.

But I think he might really enjoy being a lobbyist. He'd get to constantly bother all the most insufferable people, fly under the radar, and the perks are great. And then there's the money. Lots of it.

Think about it, Joe.

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@maxdancona,

You're correct, of course, Max. There are organizations out there that I support (i.e. actually send money to) and applaud (um...but don't pony up any cash for).
I think I'll make a list of all of them and then ask a simple question: What will it mean if I make such a list and then compare it to the lobbys and industries that Congressmen and Senators join after they leave public life and find out that none of them are uniting with any of the organization I favor.

(When was the last time you heard of someone retiring to join the ACLU or The Rails to Trails Association or Move-on?)

Now, <sigh> I have to do the research.

What would your list look like and who has retired to join any of them in the past ten years?

Joe(Inhofe should be slapped hard)Nation

2 Replies

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