Huffington Post: Lobbyists Prosper During Recession

Lobbyists Prosper During Recession

WASHINGTON — They're furloughing many city workers for eight days this summer. They've cut staffing by about 5 percent. Now officials in Tracy, Calif., are trying another way to help make ends meet in these tough economic times: They've hired a Washington lobbyist.

It's an idea that seems to be spreading. Senate lobbying records show that dozens of cities and counties signed up with lobbying firms in the three months of this year. Their goal is to get a greater share of the money flowing out of Washington, from a record federal budget to the $787 billion economic stimulus package.

Some of the communities hiring lobbyists have done so before and are simply shuffling their lineup or adding to it. But others are getting into the lobbying game for the first time. "This is a new venture for the city. This is a relatively conservative community and has a high degree of self-reliance, but we also understand there's also a great opportunity for all communities, Tracy included" said Leon Churchill, city manager for the suburban community about 60 miles east of San Francisco. "The opportunity was too immense to bypass."

The city paid $10,000 to Patricia Jordan and Associates in the first quarter. Disclosure reports filed with the Senate show the firm lobbied lawmakers and the Federal Highway Administration on a highway spending bill. It also lobbied the Federal Emergency Management Agency for "emergency management" money. The stimulus bill provided the agency with hundreds of millions of dollars for grants to firefighters and improved transit and rail security.



Scott Gifford, president of the Village of Deer Park's board of trustees, poses for a photo Wednesday, April 29, 2009, in Deer Park, Ill. With a population of 3,200 and a budget of about $3.5 million, Village of Deer Park hired a lobbying firm to help it get money for road and drainage projects. "We were looking for a way to make up some of the shortfalls we see for the next couple of years until we get out of this recession," said Gifford. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/03/lobbyists-prosper-during-_n_195289.html