The Evergreen
Freedom Foundation (http://www.effwa.org/main/page.php)
Formally filed complaints with
the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) against sixty-eight public agencies
for failing to disclose the hiring of lobbyists with taxpayer dollars. We
want you to be one of the first to know about it. You can view the video
showing delivery of the complaints to the PDC by clicking on the image to the
right.
When people think of
lobbyists, they usually imagine big businesses buying off corrupt politicians.
They probably don't imagine government agencies hiring lobbyists to buy votes
at the capitol. It sounds absurd, and it is, but here in Washington State public
agencies spend millions of our dollars every year hiring lobbyists.
Unfortunately, the
flagrant use of tax dollars to lobby for bigger government is a growing
problem. While conducting research for the Freedom Foundations just released report
detailing taxpayer funded lobbying in Washington, it was found that public
agencies spent over $42 million on lobbying in the last decade. And
with unreported lobbying, hidden administrative costs, employee benefits, and
lobbying at the federal level, the true cost of government lobbying is much,
much higher.
Not only do city
governments, county governments, public utility districts, and other public
agencies spend millions of dollars every year lobbying the state, sometimes they
don't even tell us about it.
Also discovered
was, while lobbyists were disclosing payments from public agencies, those same
public agencies had failed to comply with public disclosure laws and report
their use of public funds to hire lobbyists. As it turns out, public agencies have
failed to disclose over $4.6 million worth of taxpayer funded lobbyingand
that’s just what we were able to
identify by cross checking reports filed by contract lobbyists with reports
filed (or not filed) by public agencies.
The problem is
actually worse, since many agencies, such as Puget Sound Partnership (PSP), pay
inhouse staff to lobby in lieu of hiring contract lobbyists. It was discovered
PSPs failure to report its lobbying by happenstance. It is likely several
other agencies fall into this category, but would be difficult to identify
without manually reviewing bill testimony and agency correspondence.
The flagrant
disrespect for taxpayers and the rule of law from these public agencies is
shocking. One especially egregious example is Sound Transit, which failed to
report over $800,000 in lobbying expenses over the past seven years. Only after
the Freedom Foundation questioned them did Sound Transit file the proper
disclosure forms. And even the late forms are incomplete.
You can check out the
press release and the actual complaint forms on our website. Find out if your city, county, or utility
district is on the list.
It is natural to ask
what business government has using taxpayer money to hire lobbyists in order to
lobby itself for more taxpayer money. Lobbying with other people’s money
distorts the political process, forcing citizens to fund the same lobbyists
they may have to compete with in Olympia. When it results in higher budgets and
higher spending, it’s doubly insulting to taxpayers.
You can check out the full report on
taxpayer funded lobbying and our policy recommendations for fixing the problems
on our website or posted in www.Honeyshack.net under
documentation link on the right
It was a truly a
spectacular opportunity for me to take on this project as a summer intern. The
Freedom Foundation gave me a chance to do substantive policy work that was not
only helpful for my future, but for the future of our state. I was extremely
lucky to be offered this opportunity and I hope they will be able to offer
equally exciting opportunities to future interns.
I know the
Freedom Foundation will continue to lead the fight to ensure transparency and
honesty in government, but they can only continue to do so with your help. If
you want to help bring accountability to government, please consider
making a donation to the Freedom Foundation. You can support them using personal or business funds. All
donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
With your help, the
Freedom Foundation will work to put an end to this flagrant waste of taxpayer
dollars and flouting of transparency laws.
Sincerely,
Preston Mui, Intern
Evergreen Freedom
Foundation