BOOMTOWN

Corporations Get '22,000% Return on Investment' From Lobbying

New report outrages both left and right

Jan 28, 2013 by Mary Noble

Senior Editor t

For every dollar corporations spent on lobbying in 2004, they received a $220 return on their investment in the form of tax breaks and government subsidies. That's according to a study from the Government Accountability Institute (GAI) that's united conservatives and progressives in outrage.

Put another way, corporations reportedly receive a 22,000 percent return on their lobbying investment.

Lobbying is now "a lot more profitable than buying or creating a new good," says the GAI's president Peter Schweizer. General Electric spends $100,000 every day to lobby Congress.

The report has horrified both progressives and conservatives. It's a "hot" story on liberal-outpost Reddit, been featured on Breitbart.com, and given TV coverage by the leftist Young Turks and a one-hour special, Boomtown, from Sean Hannity. Watch the last third of Hannity's show here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyi6WQ2XKXI

If you want to take action, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee is running a campaign here.

As Hannity points out, the problem is bipartisan. Lobbyists and their clients "don't care who's in charge as long as the money keeps flowing in."

Via Breitbart.com and the Progressive Change Campaign.

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?	Is there any hope of reining in DC lobbyists?

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Yes, with legislation

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Yes, via term limits

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Yes, both the above

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No, no hope

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Maybe, but not sure how

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All : 70

Comments (view in Forum)

Jan '13

jessejaymes

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This isn't going to change. corporations own D.C. Obama is owned by Wall Street just as much as Romney was and the conservatives and progressives will wail and pretend to be shocked but they're the ones TAKING THE MONEY. What the hell. It's not going to change. Welcome to the new world order.
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Jan '13

mtkopf

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The fox guarding the henhouse.
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Jan '13

jessejaymes

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@mtkopf With a gatling gun.
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Jan '13

stepped_in_it

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@mtkopf Believe they call it owning....not guarding!
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Jan '13

Knightkore

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Thank you....agreed....
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Jan '13

GmanGSW

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You are absolutely correct. It is both saddening and maddening! There need to be those major restrictions on lobbying, as you reminded me about in McConnell's problem, thanks. It is "easier" said than done, and "tougher." People don't want to believe it, but we are more an oligarcy/plutocracy than a democracy, behind the scenes. Heck, that's why I say to keep on your reps & Senators, folks! The President? Try... Although I feel that the Congress can watch over themselves, via legislation, it is, indeed, the fox watching over the chicken coup. We have a 2nd amendment for a reason. Hold on to it! Keep on your legislators, folks!
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Jan '13

DerivePI

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220 times in percent is 22,000
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Jan '13

PolitixMary K

Mary Noble, Senior Editor

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Thanks for pointing that out! Er, a small but significant typo... Fixed now.
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Jan '13

DerivePI

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@PolitixMary - Just didn't want people to think you were working on a Federal appropriations bill (smile)!
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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the problem is not the money spent on lobbying, but that politicians need so much cash to buy the votes of our complacent electorate through TV commercials...

the voters of our country have the power to stop this but they have given that power over to their TV remote controls....
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Jan '13

russ

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Oh, and let's not leave out nepotism--just by coincidence many of our countries politicians are related to lobbyists...small world....
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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@russ

Many of the lobyists are former polititcians.

remember, the OWS people were lobbying...(ineffectively, but..) the suffragettes were lobbyists. the civil rights fighters were lobbyists.

the very basis of our nation is founded on lobbying...
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Jan '13

russ

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@woodtick57
Yeah, but I'd like to think their's was a higher purpose :-)
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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@russ

higher than making jobs for people and making us the top producing nation on the globe for so long?
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Jan '13

russ

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@woodtick57
Well, that's true--but I get the impression lobbyists are getting a big piece of the pie...
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Jan '13

stepped_in_it

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"The report has horrified both progressives and conservatives" Yet, it still is happening, right there in front of (and with) them!
Corporations are smart, they are getting a $1000 hooker for a mere $1. And our hookers in D.C. probably say thank you!
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Jan '13

DARSB

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As long as corporations are persons this will be very difficult to deal with.
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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if we quit taxing them, maybe they won't feel they should have a play in our politics...
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Jan '13

martydotcom

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Lesson #101 on how to cut taxes. Give money to congressmen.
Someone please tell me how either party can keep a straight face when talking about tax reform, loopholes, deficits. The conversation should be about how these clowns avoid indictment
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Jan '13

DARSB

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@woodtick57 "General Electric spends $100,000 every day to lobby Congress"

And how much did GE pay in taxes in 2010?$0.
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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@DARSB

they actually paid tons in taxes. maybe not in income taxes...

why is the the example everyone uses? what about all the normal sized corps out there being taxed as people?

we even fought a war over that whole taxation without representation thingy...
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Jan '13

DARSB

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@woodtick57 http://goo.gl/ySaLw
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Jan '13

russ

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Let's not forget all the service/retail industries that thrive in the DC metro area. For example, the per capita income in Loudin County, VA is $119000. Wages are a little bit lower were I live. In my county it is roughly $15000, or 12.6% of theirs. But there's a bright side. I'm sure there are fewer people on food stamps around our nation's capital....
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Jan '13

harold_lloyd

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This is how your government really works...

https://www.youtube.com/watch...

http://billmoyers.com/episode/encore-united-s...
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Jan '13

twinertia

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As I've been saying for some time now.....the ONLY way to get THAT kind of bang for your buck is to CORPORATIZE YOURSELVES. That's the only way DC'll ever act on behalf of everyday folk; the vast majority are simply drones in the corporate hive, voiceless and doomed to slave away until they drop over (or so they think).
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Jan '13

Dan_Tien

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Someone asked in another thread, "Who is really running the country?" Here is the answer.
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Jan '13

AceLuby

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The best govt money can buy. Very few people actually hold their representatives accountable though, it's all about 'your side' winning... sad.
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Jan '13

JoeJared

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The best hope we have is to go above the government's head, and design our own methods of monetary exchange.
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Jan '13

Heavy-Fed

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Outlaw lobbyists!! Take the money out of politics!!! Cut all the fat from the benefits lawmakers receive!! Only then will we get politicians who are in politics for the people and not the power and the cash!!!
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Jan '13

Cheenoguy

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Until we find a way to eliminate campaign donations the rich will always own politicians.
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Jan '13

PNWest

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I don't see how to solve this problem. If you eliminate lobbying or corporate donations they'll just find other sneaky ways to buy off the politicians. If you implement term limits they'll just buy them off with high salary jobs after their terms.
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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the only way they can 'buy them off' is to make donations to their campaign fund.

informed voters would amke all the money in the world pointless for campaign usage...
that is how you solve the problem educate the voters,.
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Jan '13

PNWest

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@woodtick57 You underestimate the creativity of corruption. Cocaine, hookers, jobs for relatives, vacations, shady land deals - there are no shortage of ways to pay off politicians who do your bidding.
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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@PNWest

And there is no shortage of people waiting to find out about that and get the scoop.

if you have the type of representative that would be swayed, or even interested by such things, any intelligent voter would know it...
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Jan '13

PNWest

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@woodtick57 How many intelligent voters are there? How many non-corrupt politicians do you think there are? Maybe I'm cynical but I think that almost all of our elected officials are corrupt to a certain extent.
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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@PNWest

that makes me sad...omg I';m like neo...

i know several of my reps personally. iknow htey are not corrupt. they would like nothing better than to not have to start fundraising the day after they get elected, but that is what it takes when the voters vote by TV commercials.

if you think people are corrupt because they take campaign contributions, then yes, every single politician is corrupt.
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Jan '13

Yank

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I put "yes both of the above", but there should have been another option for "but it would never happen because it would require Washington to sign it into law".
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Jan '13

kathyparsell

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I am shocked AND appalled! Sadly not suprised.
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Jan '13

VVP

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What would Term limits do to effect lobbying in any way shape or form? To suggest such illustrates a complete and total lack of understanding of the issue.

Of course lobbying gets that large of a ROI. It is basically how our government currently functions.

It can and needs to be stopped. Much in the same way its consumer cousin marketing needs to be stopped.
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Jan '13

LGRepublican

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Well duh! The reason corporations (and let's not forget special interest groups)do it is that it works. You don't think they'd spend millions if it didn't.....
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Jan '13

Denizen_Kate

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That's it, I've had it! I'm gonna run for congress ... nice work if you can get it.
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Jan '13

FollowTheMoney

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I've been saying this for years, no surprise.
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Politix

Is there any hope of reining in DC lobbyists?

Is there any hope of reining in DC lobbyists?