Who lobbies for ordinary Americans?

Q. Who lobbies for America's citizens? A. Nobody!

Most large American organizations pay lobbyists to influence laws at the federal and state level for their benefit. This includes nearly every industry, major corporation, union, government agency, and trade group imaginable. Any possible negative impact of this influence peddling on the lives of ordinary citizens isn't even a secondary consideration for the lobbyists or our lawmakers.

I don't think most lobbyists are evil humans. In fact, I suspect most consider themselves to be good and decent Americans. However, a lobbyist's job description is to do almost whatever it takes to influence lawmakers to favor their clients. And remember they are paid to deliver the goods, and only if they do so are they and their clients rewarded. These influence peddlers have become increasingly skilled in fulfilling their jobs, even as ordinary Americans' futures become increasingly harmed by the side-effects.

Lobbying employment opportunities for former lawmakers and their staffs have exploded over the past few decades. That’s no coincidence; in fact, it's a symptom of the disease. Lobbyists must have access to lawmakers, and promises of future employment for them and their staffers ensure they get it. Who's better equipped to get access to a current lawmaker than a former D.C. Insider? Our former Congressman, Heath Shuler has denied his new role with Duke Energy is as a lobbyist. I suspect most of the other hundreds of former members of Congress who are now working for a variety of special interests in the influencing business also deny this job title until the mandatory one year limit on holding such a role has been reached.

No part of the lobbying process even considers our nation's or people's best interests. The lobbyist's objectives only favor their employers. Outcomes are almost never in doubt; it mainly comes down to what it will cost the favor seeker in campaign contributions and promises for future employment. In fact, the ongoing massive expansion of campaign costs has been mostly caused by the ever-increasing availability of special interest funding.

The deadly combination of short-term election cycles and the immediate wants of special interests have resulted in virtually no attention being paid to any long-term negative consequences for our citizens.

Back to the initial question: who lobbies for us? It used to be the two political parties. Both parties had clear differences and their leaders worked diligently to represent and defend those values. However, both sides used to be guided by a shared and over-arching set of principles representing what was truly best for our nation. They did what would be unthinkable today by often making compromises to reach agreements. Each side gave in a little, and both walked away proudly to tell supporters what had been gained. Conflict mediators refer to this as win-win. Neither side was so willing to fight to the death for absolute victory, and so the good ship America plodded along for generations.

During the past three or four decades everything changed. Almost all lawmakers from both parties have succumbed to lobbyists' control. Our elected no longer think or act as citizens' representatives. They more fear the wrath of the special interests than the voters. And why wouldn't they? The special interests can actually get politicians fired by diverting campaign funding to their opponents. Lack of funds and a few negative Super-PAC ads and "rogue" lawmakers are toast...and they know it! Voters, on the other hand, keep re-electing incumbents...more than 94% in the 2012 election. If you were a candidate who would you most fear?

The only recent effective efforts to act as a citizen's lobby came from the Tea Party (TP). While I deeply admire the passion this group displayed in fighting for our nation, I believe they mistakenly aimed their anger at the symptoms of our nation's illnesses instead of the true causes.

Most Tea Party members say they stand for smaller government, return to the true intentions of the Constitution, and no new taxes. All admirable objectives. The general public though primarily remembers their main tactical weapon as "no new taxes".

The TP did succeed in getting many new lawmakers elected, however, the no new taxes pledge only provided the opposing party the fuel they needed to paint the Republican party as obstructionists. In the last election it cost the Republicans an opportunity to recapture seats the opposition normally would have won in such bad economic times. If the best the TP can do is support more obstructing...the GOP will be out of power for many years to come.

I wish the TP would look at the real cause of our nation's problems...the vast majority of our elected allowing themselves to be corrupted by the damnable lobbyists!

I hope the TP will become reinvigorated and redirect their anger toward forcing our elected to reduce the role of the special interests in running our nation, They could begin by forcing our elected and their staffs to sign pledges for no employment as lobbyists for ten years after their public service. They could also work toward forcing our elected to change the court ruling allowing corporations to provide unlimited campaign funding.

Who are the lobbyists for ordinary Americans? It certainly is no longer those we elect to represent us. I'm afraid until we find the will to unite and fight back, we are individually and collectively on our own. Do a creek and a paddle come to mind?

These are my opinions. What do you think?

Mike Tower

Please visit my pals blog:  Lee's Political Opinions and the website for an organization we co-founded:  Citizens Against Politics As Usual