If the bill passes, lobbying groups of more than 500 supporters would be required to adhere to rigorous reporting requirements. These requirements would take a lot of time and money to accomplish. Now this doesn’t sound to bad does it? The problem is that it effects grassroots organizations and smaller organizations the most – the ones who can’t afford it and who would pay huge fines if the reporting is not done properly.

And the biggest catch – corporations, labor unions and foreign companies would be EXEMPT! That’s right! The lobbying firms that need the ethic reforms the most, won’t even have to comply.

Doesn’t this seem like a limit on free speech? Small organizations who want to make their voice heard to THEIR government may not be able to. Shame on you Congress!

Technorati Tags: Lobby Reform Bill, Democratic Congress, Ethics Reform

It seems that in Washington, the actual lobbyists are too busy to stand in line to attend a packed committee hearing that they have an interest in. Instead they hire line standers. These line standers will stay for as much as 12 – 24 hours just waiting for the committee hearing to begin. And just at the last minute, the actual lobbyists enters the building and takes his or her “rightful” place.

Line standers or placeholders can get as much as $35 – $40 per hour just to stand in line. Hopefully they have a tag-team system in case a potty break is needed!

Lobbying is a big business in Washington. Is the government run of the people, by the people, for the people as Lincoln stated? I think not. The “people” have just become line standers.

Technorati Tags: Lobbying, line standers, placeholders